On My Mind
The Deming Prize is the most prestigious organizational quality award in the world. The annual application and awards process is administered by the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE). Winners of the Deming Prize are eligible to challenge for the Deming Grand Prize after a multi-year waiting period. The global hot spot for Deming Prize winners the past ten years has been India – over twenty organizational entities from India have won the Deming Prize since 2000. The Deming Prize has six evaluation items: (1) Management policies and their deployment regarding quality management, (2) New product development and/or work process innovation, (3) Maintenance and improvement of product and operational qualities, (4) Establishment of systems for managing quality, quantity, delivery, costs, safety, environment, etc., (5) Collection and analysis of quality information and utilization of IT, and (6) Human resources development. Organizations are evaluated on the six items from four angles (perspectives): (1) Effectiveness, (2) Consistency, (3) Continuity, and (4) Thoroughness.  It is worth studying the Deming Prize information available on the JUSE website if only to understand the type of organization leaders need to create in order to successfully challenge for the most prestigious organizational quality award in the world.

Interesting Stories
I needed some Band-Aids on a recent trip and so I went to the hotel front desk one morning and showed the front desk worker the type of Band-Aid I needed and I said, “I would like three Band-Aids like this one.” The worker searched in the back room, returned, and stated, “We don’t have any, but we can go buy some and leave three in your room.” Although very surprised, I replied, “Great!” When I returned to my room later that evening – no Band-Aids! I called the front desk and they sent someone promptly with one Band-Aid. I said to the person, “Thank you, but I need three.” He said he would be right back with some more. I waited for about an hour and then decided to go to dinner. When I returned – there were three Band-Aids in an envelope that had been slipped under my door. Now I have four Band-Aids. Another person knocked on my door later that evening and he proudly presented me with yet another Band-Aid. I’m not certain what all transpired for me to end up with five Band-Aids, but a spaghetti diagram would have been interesting to see. Perhaps you can conduct your own Band-Aid experiment the next time you visit a hotel. My experience brought a smile to this weary traveler’s face.

Company News
I will be presenting on “Quality, Analytics, & the Big Data Revolution” at the Global Quality Futures Workshop in August. The accompanying paper bearing the same title will be available in early October. There are three major Strategic Improvement Systems events to be held this fall. The ten day public Continuous Improvement Black Belt course schedule is set: September 15-17, October 19-21, November 17-19, and December 21. The nine day public Continuous Improvement Master Black Belt course schedule is set: September 21-23; October 28-30; December 1-2; and December 17. Finally, the Seventh Annual Advanced Strategic Improvement Practices Conference will be held October 7 at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. There will be presentations under two major themes: Innovation and Organizational Sustainability (in the environmental) sense. All three brochures are available on this web-site.

Intriguing Reads
There are probably as many “strategy frameworks” as there are authors – which makes the decision on how to approach strategy formulation quite difficult for leaders. This problem is made easier if you read the new book by Reeves, Haanaes, and Sinha titled, “Strategy Needs a Strategy: How to Choose and Execute the Right Approach.” The authors present and describe in considerable depth five strategy approaches (Classical, Adaptive, Visionary, Shaping, Renewal) and provide guidelines on which one might be the most appropriate for different organizational situations. Best wishes in determining which strategy approach is appropriate for your organization.

On My Mind
Who is the best chess player in the world? The answer to that question is not so easy given the outcome of the recent Norway Chess 2015 tournament—the first of three events of the newly-created Grand Chess Tour 2015. Chess has long been considered one of the best games to develop strategic thinking skills. Magnus Carlsen of Norway is the current world champion and he was ranked #1 prior to the tournament, but he couldn’t recover from a time blunder in his first game of the tournament against Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria) and he ended up in 7th place. Topalov went on to win the tournament. Did Carlsen’s time blunder affect his performance in his next eight games? Ten grand masters competed and they played each other once which means there were forty-five games. Twenty-five of the forty-five games resulted in a draw; fifteen of the forty-five games were won by the player with the white pieces; and five of the forty-five games (11.1%)—including the Carlsen vs. Topalov match—were won by the player with the black pieces. Topalov had four of the five “black wins” which is an amazing tournament performance since “black wins” are historically the least likely outcome. Carlsen will have a chance to redeem himself when he plays in the 2015 Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis in August. Game on!

Interesting Stories
One second can make all the difference in the world to some people. According to the Financial Times, an extra second was recently added “. . . to the world’s computer clocks to keep them in sync with the time the earth takes to orbit the sun.” This was the first time they made the adjustment during a trading day. The fear was that those who prepared for the event would have a momentary competitive advantage. We’ll have to wait and see what happened. On another note, congratulations are due co-pilots Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard for breaking the solar plane flight record with a journey of 118 hours. This was seen as a giant victory for renewable energy technology.

Company News
I will be presenting on “Quality, Analytics, & the Big Data Revolution” at the Global Quality Futures Workshop in August in Winnipeg, Canada. The accompanying paper bearing the same title will be available after the workshop. There are three major Strategic Improvement Systems events to be held this fall. The ten day public Continuous Improvement Black Belt course schedule is set: September 15-17, October 19-21, November 17-19, and December 21. The brochure is available on this website in the “Public Seminars” section. The nine day public Continuous Improvement Master Black Belt course schedule is set: September 21-23; October 28-30; December 1-2; and December 17. The brochure will be availabe on this website in the “Public Seminars” section by July 13. Finally, the Seventh Annual Advanced Strategic Improvement Practices Conference will be held October 7 at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. There will be presentations under two major themes: Innovation and Organizational Sustainability (in the environmental) sense. The brochure will be availabe on this website in the “Annual Conference” section by July 13.

Intriguing Reads
I recently re-studied two classic papers by Dr. W. Edwards Deming as part of my analytics research: On Probability As a Basis For Action published by The American Statistician and On the Distinction Between Enumerative and Analytic Surveys published by the Journal of the American Statistical Association. Executives should study these two papers if they intend to use predictive analytical models. The use of those models involves some risk.

On My Mind
Japanese-Style Hoshin Kanri (JSHK) is a global best practice strategic improvement system. My research-based definition of JSHK is the following: “Japanese-Style Hoshin Kanri is a systematic annual process led by senior executives—and preceded by Strategic Management activities—for developing, deploying, and accomplishing objectives (ends) and strategies (means) through coordinated organization-wide activities and the rigorous application of the PDCA cycle.” Strategic thinking is an important skill required early in the annual JSHK process once the CEO Diagnosis has been completed. For those of you who would like to develop your strategic thinking skills, consider following the inaugural Grand Chess Tour 2015. It is comprised of three events to be held in Stavanger, Norway in June; St. Louis, Missouri in August; and London, United Kingdom in December. Garry Kasparov, former World Chess Champion, is one of the creators of this elite competition. Eight of the ten participants are ranked in the “Top Ten” in the world and they will be competing for over $1 Million (USD) in prize money. Visit www.grandchesstour.com to learn more about this event and to position yourself to start improving your strategic thinking skills.

Interesting Stories
From an organizational change perspective—an ambidextrous organization excels at both improvement and innovation. Not every organization is good at both and so this capability can potentially be a source of competitive advantage. Amazingly, Pat Venditte—a pitcher for the Oakland Athletics—recently pitched two innings during a Major League Baseball game sometimes throwing with his right arm and sometimes with his left arm. He was the first pitcher since 1995 to perform such a feat according to the Associated Press. The other team did not score a run against him and he struck out one batter. Generally speaking—based on historical data—a left-handed pitcher performs better against a left-handed batter and a right-handed pitcher performs better against a right-handed batter. It will be interesting to see if Venditte is successful at exploiting this competitive advantage the rest of the season.

Company News
The ten day public Continuous Improvement Black Belt course schedule is set: September 15-17, October 19-21, November 17-19, and December 21. The brochure will be available on this website in the “Public Seminars” section before June 10. Registrations must be received before September 4 and space is limited. The schedule for the Continuous Improvement Master Black Belt course will be available mid-June. I will be presenting on “Quality, Analytics, & the Big Data Revolution” at the Global Quality Futures Workshop in August in Winnipeg, Canada.

Intriguing Reads
Each year only a handful of books on strategy capture my attention enough for me to read them cover-to-cover. One book this year is authored by David Youffie (Harvard Business School) and Michael Cusumano (MIT’s Sloan School of Management) and is titled, “Strategy Rules: Five Timeless Lessons from Bill Gates, Andy Grove, and Steve Jobs.” The book chronicles some of the major events of the information Technology revolution and the strategic decisions made by the three main characters. The authors structure the book around five strategy rules: Look Forward, Reason Back; Make Big Bets, Without Betting the Company; Build Platforms and Ecosystems—Not Just Products; Exploit Leverage and Power—Play Judo and Sumo; Shape the Organization Around Your Personal Anchor. This book falls short on “how to” specifics, but it provides great insight into the strategic thinking of Gates, Grove, and Jobs.

On My Mind
The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting was held May 2 in Omaha, Nebraska. I’ve been wanting to attend for a long time and the opportunity finally presented itself. It was worth the time and expense to learn from Warren Buffett (84) and Charlie Munger (91)—the Chairman and Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway respectively—during their 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. “Question & Answer” segment of the Annual Meeting. The Century Link Center was at capacity with over 18,000 attendees including over 2,000 from China according to one report. There were overflow venues nearby to accommodate those who didn’t make it through the doors in time. The crowd was especially large this year because it was the 50th Anniversary of Warren Buffet’s leadership of Berkshire Hathaway. The company now has over 300,000 employees—with less than thirty working at Corporate Headquarters—and is ranked the world’s fourteenth largest company based on 2013 revenue and is the fifth largest company trading on U.S. stock exchanges ranked by market capitalization. Buffet is a rare combination of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer with contrarian views on centralization, macroeconomic forecasting, share repurchasing, brand management, and the effects of synergy. If you are tired of studying companies run by conventional wisdom, then study Berkshire Hathaway.

Interesting Stories
Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger told many stories during the Q&A segment of their recent Annual Meeting. They both possess a storytelling-type style which reminded me of the late Dr. W. Edwards Deming and Dr. George E. P. Box. Buffett and Munger are skilled at simplifying a complex topic to its core essence and then communicating their message in a practical and straightforward manner. For example, with respect to safety in the railroad industry, Charlie Munger said something to the effect, “You would have to be out of your mind not to pay attention to safety in the railroad industry—and we are not out of our minds.”

Company News
“The needs of the patient come first.” This is the primary value that continues to guide the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation (CFI) which began operations in 2008. I’ve had the privilege of visiting the center several times since its inception and have witnessed its development. CFI staff members continue to collaboratively guide groups intent on “transforming the experience and delivery of health and health care.” There is a new book that explains the history and activities of the CFI titled, “Think Big, Start Small, Move Fast: A Blueprint for Transformation from the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation.” On another note, there is still time to register for the intensive eight-day public Continuous Improvement Green Belt course which will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Plymouth, MN June 1-3, July 15-16, August 19-20, and September 30. Please send me an e-mail message at caliedtke@aol.com if you would like a brochure. Registrations must be received before May 20. The public Continuous Improvement Black Belt and Continuous Improvement Master Black Belt course schedules will be available late May.

Intriguing Reads
If you want to learn more about the history of Berkshire Hathaway, then read the new commemorative book on the company titled, “Celebrating 50 Years of a Profitable Partnership: Berkshire Hathaway Inc.” This is a beautiful book that contains numerous historical documents and pictures dating back to the start of the company.

On My Mind
The Big Data phenomenon is resulting in some interesting lessons for organizations. My research-based definition of Big Data is the following: “Big Data represents a situation involving a large amount of data consisting of multiple data types sometimes arriving real-time from multiple sources requiring exploratory data analysis and integrative analytical methods for problem-solving and problem-discovering.” Many lessons are becoming clear, but I’ll mention two at this time. First, simply having strong analytical capabilities might not lead to a distinct competitive advantage for some organizations. For example, Major League Baseball (MLB) is one of the most mature industries in terms of analytical capabilities. Most—if not all—MLB teams now employee analytics professionals. Second, information technology-heavy business models must be supported by effective security and risk management systems. News reports of cyber attacks, hacking, and data breaches are becoming commonplace. Target Corporation is still dealing with the aftermath effects of the wide-scale data breach that occurred in 2013. Time will bring new lessons as the Big Data phenomenon evolves—we do live in exciting times.

Interesting Stories
I am a loyal customer of Amazon.com—considered to be one of the Big Data global best practice organizations. The algorithm used by Amazon.com to predict products I might like is not perfect and sometimes produces puzzling results. This is a message I recently received: “Dr. Charles Liedtke, Amazon.com has new recommendations for you based on items you purchased or told us you own.” Here is what was mentioned: “Gilbert & Sullivan: Broadway Theatre Archive, The Pirates of Penzance DVD.” I have no interest in this product and wonder how the algorithm could be so wrong. The moral of the story is that even world class Big Data preference learning algorithms are not perfect.

Company News
I have two public presentations in the near future. The first is April 14 on “Creating Successful Standards” at the Continuous Improvement Conference sponsored by the Printing Industries of America. The second is April 23 on “Zoom-Zoom! From Zero to BIG DATA in Seventy-Five Minutes” sponsored by Metropolitan State University. On another note, the public Continuous Improvement Green Belt course schedule and venue have been finalized. It is an eight-day course and will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Plymouth, MN June 1-3, July 15-16, August 19-20, and September 30. Please send me an e-mail message at caliedtke@aol.com if you would like a brochure. The public Continuous Improvement Black Belt and Continuous Improvement Master Black Belt course schedules will be announced in May.

Intriguing Reads
I recently read the 2012 book by John MacCormick titled, “9 Algorithms That Changed the Future: The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today’s Computers.” The author has succeeded in making some technically complex ideas easy to understand. I especially liked the chapters on Search Engine Indexing, PageRank, Pattern Recognition, and Databases. This is a great book to put on your reading list if you want to learn more about Big Data.

On My Mind
My emergent definition of Big Data based on my research is the following: “Big Data represents a situation involving a large amount of data consisting of multiple data types sometimes arriving real-time from multiple sources requiring exploratory data analysis and integrative analytical methods for problem-solving and problem-discovering.” This is a more useful definition than one that states something like “we have a lot more data now than we did before.” Organizations continue to develop Black Box Algorithms to analyze data, model the world, and predict the future. They are closely guarded because they can be a source of competitive advantage. Here are some Black Box Algorithm archetypes: Preference Learning (songs, movies, books, etc.); Search & Query; Matching; Discriminant Analysis; Network Connections; Geographic Spread; Topic Trending; and the Missing Puzzle Piece. The next time you are online and see an advertisement, search result, book recommendation, or a suggested network connection, think about the Black Box Algorithm that produced the item and how it might work. In my experience, some need major improvement.

Interesting Stories
I just attended the 42nd Annual Twin Cities Auto Show and was not disappointed. The event gives me a chance to see the new models from all the major auto manufacturers and the latest innovations such as the impressive solar car designed and built by University of Minnesota students. I also get to see cars I want, but aren’t in my future like the sporty Alfa Romeo that was on display. The worst part about the event is walking back to my older, much dirtier car for the drive home.

Company News
I will be making a presentation titled, “Big Data and Quality Management: A Glimpse Into the Future” at the March 10 Program Meeting for the MN Section of the American Society for Quality. The event will be held at the Best Western Kelly Inn in Plymouth, MN. On another note, the public Continuous Improvement Green Belt course schedule and venue have been finalized. It is a ten-day course and will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Plymouth, MN June 1-3, July 15-16, August 19-20, and September 30. Please send me an e-mail message at caliedtke@aol.com if you would like a brochure. The Continuous Improvement Black Belt and Continuous Improvement Master Black Belt course schedules will be finalized by mid-April.

Intriguing Reads
Many of the best practice Big Data companies utilize Black Box Algorithms. I mentioned above that these are closely guarded secrets because they give the companies who own them a potential competitive advantage. The new book by Frank Pasquale provides a peak into some of these algorithms – The Black Box Society: The Secret Algorithms That Control Money and Information. If nothing else you will gain a better understanding of what happens to some of the information about you that others possess.

On My Mind
The analytics movement continues to receive significant media attention along with the phenomenon referred to as Big Data. I view Big Data as a subset of Analytics—here is my definition of Big Data based on my research: “Big Data represents a situation involving a large amount of data consisting of multiple data types sometimes arriving real-time from multiple sources requiring exploratory data analysis and integrative analytical methods for problem-solving and problem-discovering.” This multi-faceted definition is more useful than one that suggests “we have a lot more data than before.” Analytics—and Big Data—are evolving fields of practice and so these are exciting times for quants like me. If you want to learn more about Analytics, then I would follow Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and IBM to start.

Interesting Stories
Magnus Carlsen, the current World Chess Champion from Norway, recently won the Tata Steel Chess Tournament against a strong field of thirteen opponents. Chess is considered one of the best games of strategy in the world. Tata Steel has an interesting view of the annual tournament. What follows is an excerpt from the tournament website: “The Tata Steel Chess Tournament has a long tradition. Starting as an employee tournament, it has grown into an international tournament of world class renown, for which grandmasters and amateurs alike will clear their diaries. Tata Steel has chosen for chess, because chess entails strategic thinking and focuses on finding creative solutions for complex issues. The same goes for steelmaking, a high-tech process with a crucial role for innovation. Tata Steel employees are continuously working on improving processes and products in order to help customers be successful in their markets while contributing to creating a sustainable society.”

Company News
I presented last week at a Performance Excellence Network event on “Trends in Analytics for Performance Excellence.” Roughly forty people attended who were very engaged and asked great questions. I wasn’t able to provide prescriptive answers or describe many global best practices since the field of Analytics—and Big Data—is rapidly evolving. My next presentation on the topic will be at a MN Section of the American Society for Quality event on March 10.

Intriguing Reads
A 2013 book by Erez Aiden and Jean-Baptiste Michel titled, “Uncharted: Big Data as a Lens on Human Culture,” provides a novel approach and unique insights into the Big Data phenomenon. Some of the current analytical tools quantify word usages appearing in tweets, blogs, and searches. The time series plots on word usages presented by the authors are interesting and in some cases very profound.

On My Mind
There are many different innovation frameworks used in organizations today—none of them are right or wrong—but some are useful as Dr. George E. P. Box might have said. Last year I created an Innovation Framework consisting of three components borrowing from the “three directions” of Japanese-style Total Quality Management. “Top-Down Innovation” (“Strategic”) occurs when senior executives establish a focus for innovation thereby encouraging employees to direct their creative thinking on a particular topic. For example, “We need some creative ideas aimed at improving customer experiences.” This directs organizational attention and thinking. “Cross-Functional Innovation” (“Integrative”) occurs when new ideas are created to improve cooperation, collaboration, and/or coordination. For example, “We need some creative ideas aimed at improving collaboration between our business units.” This helps with the process of integration. “Bottom-Up Innovation” (“Day-to-Day”) occurs when “anyone, anywhere, anytime” has an idea for change that is captured, evaluated, and potentially tested. For example, “I think we can reduce order entry errors by simplifying the order entry form.” This encourages all employees to continuously create new ideas. Simply exhorting employees to “innovate” rarely leads to a sustainable system of innovation. Organizations will be further ahead if they develop capabilities around the three components of the Innovation Framework.

Interesting Stories
Another commercial airliner mysteriously vanished in Asia recently. Fortunately, parts of the wreckage were found and so there will be some form of closure. It seems odd that we can’t equip commercial airliners with an indestructable black box that provides real-time tracking capabilities during normal flight operations and in the aftermath of a catastrophe. What am I missing? The technology must exist—but is cost the barrier? Some type of innovation is necessary to fulfill this important societal need.

Company News
I will be making presentations on Big Data and Analytics for the Performance Excellence Network in February and the MN Section of the American Society for Quality in March. Details can be found on those websites in early-to-mid January. My paper titled, Quality Management and Big Data, will be available in February. I will be conducting several public seminars in 2015 including Japanese-Style Hoshin Kanri; Managing Innovation Projects; Analytics for Continuous Improvement; Continuous Improvement Green Belt; Continuous Improvement Black Belt; and Continuous Improvement Master Black Belt. The schedule will be available January 21.

Intriguing Reads
Brothers Tom Kelley and David Kelley—both leading innovation experts—co-authored an excellent book on innovation titled, Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All. One of the central messages of the book is that anyone can be creative and people should believe in that capacity (“creative confidence”). Their three-component framework consisting of People (Desirable), Business (Viabile), and Technical (Feasibile) is very useful. The book showcases numerous examples of successful innovations and describes several valuable innovation tools and techniques. If you were to only have a few books on innovation on your bookshelf, this book should be one of them.

On My Mind
This is the time of year that I typically review with my clients the strategic planning assumptions they developed and stated at the beginning of the year. The assumptions vary by organization, but they could be related to the economy, customer preferences, regulations, competitor moves, funding, technology advances, political elections, geo-political events, and societal trends. Combinations of the assumptions are represented and analyzed in the form of scenarios. It is a great learning opportunity for the leaders of these organizations in order to determine the following: Where were we right? Where were we wrong? What did we miss? What surprised us? This discussion is a helpful warm-up prior to developing and stating the assumptions for the next year. A strategic planning process should improve every year and this is one technique that leaders can use to assure this happens. Getting good at assumption setting can become a source of competitive advantage.

Interesting Stories
Chess has long been considered one of the best games in the world for developing strategic thinking skills and it has a chance of eventually becoming an official Olympic sport. Magnus Carlsen, 24, of Norway, recently retained his World Chess Champion title by defeating Vishy Anand, 43, of India, in an intriguing battle of minds in Sochi, Russia. One of the most pivotal moments of the match occurred during Game 6 when Carlsen made a “blunder” move with his King. Fortunately for Carlsen, Anand failed to recognize the blunder and therefore couldn’t capitalize on it. Anand eventually lost the game. We’ll never know what would have happened had Anand capitalized on Carlsen’s blunder, but there might have been a different World Chess Champion.

Company News
2014 has been an enriching year professionally for me in part because of my research on Hoshin Kanri, Analytics, and Standardization and my trips to India and Japan. My paper titled, Quality Management and Big Data, will be available in February of 2015. I will be conducting several public seminars in 2015 including Japanese-Style Hoshin Kanri; Creating Successful Standards; Managing Innovation Projects; Analytics for Continuous Improvement; Continuous Improvement Green Belt; Continuous Improvement Black Belt; and Continuous Improvement Master Black Belt. The public seminar schedule will be available in early January.

Intriguing Reads
I’ve come across a good book on analytics by Nathan Yau titled, Data Points: Visualization That Means Something. The book contains numerous examples that show how data can be displayed effectively. I especially liked Chapter 4 on Exploring Data Visually. The challenge is to find a reasonably priced software package that can create similar charts and graphs. I’ve seen a lot of charts/graphs in magazines and newspapers recently that are cute, but very difficult to understand. The aim should be to display a chart/graph that allows the reader to maximize the amount of information extracted with the minimum amount of time and effort.

On My Mind
I recently heard first-hand what is happening at numerous world class organizations at the International Conference on Quality in Tokyo, Japan. There are exciting Quality Management developments occurring at Toyota, Hino Motors, Komatsu, Mahindra & Mahindra, TVS, and the Siam Cement Group to name a few. The most profound presentation was made by Masahiro Sakane, Komatsu Councilor and Chairman of JUSE. He won the Deming Prize for Individuals in 2008 and is the former CEO and Chairman of the Board of Komatsu. His presentation was titled, “Innovation through Quality – Creating New Value to the World!” This is the third time I’ve heard Mr. Sakane speak and he seems more profound each time. He promotes the need to think about the long-term view and understanding the fundamental changes taking place in the world. He described how Komatsu is striving to understand the customer’s perspective and more broadly enhance corporate value—defined as the total sum of trust given to Komatsu by all stakeholders. He also described Dantotsu products and Dantotsu services. This is from the Komatsu website: “The Dantotsu Strategy, launched in 2003, concentrates company resources on overwhelmingly differentiating specific features of Komatsu products. Dantotsu products (unrivaled products) are a designation used only for machines considered vastly superior to competitors’ products. Furthermore, it is this selectivity that ensures Dantotsu is synonymous with dramatically enhanced commercial value.” The Komatsu KOMTRAX satellite communications system is an example of Dantotsu service. Study Komatsu if you want to learn more about a global Quality Management leader.

Interesting Stories
FYI—to follow-up on my mentioning of the Kansas City Royals baseball team last month. The Royals came so close to winning the Major League Baseball World Series and perhaps would have if not for the heroics of pitcher Madison Bumgarner. His pitching performance was one of the most amazing in World Series history. You can visit www.mlb.com to see his statistics.

Company News
I made three presentations during my Tokyo trip. My first presentation was on “Statistics vs. Analytics” at the 2014 Global Quality Futures Workshop session. I described the similarities and differences between traditional statistical methods used in Quality Management and some of the new techniques used in the analytics movement. The participants gave me valuable feedback on my emergent analytical models. My second presentation was at the Pre-Conference session for the International Conference on Quality. It was titled, “Trend of Data Analysis in the U.S.A.” Here I described the data analysis trends in the U.S.A. and the results of my pulse survey on the topic. My third presentation was during the main International Conference on Quality session and it was titled, “Applying the Four Student Model During the SDCA Cycle.” This paper describes my research on standardization in Lean and Six Sigma contexts. It is timely given the recent discussion in the media on the new Ebola protocol and the Virgin Galactic crash. The paper is available on this website on the RESEARCH page.

Intriguing Reads
There is an excellent book published by JUSE titled, “QC Circle Leader’s Guidebook for Level Identification: How to get out of Zone D or C.” Toyota evaluates QC circles using two performance dimensions: (1) Overall performance of the QC circle (X variable) and (2) How much the workplace is vibrant and challenging (Y variable). The four zones (A, B, C, & D) are depicted on an x-y coordinate system with “A” being the highest level of achievement for a QC circle. This book explains the fundamental skills and techniques front-line leaders need to possess to be successful in leading work system improvement activities. You can learn more about the book by visiting the Publications page of the JUSE website: www.juse.or.jp.