Rules for a successful college career.

.

I was lucky to have a very odd and very liberal college English professor my freshman year in a very conservative college.  He was obviously used to students’ unproductive attitudes towards his class.  So, he started the semester by giving us two rules for success in his class and college in general.

1) Complete and turn in all homework assignments–on time.

I learned to think of homework assignments as free points.  Exams are more of a crap shoot, but you can look up every question assigned as homework.  If you gather as many points as possible with homework,you can afford to miss some on the exams.

2) Cooperate and graduate.

As you might imagine, a lone liberal professor at a conservative college faces mean spirited opposition, from time to time.  I remember one particular essay that infuriated many of the students.  I was one of the few who got a good grade on my reaction paper.  I got a good grade by understanding the professor’s position, being sensitive to his position, then clearly explaining my position (as Steven Covey puts it seek first to understand, then to be understood).  In short, I cooperated.  Notice, I did not tell the professor what I thought he wanted to here.  It is too easy to see through that type of nonsense.  Telling an instructor they are stupid is a sure path to a poor grade.

In a lot of ways that English class was the foundation of my college and professional career.  There is nothing more important than to be able to think critically, and to be able to communicate your thoughts.

Poka-yoke Outlook with a macro to prevent missing attachments and empty subject lines.

I had a bad day last week.  I forgot the subject in one e-mail and an attachment in another.  Finally tired of feeling like an idiot (although, as a colleague of mine pointed out, If that’s the biggest problem I have . . .), I snooped around the internet and found two reminder macros.  The first is an attachment reminder, posted by Mark Bird, that pops-up when the word “attach” is in the e-mail body, but no attachment.  The second is a subject reminder, posted at Gang’s Wavelength, that pops-up when the subject line is empty.  I merged the two into one macro to do both.  Here are the directions:

1. Go to Tools>Macro>security and make sure “Warnings for all macros” or “No security check for macros” is checked

2. Open your Outlook

3. Press Alt+F11. to open the Visual Basic editor.

4. Press Ctrl+R to open a Project.

5. On the Left Pane, expand the headings until you see “ThisOutLookSession”.

6. Double click on “ThisOutLookSession” to open code pane.

7. Copy and Paste the following code in the code pane and save it (all of the following text).

Private Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, Cancel As Boolean)
Dim m As Variant
Dim strBody As String
Dim intIn As Long
Dim intAttachCount As Integer, intStandardAttachCount As Integer

On Error GoTo handleError

‘Edit the following line if you have a signature on your email that includes images or other files. Make intStandardAttachCount equal the number of files in your signature.
intStandardAttachCount = 0

strBody = LCase(Item.Body)

intIn = InStr(1, strBody, “original message”)

If intIn = 0 Then intIn = Len(strBody)

intIn = InStr(1, Left(strBody, intIn), “attach”)

intAttachCount = Item.Attachments.Count

If intIn > 0 And intAttachCount <= intStandardAttachCount Then

m = MsgBox(”It appears that you mean to send an attachment,” & vbCrLf & “but there is no attachment to this message.” & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & “Do you still want to send?”, vbQuestion + vbYesNo + vbMsgBoxSetForeground)

If m = vbNo Then Cancel = True

End If

handleError:

If Err.Number <> 0 Then
MsgBox “Outlook Attachment Reminder Error: ” & Err.Description, vbExclamation, “Outlook Attachment Reminder Error”
End If

Dim strSubject As String
strSubject = Item.Subject
If Len(Trim(strSubject)) = 0 Then
Prompt$ = “Subject is Empty. Are you sure you want to send the Mail?”
If MsgBox(Prompt$, vbYesNo + vbQuestion + vbMsgBoxSetForeground, “Check for Subject”) = vbNo Then
Cancel = True
End If
End If
End Sub

All you wanted to know about ASQ Certification Exams: Courtesy of ASQ section-402

ASQ Toronto Section-402 has an in depth review of everything you want to know about ASQ certification exams.  For instance there was a 42% pass rate for the June 2009 CQE exam.  I have been asked these questions many times. They even detail a preparation strategy that is very similar to mine (I wrote about it here).  Section-402’s post will be interesting for everyone who has taken, or is interested in taking an ASQ exam

Also check out Section-402’s FREE web-based e-learnig program.  I haven’t tried it, so let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Rant: ASQ Exam Questions and Ignoramuses.

It’s easy to spot someone who has not studied for the CQE exam, even those that pass it.  They always complain about the wording of the questions.  The correct answer, they say, was not an option.  Or, there were multiple correct answers depending on the situation.  The slackers are projecting their ignorance into the exam.

ASQ exam questions are created by some of the brightest minds in the quality field.  The questions have been thoroughly vetted.

If  a question doesn’t make sense to you, you are ignorant in that area of the body of knowledge (BOK).  When you complain about the questions, you prove your ignorance to those who have put in the time required to diligently study the BOK.

This is a good thing for hiring managers.  In my experience, the more ignorant a CQE is, the louder and more often he complains about the exam questions.  Just ask your potential hire what he thought about the exam and you’ll have a good a good gage of the candidate’s ignorance.

Note, lest you think me unfair:  Ignorance does not equil stupidity.  Ignorance means an absence of knowledge regarding a specific subject.  I, for instance, am ignorant of the mating habits of gilla monsters.

The CQE Exam is Easy.

A coworker of mine just found out he passed the CQE exam.  He started studying 4 days before the exam.  Two days before the exam, he was feeling a bit nervous.

What advice did I give him?  With two days to go before the exam, there is no time for learning.  I focused emergency exam taking tactics.  I gave him the glossary linked here, my copy of Thomas Pyzdek’s Quality Engineering Handbook, and my TI-30XS Calculator (you don’t want to take the exam without it). Then, I went through a bit the test taking advice I posted here.

My coworker credits his passing score to the glossary, which he used to look up about half of the questions.  And, the Pyzdek book’s index, which made it easy to quickly find the right equation for math/statistics questions.

I do not recommend this approach, but if you are a good test taker (and you know it), you may find the exam much easier than it’s reputation.

Lean Production Simplified by Pascal Dennis

1. What new insights were gained as a result of reading the book (article, essay, post, etc.)?

Having never used them in practice, I am fascinated by Toyota’s A3 reports described on page 134.  The A3 methodology is a template for completely documenting a problem and solution on one A3 size piece of paper (A3 is the metric equivalent of Tabloid or 11″ X 17″ paper).  8D, DMAIC, and other problem solving methodologies have always seemed overly complex, tedious, and prone to send the user down many different trains of thought.  The A3 report seems to strike a balance between detail and brevity.  I am anxious to try it out.  Here is an Excel template created by someone that has never used one before (me).

My favorite new Japanese word is nemawashi.  Dennis describes it asan “elegant word [that] means ‘to prepare a tree for transplanting’ and connotes the process of consensus building that creates alignment” (p. 130).

2. What old insights were confirmed, abolished, or questioned as a result of reading the book?

Lean Production Simplified has the best description of Deming’s PDCA (Plan Do Check Act) cycle I have read (p. 146).  Interestingly, Dennis adds an axile as the first step to the cycle called “Grasp the Situation.”  In the PDCA cycle Dennis separates strategic planning in the “Grasp the Situation” phase from tactical planning in the “Plan” phase.  I always thought of the PDCA cycle as a tactical tool, but Dennis applies it globally.  In fact he says, “A manager’s job is to practice and teach PDCA” and “PDCA thinking must inform all our activities from day-to-day kaizen, to problem solving, to strategic planning” (p. 146).

A former boss of mine stressed the importance of visual management, so I thought I knew what visual management was.  To my boss, visual management was posted work instructions and SPC .  I was under the impression that visual management meant making sure the operator had visual job aides.  Reading Lean Production Simplified, I had an epiphany.  “Visual management means managing by exceptions.  In a visual workplace out-of-standard conditions are immediately obvious and can be quickly corrected” (p. 46).  Dennis says this type of workplace “talks to you.”  Things like posted pictorial work instructions, 5s, and error proofing are ways to ensure a workplace talks not only to operators, but supervisors, manager, and others too.  Now I realize what the 10 foot 2 second rule is about.  2 seconds should be long enough for anyone to understand the status of a workplace that is within 10 feet.  This can only happen if the workplace “talks.”

3. How does the book compare/contrast with other books or current events?

I like that this book was written in 2007.  The other books and articles I have read on lean production are 20 plus years old.  This is a fresh explanation of lean production with the beneficial experience of 20 plus years germination.

Reading Lean Production Simplified reminded me of The Memory Jogger II.  Each Lean Tool is reviewed and described in detail.  But, Lean Production Simplified provides a detailed analysis of each tool, not merely a memory jog.  It instills confidence in the reader.  Lean Production Simplified is the handbook for lean practitioners.

4. Are there any other points of interest not already mentioned?

There are many typos in this book.  Modern spell-check type errors, the kind that replaces a misspelled word with the wrong correctly spelled word.  These errors are worse because the brain can usually overlook a misspelled word, but the wrong word causes the reader to take a time out from reading to determine what the correct word should be based on context.  These errors in no way diminish the value of the material, but they are a minor irritation.

ASQ Exam Glossary

Taking a good glossary to ASQ examinations is very important.  This downloadable glossary posted on Scribd should do the trick.

Also, this web based glossary posted on 6sixsigma is top notch, just be prepared to spend a lot of time stitching the pages together for printing, if you want to use it on the exam.

Statistical Process Control (SPC) Downloads

SPC Cookbook by Sid Sytsma, retired professor at Ferris State University (posted with permission).  I downloaded his quality tools material several years ago when I was studying for the CQE exam, and it has been a ready reference ever since.

X and mR Chart – AKA Individuals and Moving Range Charts (File=MS Excel Paper=tabloid 11 X 17).

Difference Chart – X and mR chart for data recorded as a difference from the target value – short run chart (File=MS Excel Paper=tabloid 11 X 17).

The New Manufacturing Challenge: Techniques for Continuous Improvement -By Kiyoshi Suzaki

I read this book for training at work.  I highly recommend it.  Too often business books read like a technical journal.  The New Manufacturing Challenge is an easy read.  On with the questions:

1. What new insights were gained as a result of reading the book (article, essay, post, etc.)?

• Not much truly new, “after all,” the author states, “90 percent of improvement comes from common sense” (19).”

• What is new or unique may be that given the technical nature of the subject, lean manufacturing, the book is an easy read equally valuable for the novice and expert alike.  Suzaki provides several examples in each chapter written in plane English; not boring, laborious case studies.

• Two quotes that were new and enlightening:
  “simplify, combine, and eliminate are three basic steps toward improvement” (p. 180).
  “If we are observant, housekeeping often tells us more about the company than any financial statement” (p. 26).

2. What old insights were confirmed, abolished, or questioned as a result of reading the book?

• I began my professional career in a small large part custom plastic injection molding facility in the office furniture industry. As a production supervisor I was dismayed by two production lines.  Each line made the same type of product, but one had automation to insert a bracket into a slot, and screws into threaded inserts, whit a conveyer to move the parts.  On the other line, the operator used a rubber mallet to insert the bracket and a manual Yankee screwdriver to add the screws.  The automated line required the same number of operators and twice the the floor space of the manual line.  The automation would malfunction three to four times a shift (or more) requiring a maintenance technician to fix.  The manual line was faster, required less floor, and no extra maintenance.  The $90 Yankee screwdriver did need replaced once or twice a year.  There was no distinguishable difference in product quality between the two lines.  The automated line was perhaps more ergonomic, but it is debatable.  Suzaki ran into this type of situation too as he describes, “I have seen too many robots, automated warehouses, conveyors, and miscellaneous expensive automated equipment wasted in their application. Some people make the mistake of thinking that advanced manufacturing technology will cure all the problems of manufacturing” (235).  It would be prudent to apply creativity before attempting to solve a problem with automation.

• When beginning anything, especially improvement efforts, it is important for the first few projects to be easy wins.  Suzaki explains, “In selecting the initial project, however, we want to choose one with a high probability of achieving success over a relatively short time period so that confidence will develop quickly. Also, we want this project to be highly visible to others since we want to share the success by boosting people’s morale as much as possible” (238).

• It is a bit of a cliche to say people are the number one asset of an organization.  I’ve actually been persuaded otherwise by other authors.  I’ve been somewhat conflicted internally.  My undergrad degree is in Human Resources so I am naturally predisposed to believe the best in the shop floor worker.  But, rarely have I seen a company that actually treats the shop floor employee like they were the greatest asset.  Suzaki has helped me see the light.  He blames Taylor scientific manufacturing for creating an environment in which “highly trained industrial engineers may be rewarded financially because they have academic degrees, but operators who are actually closest to production activities are neither encouraged to use their practical knowledge to improve work techniques nor financially compensated when they do so”. Understanding the environment in these terms, it is easy to see how an organization’s greatest asset remains largely untapped.  Organizations that can tap into this resource will have a huge competitive advantage over organizations who do not.

• Suzaki claims the argument for economies of scale is false.  Large companies with centralized, rigid management structures are less efficient than smaller, flexible organizations because, “In a centralized organization, a multilevel approval process causes delays in taking appropriate action. Management and staff seem to be governed by their own self-interest, thereby losing touch with their customers. Internal political struggles are common, and stagnation and bureaucracy hinder innovation and improvement efforts” (223).

• In a world that values latest, most versicle equipment, it is somewhat counterintuitive, but Suzaki points out that the multipurpose super machine may actually hinder the product flow and be more costly than several smaller dedicated machines.  Further, “Just as a multipurpose super machine may not fit well into an efficient manufacturing system, a large multipurpose supplier may not be as appropriate as a production system dedicated to the manufacturer in the supplier’s factory” (p. 198).  I am struggling how to apply this, especially in the medical device industry where the multipurpose super machine is required to produce many of the geometrically complicated parts.  It is an idea I will exploer further.

3. How does the book compare/contrast with other books or current events?

• On page 245Suzaki lists what can best be described as process improvement norms.  Two items that have me thinking are to have a “bias toward experimentation” and a “tolerance for failure.”  It reminds me of skateboarding as a kid, “if your not crashing, your not trying hard enough” (unknown).  These themes are current in my organization, and in recent posts I’ve read on leadership and management blogs (see Seth’s Blog: “is it worthy” for one).

• This book does not show its age.  For organizations that have not successfully taken the Lean journey, it is just as current today as it was in 1987.

4. Are there any other points of interest not already mentioned?

• No.

Hypergeometric Probability Distribution

I received the following question by e-mail from someone studying for the CQE Exam.  The question is from CQE Web’s reasonably priced preparation manual, QReview.

A box contains ten assemblies of which two are defective.   A sample of three assemblies is selected at random.  What is the probability that the two defective parts will be selected?

The Hypergeometric distribution is used to answer this question.  The formula is:

Where:
N=Population size
n=sample size
D=number defective in the population
d=number defective in the sample
A=number conforming in the population
a=number conforming in the sample

To solve the problem enter the data into your calculator like this

The answer is .0667

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