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Benefits of Comparing DMAIC with Project Management

Benefits of Comparing DMAIC with Project Management

Our previous article covered the benefits of comparing waterfall with agile, emphasizing the benefit of planning the agile process and product backlog content.  In this article we’ll compare the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control (DMAIC) thought process, with a project management thought process.

DMAIC is a problem-solving thought process applies critical thinking to ensure robust problem solving.  (See our previous article on the subject here.)  DMAIC is not necessarily a process by which projects are managed, however.  Recall the high-level project management process as follows:

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The Rover Says Good Bye! :(

The Rover Says Good Bye! :(

The Mars Rover is an incredible reliability story.  And as you may know they have decided to permanently shut it off. A friend recently sent me this email when he saw an article on it.

Hey Adam,

The Opportunity rover was supposed to last 90 days, and instead lasted 15 years.

Is that due to remarkable engineering, or was the machine really supposed to last that long and the scientists blew their calculations as to its “lifespan”?

Mark,

My response:

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Benefits of Comparing Agile with Waterfall

Benefits of Comparing Agile with Waterfall

Previous articles have covered a proposed waterfall product development phase/gate process.  This article will compare and contrast waterfall with Agile product development, especially with respect to the front-end of the process.

Let’s start with a proposed waterfall product development phase/gate process.  (The process below implies a hardware product, however, it can be considered any waterfall process for now.)

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Programmatic vs. Project Level of Risk

Programmatic vs. Project Level of Risk

Guest Post by John Ayers (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is a relatively new concept. It is a top down approach to business system management and execution. It is designed to identify potential events and risks that can impact the organization. There are 3 levels to ERM. These are: Enterprise Level; Program/Project Level; and Product level. This paper explains the differences between the program and project level. [Read more…]

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Membrane and Leaf Filtration Overview

Membrane and Leaf Filtration Overview

One method to clean particles from a liquid or gas is to pass it through a filter. The filter is a screen that traps and holds the contaminants on its surface while allowing the fluid to twist its way past the build-up and screen. The screen can be used until the back- pressure from the collected contaminants choke it so severely that the fluid flow falls drastically. At that point the screen must be cleaned. This article explains how membrane and leaf filtration processes work and the critical factors that produce successful filtration results. [Read more…]

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The P-F Curve Revisited

Understanding The Importance of Proper Equipment Installation

There has been much discussion (and often debate) around the P-F curve.  The P-F curve illustrates the relationship between the warning signs that are detectable by various technology or methods and the progression of the failure.   What is often not discussed and overlooked, is what happens before the equipment starts to deteriorate.

If the ultimate goal of an organization is to be proactive and ensure equipment uptime, wouldn’t the organization want to prevent the equipment from failing in the first place and not catch it after it has already started to fail? [Read more…]

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KISS: A Principle for Proper Project Planning

KISS: A Principle for Proper Project Planning

Guest Post by Malcolm Peart (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

KISS, “Keep It Simple, Stupid” is a US Navy principle from the 1960’s advocating that systems function best if they are kept simple rather than made complicated and that unnecessary complexity should be avoided.

In our politically correct world ‘stupid’ is often taken as an insult and ‘keep it short and simple’ or ‘small and simple’ is often substituted.  ‘Stupid’ is not an insult, it’s a warning!  It takes a bright person to keep things simple, particularly when it’s easier to have a complex mess under the guise of sophistication.  Projects inevitably become complicated as they develop which increases the risk of potential failings.

Keeping things simple can improve the chances of success and simplicity is best achieved during the project planning before execution takes place; or after wild enthusiasm has waned. [Read more…]

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Mechanical Level Sensor Types and Use

Mechanical Level Sensor Types and Use

In some process situations, mechanical level sensors are the best choice for the environment or are stipulated by law (as in boilers). To operate these devices requires the physical contact of the process being measured. They provide solid indisputable proof that a process condition has been achieved. Provided the mechanical mechanism is connected and working properly, these devices provide the most believable proof that a level in a vessel, tank or silo is actually what the instrument is saying it is. [Read more…]

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Establishing FMEA Ground Rules and Assumptions

Establishing FMEA Ground Rules and Assumptions

FMEA teams should agree to the ground rules that guide the analysis and the underlying assumptions that impact the entire FMEA. Failure to do so will add complexity and confusion to the resulting FMEA, and waste people’s time. Don’t miss this important step in FMEA preparation.

“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.” Isaac Asimov

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10 Proactive Activities & Measures to Improve Your HSE Program

10 Proactive Activities & Measures to Improve Your HSE Program

In past articles I have often referenced Dr. Aubrey Daniels and the use of Behavioral Psychology and Analysis in the workplace. In the late 1980’s I was fortunate enough to attend a 2-week course in Performance Management put on by Dr. Daniels and two of his associates where we learned the importance of measuring behaviors as opposed to results. To say that this course was enlightening would be an understatement as it was in this class I first learned why we need to measure leading indicators as opposed to results. [Read more…]

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Design Assumption Risks

Design Assumption Risks

Guest Post by John Ayers (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

This story is about risk at the enterprise program/project level.  Design is based on primarily requirements and assumptions.  Meeting requirements is usually achievable if they are complete and clear. Soft or poorly written requirements are the source of cost and schedule growth for many projects. Assumptions made during the analysis or design phase if wrong are also a source of poor project performance. This story is one example of a bad assumption. [Read more…]