From: Bob & Anita Kefgen [mailto:rkefgen@zoomnet.net] Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 9:48 PM To: SVS Members; SVS Associates Subject: THE SCIOTO VALLEY VOICE - OCTOBER 2002 THE SCIOTO VALLEY VOICE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR QUALITY SCIOTO VALLEY SECTION "ASQ's First Section of the New Millennium" October 2002 Volume 5, Number 8 Editor - Robert B. Kefgen (rkefgen@zoomnet.net) In this Issue: OCTOBER MEETING-TOURING LOCKS AND DAM - OCTOBER 15 I DIG MY SIX SIGMA - SECOND OF A SERIES CERTIFICATION NEWS WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A SENIOR MEMBER? SVS 2002/2003 FISCAL YEAR PROGRAM *********************************************************************** OCTOBER MEETING-TOURING LOCKS AND DAM - OCTOBER 15 Date: 10/15/02 Location: The Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam, Apple Grove, West Virginia Local members and guests will tour the Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam at Apple Grove, West Virginia, on Tuesday evening, October 15. The tour host is the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. This tour and presentation is a joint meeting of two American Society for Quality (ASQ) local sections, the Scioto Valley Section and the Mid-Ohio Valley Section. The tour of the locks and dam will include discussion of both service and design quality. Lockmaster Ron Huffman and key members of his staff will lead the tour of the visitor's center, lock operations center, the lock walls, and dam areas, conditions permitting. Ms. Sheryl L. Morris Meyer, Chief of the Customer Service Center at the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers District Office in Huntington and a Vice Chair of the ASQ Scioto Valley Section, will participate in the presentation and tour. The itinerary for this event is as follows: 5:00 p.m. - Registration 5:30 p.m. - Facility tour 6:30 p.m. - Meal catered by Subway in the basement of the Water Quality Building 7:00 p.m. - Brief ASQ section business meetings The catered meal will include a six-inch sub, chips, cookies, and soft drink or bottled water. The cost is $9 per person, payable in advance or upon registration. All Scioto Valley and Mid-Ohio Valley section affiliates, other ASQ members and anyone interested in the Society or the subject of quality are encouraged to attend. ASQ members holding certifications earn 0.3 re-certification units (RUs) for attending the program. The Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam are located 10 miles south of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, on State Route 2, near the town of Apple Grove. Tour participants must come to the visitor's center upon arrival. Registration is required by 12:00 noon on Monday, October 14. You may attend the tour only. However, registration is still required. Meal commitments made, but not honored, will be subject to payment unless canceled before 12:00 noon on Monday, October 14. Telephone and E-mail reservations are acceptable. Please contact me at 740-897-3587 or via E-mail at shewbrooksjb@ports.usec.com. You can also make a reservation with any other ASQ Scioto Valley Section officer or committee chairperson. Mid-Ohio Valley Section officers also will be promoting this program and taking registrations from their members. I am looking forward to seeing you there! John Shewbrooks Chair, ASQ, Scioto Valley Section *********************************************************************** Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam Formerly known as the Gallipolis Locks and Dam, the Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam are located on State Route 2, near the town of Apple Grove, 10 miles south of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The original locks and dam were placed into operation in 1937. Safety issues involving the shape and positioning of the old locks in relationship to the river channel and increased barge traffic on the Ohio River dictated the need for a larger, modernized locking system. Construction began on these new locks in November 1987 and they were commissioned in January 1993. Two parallel locks comprise the new locking system -- one 1200' by 110' main lock and one 600' by 110' auxiliary lock. More than 58 million tons of industrial products passed through the Robert C. Byrd Locks in 2001. The Robert C. Byrd Dam is a non-navigable, high-lift gated dam that consists of eight roller gates each approximately 125 feet long and 23 feet high. The dam was designed to maintain a normal pool for navigation on the river during high- and low-water periods. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers has a 1798-acre flowage easement around the Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam. It also owns 1935 acres of real property including island acreage and mitigation areas established to replace wetlands displaced by the new locking structure. There are currently 17 employees stationed at the Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam. Ron Huffman is the current Lockmaster at Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam. He began working there in 1987, just after groundbreaking for the new locks and witnessed the entire construction. His knowledge of the lock structure has benefited the facility well over the years. Mr. Huffman also lives locally and has enhanced relations with District navigation and flood protection customers through his native knowledge of the area. Ms. Sheryl L. Morris Meyer is Chief of the Customer Service Center at the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in Huntington, West Virginia. She advises the Huntington District Commander in developing systems-management perspectives regarding quality management, performance excellence, strategic planning, customer and stakeholder relations and outreach, and performance management and measurement. She oversees the District's strategic-planning process, leads and coordinates District-level performance-improvement initiatives, and oversees the District's self-assessment relative to the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria. Ms. Morris Meyer seeks opportunities to improve District performance practices and capabilities, facilitates the communication and sharing of best practice information, and builds and enhances relationships with District customers, employees, suppliers, and stakeholders. She oversaw the District's application and site visit for the 2001 President's Quality Award, for which the District was named a finalist. Ms. Morris Meyer supports the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Army through her involvement as an examiner with the Army Communities of Excellence Award Program and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program. Ms. Morris Meyer is a graduate of Marshall University and holds ASQ credentials as a Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA). *********************************************************************** I DIG MY SIX SIGMA - Part 2 By Brian M. Lanning 10/8/2002 "I Dig My Six Sigma" is a series of articles to wet your appetite on the importance and application of Six Sigma. I dig my Six Sigma! Why? Because Six Sigma is a top to bottom approach for business success in that it has the awesome potential for providing top quality and bottom-line results simultaneously (two ostrich sized birds for the price of one). This is the second article on Six Sigma. The first article (September 2002 issue) stated that Six Sigma works because it follows a rigorous comprehensive approach - Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) that must be followed. As a reminder, you can easily remember the acronym by tying it to the bottom-line Six Sigma goal: Delivering More Annual Income Consistently. In the first article I discussed the first phase, Define. In this article I will describe the technical MAIC steps one by one. To begin, let's take a look at Table 1 which breaks Six Sigma into its component parts. Table 1. Six Sigma Elements Technical NonTechnical Statistical Design of experiments Line Plot SPC/Capability analysis Flow Chart Gauge R&R Pareto Chart NonStatistical Quality Function Deployment Team selection/building 7 Management/Planning Tools Leadership Skills Costs/Benefits Analysis Project Selection As shown in the two-by-two table, Six Sigma requires both technical (statistical or not) and non-technical elements (statistical or not) in its approach to quality excellence and bottom-line results. The MAIC steps utilize all elements except the nonstatistical/nontechnical, which is employed in the Define phase (Define phase can also use statistical-nontechnical). Measure: During the Measure phase, we determine current process levels (where we are at) and what we need (where we want to go). For example, Gauge R&R can be used to measure the current capability (say Cpk = 1.2) of our measurement system and how much improvement must occur to be in line with Six Sigma goals (Cpk = 2). In this phase we would rely on the statistical-technical elements in the table such as capability analysis. Analyze: During the next phase which is Analyze, we evaluate real process data to determine the defect rate and potential sources of variation (i.e., root causes) using advanced statistical-technical tools such as hypothesis testing, ANOVA, regression analysis. For example, consider an organization whose key product is failing to meet customer specifications resulting in a quality level equal to 4.5sigma (1,350 DPM or every 1,350 products out of 1 million are defective). Manufacturing engineers failed to find any thing wrong with the process producing the product. However a quick thinking Six Sigma Black Belt (call him Slick Six) decided to test the measurement system. A hypothesis test determined there was too much variation in the measurement system resulting in "non-product" variation that, nonetheless, causes the product to fail specs. It will take an Improve phase to fix the problem. Improve: In the Improve phase, Slick Six breaks out the heavy-duty statistical tools such as design of experiments (DOE) to break down the variation into its component parts. Slick Six sets up a classic two level factorial design in three variables (analyst, instrument, and product) and proceeds to determine that analyst-to-analyst variation causes 75% of the entire measurement system variation. Wow! Slick Six meets with management and requests formal analyst training to reduce the variation. After in depth training, a new DOE is run and the analyst variation is now virtually nil resulting in Six Sigma level product quality (99.99966% defect free and potentially millions in savings and happy, happy customers)! This may seem to good to be true, but I have seen measurement systems that virtually are gobbling up large chunks of the product variation allowance with simple fixes (the proverbial "low hanging fruit"). It is in this Improve phase that the rigorous statistical techniques that statisticians have used for years (those ideally designed for variation reduction) are put into the Six Sigma limelight. This is the phase where good Black Belts earn their keep and get noticed because they must understand the proper application of advanced statistical tools. Remember one of the key elements of Six Sigma is statistical problem solving and you can't solve a problem very well unless you use the right tools right. Control: Last but no means least is the Control phase. You might think the job is over after improving quality in the Improve phase, but it's not. Keep in mind that Six Sigma is about continuous improvement, not just improvement. What does this mean? It means being able to "lock in" your hefty improvements for the long haul by standardizing the improved process. It will not do your professional career, nor your organization's bottom line any good to deliver a "quick and dirty" improvement that has no legs to stand on. The legs are grown and nurtured in the Control phase. You may have guessed by now that the Control phase is where the proverbial control charts are finally utilized (see how easy this is getting). Control charts (the most simple and traditional form of statistical process control), are used to assess the stability of the improved process and "maintain the gains". In our example, Slick Six establishes a Xbar-R chart after improvements by plotting the difference between analysts results taken on the same piece of product over time. As long as the difference is in statistical control and centered around zero (the target) there is no analyst to analyst variation rearing its ugly head. After several weeks of maintaining the gains with a large supply of plotted data, Slick Six officially declares the process is at Six Sigma quality. It's time to throw a Six Sigma party! If you dig Six Sigma and are interested in it's application, subject, or becoming certified, you may contact Six Sigma Black Belt Brian Lanning at the address below. Brian is a Statistical Specialist with the Unites States Enrichment Corporation in Piketon, Ohio, and President of Tri-Stat Consulting specializing in Six Sigma Quality, Quality Engineering, and Applied Statistics. Brian holds a M.S. in Statistics and ASQ certifications as Six Sigma Black Belt and Quality Engineer. Brian is also an ASQ Certified Instructor for the ASQ Scioto Valley Section. Address: RR1 Box 432B1 Telephone: 606 932-9847 South Shore, KY 41175 Email: statman@zoomnet.net *********************************************************************** CERTIFICATION NEWS December Examinations: The December Certification Examinations will be held on December 7, 2002 at The Ohio State University, Research and Development Center, Shyville Road, Piketon Ohio. Future certification examinations will also be held at The Ohio State University, Research and Development Center in Piketon since this site is at the approximate geographical center of the area served by section 815. *********************************************************************** WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A SENIOR MEMBER? Why become a Senior Member of ASQ? Achieving Senior membership in ASQ is an indication of professional growth and accomplishment in the quality profession or the allied arts and sciences. There are many members of the Scioto Valley Subsection who may be eligible for advancement to the elected grade of ASQ Senior Member. Senior members enjoy a number of advantages and the upgrade is easy to accomplish. Senior members receive all of the regular member benefits plus: · A Senior member certificate, card, and lapel pin. · Recognition of your achievement through an announcement in Quality Advocate, ASQ's monthly newsletter. · Special Senior member name badge at ASQ events that you attend. · Your choice of one extra benefit journal, one Division, or an additional section free of charge as part of your Senior member benefit package. What are the requirements? 1. Have ten years of active professional experience. Up to four years of the requirement may be satisfied by graduation from an accredited institution. 2. Be a Member in good standing for at least one year prior to the date of application. 3. Have qualified in one of the ways described below: a. Conducted quality-related engineering, inspection or audit, or statistical work, or applying the methods and principles of quality on the job for at least two years. b. Teaching quality or related arts and sciences at an accredited institution for at least two years. c. Being a Senior Member or comparable grade in a recognized professional engineering, technical, or scientific society." d. Currently holding an ASQ certification that requires recertification. The cost of Senior Membership is $99.00 per year, only $17.00 more than regular member grade ASQ membership. The cost of the membership pin combined with the cost of the quarterly journal subscription included with Senior membership would cost from $50.00 to $80.00 extra for a regular member. The Senior Membership application can be found on ASQNet at: http://www.asqnet.org/members/leadership/mbrapp/index.html What do I do if I'm interested in becoming a Senior Member? Contact your SVS Examining Chair, Brian Lanning, it is my job to assure that each regular member has the opportunity to advance his or her membership to the Senior level. I will be happy to talk with you, get answers to your questions and to assist you in any way that I can to achieve and enjoy the benefits of Senior membership. I encourage you to contact me, or any other member of the SVS Executive Committee, for information and an Application for Advancement to the Grade of Senior Member. Applications must be submitted to me for review and approval and subsequent submittal to ASQ National Headquarters for National Examining Committee approval. Brian Lanning SVS Examining Chair Rt.1 Box 432B1 South Shore, KY 41175 Home: 606/932-9847 Work: 740/897-2084 FAX #: 740/897-2647 E-mail: statman@zoomnet.net or lanningbm@ports.usec.com SVS 2002/2003 Fiscal Year PROGRAM MONTH LOCATION TYPE THEME SPEAKER ---2002--- 9/17/02 Waverly Dinner "OH. Governor's Award" Dick McKeever 10/15/02 Gallipolis Tour "River Quality Management" S.L. MorrisMeyer 11/12/02 Chillicothe Dinner "Quality in Immunology" Dr. Chris Cordle 12/10/02 Jackson Dinner "Cont. Improvement/OHP" Cpn. Lisa Taylor ---2003--- 1/14/03 Chillicothe Dinner Annual Mtg./Emergency Mgmt Don Rockhold 2/11/03 Piketon Dinner "Environmental Quality" Dr. Rafiq Islam / Dan Longpre 3/11/03 Chillicothe Tour/Joint Mtg. "Automotive Quality" J. M. Cote / J. Schobelock 4/15/03 Portsmouth Dinner/Tour "Food/Service Quality" Randy Roberts 5/13/03 TBD Dinner "Quality in Education" R. Biehle 6/17/03 TBD Dinner "Awards & Recognition Night" TBD