Overview:
All organizations operating in competitive or challenging environments find themselves facing the need to address and solve real problems.  Yet, the available supply of effective problem-solvers is usually short.  This one-day workshop provides roadmaps and tools for those who find themselves leading or participating in problem-solving activities.  Effective problem-solvers are able to articulate the true problem, marshal evidence to identify root cause(s), and formulate solutions that will last.  At the core of the problem-solving model is the popular DMAIC roadmap, widely used by Six Sigma practitioners.  As the participants work on a realistic simulated problem, each phase and its most important tools are presented.  The training format includes discussions of case studies where actual problem-solving has occurred.  Emphasis is placed on the practical aspects of leading problem-solving teams whose charter is to solve a “cause unknown, solution unknown” problem.

How You Will Benefit:
By the end of the course, participants will have gained:

• A solid grasp of the critical phases of successful problem-solving activities;
• The ability to construct a problem statement for a realistic problem-solving project;
• The ability to conduct a basic root cause analysis;
• An awareness of the various problem-solving tools available to problem solvers;
• An appreciation for the need to address culture when implementing solutions to organizational problems;

Class Outline:

• The Critical Need for Effective Problem-solvers
• Problems vs. Opportunities:  The Important Difference
• The DMAIC Problem-solving Roadmap
• The Problem Statement:  How to Construct
• Root Cause Analysis:  The Essential Steps
• Initiating the Causal Chain
• Symptoms vs. Root Causes
• Causal Maps, 5 Why’s, & Other RCA Tools
• Independent vs. Interacting Causes
• Data-analytic Tools for RCA
• Five Steps in Implementing Effective Solutions
• Maintaining the Gains:  The Control Phase
• Roles & Responsibilities in Problem-solving
• Six Attributes of an Effective Team Leader
• Teamwork & Team Members
• The Role of the Champion / Sponsor
• Review of and Progress Reports on Problem-solving Activities
• The Impact of Solutions on Culture:  Managing Change
• The Role of Management in Successful Problem-solving

Who Should Attend:
Engineers, technicians, operators, supervisors, quality assurance personnel, and others who will participate in problem-solving activities.  Those individuals who will lead or be core members of problem-solving teams will particularly benefit from this course.  No prior knowledge of problem-solving methodologies is required for successful course completion, although prior exposure to basic problem-solving tools is helpful.

Cost:
Full-day class
Cost: $275 for OBA members and $300 for Non-members (includes class, all class materials, lunch, and snacks)

Instructor Bio:  Don Lewis Ph.D.
Don Lewis is Principal, Lewis Consulting LLC, whose mission is to enable clients to improve their competitive performance through effective application of proven quantitative decision-making methodologies.  Since establishing his consulting practice in 1986, Don has trained and mentored over five thousand technical professionals to apply quantitative methods, such as Statistical Process Control and Design of Experiments, in their project work.  His consulting experience accrues from 50+ organizations across a diverse group of industries, including biosciences.  Clients have achieved significant performance improvement, including proprietary breakthroughs, as a result of implementing his services. 

Recently, as a Lead Instructor in Motorola University’s Digital Six Sigma Black Belt training program, Don has trained over two hundred and fifty Motorola Black Belts throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia.  Since 2003 his Northwest Lean Six Sigma clients have saved over $16 million in project work completed in conjunction with his training programs.  He is an Adjunct Professor in both the Department of Management of Science & Technology at the OGI School of Science & Engineering in Portland, Oregon and the Atkinson Graduate School of Management at Willamette University.  Don is also a chapter author of the recently published "Encyclopedia of Statistics in Quality and Reliability."  He received his B.A. in mathematics from Claremont McKenna College and Ph.D. in biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Don is an ASQ Certified Six Sigma Black Belt.