Survey for Masters Thesis - Introducing a structured problem solving approach

[reigelser]

Hello all,

I saw the many responses that Christina got for her participation request and I hope that the members of the forum can help me, too, by taking a survey that takes less than 3 minutes.

I am working on my Masters and as subject I am working on introducing a structured problem solving approach into my department that fits the departments needs based on the resources and is based on something like best practice. I tried to get into contact with some companies to talk to their QARs or QMs but I did not receive a single answer. My Professor sees the survey as necessary to complete my thesis .

The questions are based on researching what problem solving methods are existing. I found a lot of it in the different threads of the forum (Thanks to all for the many informative threads and materials ).

The purpose of the survey is to see what other people in other companies in other sectors do.

I will be glad to share the results in the forum later (if you are interested or not! )

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP!!!

Joachim


http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=469407

[Jim Wynne]

I completed the survey. There are two questions regarding workforces ("How many people work for your company?" and "How many work at your location?") I resisted the temptation to answer "Less than half of them."

[reigelser]

Originally Posted by Jim Wynne

I completed the survey. There are two questions regarding workforces ("How many people work for your company?" and "How many work at your location?") I resisted the temptation to answer "Less than half of them."

Thanks for taking the time.

I first thought about asking "How many employees are on the payroll at your location" but I remembered what my boss always tells me : " you need to think positive!!" Sometimes it's difficult to do so.......

[Wes Bucey]

Originally Posted by Jim Wynne

I completed the survey. There are two questions regarding workforces ("How many people work for your company?" and "How many work at your location?") I resisted the temptation to answer "Less than half of them."

I guess I don't have Jim's sense of humor - I found myself irritated at the term "continuous improvement" versus "continual improvement" used in most venues.

[reigelser]

Originally Posted by Wes Bucey

I guess I don't have Jim's sense of humor - I found myself irritated at the term "continuous improvement" versus "continual improvement" used in most venues.

Hi Wes,
since I am not a native speaker I don't know what the difference between continuous and continual improvement is? Would you mind explaining it to me?

Thank you.

Joachim

[Wes Bucey]

Originally Posted by reigelser

Hi Wes,
since I am not a native speaker I don't know what the difference between continuous and continual improvement is? Would you mind explaining it to me?

Thank you.

Joachim

Continual is chiefly restricted to what is intermittent or repeated at intervals: The continual banging of the shutter in the wind gave me a headache. Continuous implies lack of interruption: The horizon is a continuous line.

therefore
continual improvement implies a program of examining processes at regular intervals (after it has been established the process is in control) to determine if some change might (may?) result in an improvement. Often an experiment or series of experiments (DOE, Taguchi, etc.) is performed to test out theories of improvement.

continuous improvement is practically impossible because it does not take into account the practical matter of determining an existing process is in control and gives an implication the improvement is a continuous curve versus a series of steps of different heights.

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Originally Posted by reigelser

I saw the many responses that Christina got for her participation request and I hope that the members of the forum can help me, too, by taking a survey that takes less than 3 minutes.

Certainly... I completed it too, and I am looking forward to see how the no. of known methods compares to the no. actually used...

/Claes

[reigelser]

Originally Posted by Wes Bucey

Continual is chiefly restricted to what is intermittent or repeated at intervals: The continual banging of the shutter in the wind gave me a headache. Continuous implies lack of interruption: The horizon is a continuous line.

therefore
continual improvement implies a program of examining processes at regular intervals (after it has been established the process is in control) to determine if some change might (may?) result in an improvement. Often an experiment or series of experiments (DOE, Taguchi, etc.) is performed to test out theories of improvement.

continuous improvement is practically impossible because it does not take into account the practical matter of determining an existing process is in control and gives an implication the improvement is a continuous curve versus a series of steps of different heights.

Thank you Wes for the explanation. That makes sense and I think I will use the wording in the way you just explained. Nobody else in my company does...let's see if they know the difference!