Homework Assignment 4

Due in Week 4 and worth 30 points

Discuss one (1) project where you used a problem-solving approach to address what turned out to be common-cause variation, or where you used a process improvement approach to deal with a special cause.

If you do not have a personal experience that echoes either of these situations, you may use Internet to search for a case that reflects either of these situations.

Examples:

one’s personal investment strategy since 2008

reducing waiting times at the local hospital or emergency room

reducing difficulties trying to connect to a Wi-Fi Internet provider

Answer the following questions in the space provided below:

Describe the experience in the project.

What were the solutions used to address the problem?

Was the case you described a special-cause or common-cause?

Do you feel the solution or approach used appropriate for the cause?

What would you do if you could do it again?

What conclusions can you draw from the problem-solving or process-improvement techniques?

Note: You may create and / or make all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment. In your original work, you may use aspects of existing processes from either your current or a former place of employment. However, you must remove any and all identifying information that would enable someone to discern the organization(s) that you have used.