Reducing Process Variation: Using the DOTSTAR Problem-Solving Strategy. [Hardcover]

Davis R. Bothe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0971960909 | ISBN-13: 978-0971960909 | Publication Date: May 17, 2002

Whether you’re just beginning a career in quality or have been in this field for 30 years, this book is a must read for all those who desire to be successful at eliminating chronic process variation. Because the author stresses getting the most information from the least amount of data, you will learn how to gather the right amount of the right data at just the right time. Making decisions based on properly collected data helps you dramatically reduce process variation and its associated waste, thereby increasing process capability, customer satisfaction, and company profitability.

The seven steps of the powerful DOT*STAR problem-solving strategy that are explained in this two-volume set (8.5 by 11 inches, 1136 pages) are briefly outlined below:

1. Define the Problem -- identify and prioritize areas that need improvement and also offer the highest return on your investment of resources.

2. Observe the Process -- monitor and control key product characteristics and process variables to separate assignable-cause from common-cause variation. Obtain clues about major causes of process variation with efficient data-collection plans and effective recording techniques.

3. Think of Potential Causes -- generate many possible causes of variation based on the clues gathered in step 2. Organize these in a graphical manner to reveal interrelationships between ideas.

4. Select the Most Likely Cause -- determine the most probable cause of process variation by comparing how well the potential causes from step 3 explain the known clues generated in step 2.

5. Test to Verify -- confirm the choice made in step 4 is really a major contributor. If it isn’t, the second most likely cause must be chosen and tested. This iterative procedure continues until a cause is verified as a major source of process variation.

6. Act to Implement a Solution -- produce a number of ideas for potential solutions and then select the one with the best chance of successfully resolving the problem. After confirming its effectiveness with a pilot study, develop a timetable for the solution’s implementation.

7. Review and Revise the Solution -- the organization must maintain the improvement by ensuring that the solution remains effective over time and the problem stays solved forever.

Through the large number of real-life case studies provided, you will learn how numerous companies in a wide variety of industries have unleashed the problem-solving creativity of their shop-floor personnel by teaching them the DOT*STAR strategy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I am a dedicated DOTSTAR problem solver. This book will help me teach others this very important strategy." -- Chris Taylor, Caterpillar, Inc.

Bothe's strategy is so powerful, yet so easy to apply! -- Steve Wise, Partner, InfintyQS Software

This is one of the best books on problem solving that I have seen in my career. -- Chris Taylor, Quality, Caterpillar, Inc.

From the Publisher

Many companies have adopted the "six-sigma" philosophy for improving their operations. With this approach, a company selects its brightest people, sends them to several weeks of intensive training, and then assigns them to work on process improvement projects.

But what about the company’s remaining personnel? This book is the first we have seen that illustrates how this untapped resource can also be transformed into effective problem solvers. Relying only on the use of simple, graphical statistical tools (there are over 1,000 illustrations), Dave Bothe’s DOT*STAR strategy provides a straight forward, step-by-step, logical methodology for solving chronic quality problems in manufacturing and assembly operations.

Because the DOT*STAR strategy is much less complicated, almost everyone on the shop floor can quickly learn this proven approach with just a few days, not weeks, of training. With more people working on process improvement, more problems will be solved in less time, thus giving your company a valuable, and powerful, competitive advantage.

In addition to the above reasons, we are excited about this book because it offers the most extensive information we have seen on multi-vari charts, comparison testing, component swapping, and the analysis of means (a full chapter is dedicated to each of these topics). Also covered are randomizing, quantifying attribute data, creating solution FMEAs, and a simplified, yet comprehensive, method for conducting hypothesis tests. Finally, Bothe’s book introduces several new graphical analysis techniques, such as isograms and multi-grams.

We believe that no book on the market offers as much problem-solving power per page as Reducing Process Variation.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1136 pages
• Publisher: Landmark Publishing Inc (May 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971960909
• ISBN-13: 978-0971960909
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,252,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply astonishing in scope and depth, October 20, 2002

By 

Mike Tarrani "www.tarrani.com" (Deltona, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reducing Process Variation: Using the DOTSTAR Problem-Solving Strategy. (Hardcover)

As a long time proponent practitioner of statistical process controls (SPC) and process improvement I was astonished by what I didn't know after reading this set. The most significant revelation, and why this book is an essential resource for anyone involved with quality or process improvement, is the DOT*STAR process that drills down into causes.

DOT*STAR stands for Define [the problem], Observe [the process], Think [of possible causes], Select [the most probable cause], Test [to validate your assumptions], Act, Review and Revise. The approach is straightforward in concept, but in practice it employs an array of tools and techniques, all of which are common in quality improvement (statistical techniques such as histograms and Pareto charts, paired-comparisons, hypothesis testing and project management tools for implementation).

I like the way the book presents a coherent approach to applying familiar [to practitioners] tools and techniques to identify and eliminate root causes of process variation. Therein lies the true value of this material - it shows you how to leverage your existing quality and process improvement knowledge and skills to their fullest potential, and along the way gain a deeper understanding of SPC, process capability, and how to perform effective investigation and analysis to bring about process improvement.

If you're involved in quality, process improvement or 6-Sigma this book is essential reading because it provides insights that and an approach that works in practice.