-
Continue reading →: Flow for Organizational Effectiveness & Increasing Innovation
Finding “work-life balance” has become a theme in modern life. According to WebMD, there are five steps to achieve work-life balance: 1) set good priorities (this requires knowing what you value), 2) eliminate unnecessary distractions, 3) set boundaries, 4) accept help, and 5) plan times for fun and reflection. The…
-
Continue reading →: Low-Tech, High Impact Innovation
Did you know that sometimes, a simple solution can be orders of magnitude more effective than an advanced, modern one? The term for this is “appropriate technology” – and the concept of appropriate technology is particularly relevant when you want to innovate in a developing economy. But it can also…
-
Continue reading →: DMAIC Demystified
The DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) methodology is one of the cornerstones of a Six Sigma project. It provides a useful heuristic that can remind you how to structure your project when you apply Six Sigma. This is important for two reasons. First, by reminding you to DEFINE your project’s goals, its deliverables…
-
How is Quality Related to Innovation?
Published by
on
Continue reading →: How is Quality Related to Innovation?The ISO 8402 standard (now defunct, and a precursor of ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 9001:2015) defines quality as “the totality of characteristics of an entity that bear upon its ability to satisfy stated and implied needs.” Even though this definition is old, it helps us understand how quality is related…
-
Continue reading →: How ISO 8402 (9000 para 3.1.5) Relates Quality to Innovation
The ISO 8402 standard (now 9000 para 3.1.5) defines quality as “the totality of characteristics of an entity that bear upon its ability to satisfy stated and implied needs.” It is a static definition, fixed in time, and considers only those characteristics that meet stated and implied needs now. It…
-
Continue reading →: What is Quality?
What is quality? There are a myriad of ways to define quality, which is one reason why the study or pursuit of quality can feel so nebulous at times. For example, quality can be considered: Zero defects (Crosby) Conformance to requirements (Crosby) Fitness for use (Juran) Best for customer conditions…
-
Continue reading →: Being Frugal vs. Being Lean
The October 20, 2008 issue of Business Week features an article on page 55 called “The New Age of Frugality”. The article, about “confronting the debt culture” in the U.S., describes a handful of real-life stories from people who recently overextended themselves, and were forced to learn some hard lessons…
Hello,
I’m Nicole
Since 2008, I’ve been sharing insights and expertise on Digital Transformation & Data Science for Performance Excellence here. As a CxO, I’ve helped orgs build empowered teams, robust programs, and elegant strategies bridging data, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML)… while building models in R and Python on the side. In 2025, I help leaders drive Quality-Driven Data & AI Strategies and navigate the complex market of data/AI vendors & professional services. Need help sifting through it all? Reach out to inquire – check out my new book that reveal the one thing EVERY organization has been neglecting – Data, Strategy, Culture & Power.
Quality and Innovation 