WORKSHOP SYNOPSIS:

This workshop is designed for managers, engineers, and other decision makers who need to make important data-driven decisions. These data are collected for purposes such as organizational performance appraisal, engineering tolerance analysis, and external benchmarking. Emphasis will be placed on the use of statistics as part of concurrent engineering design, problem solving, and other data analysis projects. When data are mismanaged, organization effectiveness suffers. For example, employees who are rewarded or punished based on random variation will waste time manipulating the data rather than servicing customers. While providing an overview of a broad range of concepts and techniques of business statistics, the workshop is designed to expose managers to MINITAB, the statistical software used by many Six Sigma companies. Emphasis will be placed on the removal of subjectivity from the decision making process and the implementation of a common communication medium, which MINITAB helps to facilitate. A working knowledge of high school algebra is a prerequisite for the workshop. The workshop will be held in a computer classroom and will include extensive hands-on activities using Excel and MINITAB.

TOPICS:
The concept of random variation and process thinking
Random models & the nature of data
Analysis of numerical data using graphical displays & numerical summaries
Displays for categorical data & their use in problem solving
The "process" of data analysis
An introduction to key probability models, including binomial, Weibull, and normal
Performance management with probability models
Application of probability models in tolerance analysis and reliability
Statistical confidence intervals for mean, variance, and proportion
Fundamentals of hypothesis testing, with one- and two- sample tests
Application of multiple linear regression
The dangers of mismanaging data, including statistical terrorism