Gap Analysis: The Sow's Ear
- Publication:
- Six Sigma Forum Magazine
- Date:
- May 2016
- Issue:
- Volume 15 Issue 3
- Pages:
- pp. 15-18
- Author(s):
- Smith, Janet Bautista
- Organization(s):
- ProTrans, Inc., Indianapolis, IN
The copyright of this article is not held by ASQ.
Abstract
No business should "make a silk purse out of a sow's ear," delivering a product that falls short in quality. Stemming from a variety of operational gaps, failures are often hard to spot but must be recognized. Problems may appear as recurring delays, low productivity, temporary solutions, or deteriorating efficiency. Capability gaps suggest an underlying sow's ear, such as a mismatch in skills, poor organization or unsuitable process, poor planning, unclear instructions, lack of standardization, inappropriate metrics or even low morale. Quality tools can be used to analyze and measure capability failures so they can be minimized or eliminated. A gap or risk assessment should consider suppliers, inputs, process, outputs and customers, and analyze these factors in terms of materials, manpower, machinery, measurements, methods, and natural causes or work environment.