Dave Rasmusson’s The SIPOC Picture Book: A Visual Guide to the SIPOC/DMAIC Relationship (Oriel Inc., 2006) helps readers use Six Sigma concepts to sort, categorize and organize new concepts and information, and integrate them with what they already know. SIPOC—supplier-input-process-output-customer—is a process that helps users map complicated processes. Rasmusson, a consultant who has led many Six Sigma workshops, says the idea for the book was born in the classroom. “I found that class participants often asked questions like ‘Where does that topic fit into the big picture?’ and ‘How does that relate to the topics covered before?’ and ‘Could you review the whole DMAIC thing?’” says Rasmusson. “I prepared a series of flipcharts that gave an overview of the flow of the early stages of DMAIC projects and found that by using these charts students asked fewer clarification questions. I was able to maximize classroom time and create a win-win.”

In addition to publishing guidebooks for Six Sigma, lean, and process-excellence training, Oriel Inc. offers consulting and training services. For more information, visit www.orielinc.com.

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