Page 213 - Lean six sigma demystified

Chapter 5 Redu C ing d efe C t S with Six Sigm a 191

infections. Another 150,000 die due to preventable surgical complications. Bet-
ter reporting of medical errors has moved health care into the top five leading
causes of preventable deaths in the U.S.
One of the biggest challenges to Lean Six Sigma is not the use of the meth-
ods or tools, but creating a mindset that loves to find and fix defects and delays.
Not everyone thinks of these issues under the banner that I call defects and
delays. So I got into the Synonym Finder to look for other words that mean the
same thing. It’s amazing how many words exist in the English language to
describe mistakes and errors. Here are just a few:

blemish fallacy misprint
blooper false step misstep
blot stain fault mistake
Blotch faulty muff
blunder flaw off the beam
bobble flub omission
boner foul-up oversight
boo-boo fumble rough spots
botch goof scare deformity
breach human error scratch
bugs illogical screwup
bungle imperfection shortage
clinker imprecise shortcoming
clunker inaccuracy slip up

cockeyed inadequacy snafu
crack incomplete snags
defect incorrect spot
deficiency inexact Tear
drawback kinks trip
error leak Unsound
failing louse up weak point
failure miscue weakness

If you continue and look at words that describe how people make these
mistakes, you’ll find another group of words dedicated to describing the activi-
ties that lead to poor-quality products and services.