ARTICLES BY BEN LOCWIN

• Use These 7 Tools For Breakthrough Quality And Performance In 30 Days

  In this sixth installment on the selection and use of quality improvement tools in your organization, Ben Locwin wraps up the series with a treatise on the 7 Tools of Quality.

• “Work Harder” — And Other Ways To Completely Miss The Mark On Quality

  Why does “Quality” seem like such a slippery, elusive term? The answer is easy: It’s because the people who claim to know it really don’t. And everyone seems to go along with the rhetoric.

• Solving Problems More Effectively Than Sherlock Holmes: The Contradiction Matrix

  This is the fourth article in a five-part series on better investigation and problem-solving methods and principles in the life sciences. In writing this one, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about Sherlock Holmes. Not only his exquisite methods, but also flaws in the metacognition and metaphilosophy about how the fictitious detective underwent his work.

• Fault Tree Analysis: Uncovering The Root Causes Of More Complex Problems

  A refreshed approach to fault tree analysis can be an incredibly helpful addition to your problem-solving armamentarium. Having the confidence to begin using it — or begin using it more often — is the first step toward getting more comfortable with it and mastering its effects and nuances.

• When To Use A Fishbone Diagram … And Why You Should Do It More Often Than You Think

  This article provides an in-depth and comprehensive explation one of the most broadly applicable and durable root cause analysis tools to investigate the quality of your manufacturing processes: the fishbone diagram.

• How To (Better) Identify And Analyze Manufacturing Trends In Your GxP Organization

  This is the first in a five-part article series, Identifying And Resolving Errors, Defects, And Problems Within Your Organization. This article will enhance your understanding and prime you for visual detection of real trends in your organization by looking at a couple of examples.