Quality and Six Sigma Quality Initiative Essay -- Six Sigma TQM Total

Quality and Six Sigma Quality Initiative Sigma - ï  ³ is most common known as a Greek letter which is used in statistics as a measure of variation, or change. Most of the people, however, don’t know that ï  ³ is not only a symbol but it is also a method of quality. 6ï  ³ Quality (Six Sigma Quality) is a management philosophy which has to lead to better employee performance and therefore completely satisfy the customer. Six Sigma Quality, or in the abbreviation 6SQ was first introduced in 1986, when Dr. Mikel J.Harry tried the first project in the Motorola Company. However, the idea if it is not new. The same, or a very similar concepts are known under different names such as Total Quality Management (TQM) or Zero-Mistake-Production. Nowadays, many companies adopted the Six Sigma Quality Philosophy, among them are General Electric (GE), BMW – car producers in Germany, Navistar or Thermoking. Six Sigma involves all the employees, from the basic ones, to the top management. 6SQ requires not only training, but also the cooperation from the employees. If a company achieves ï  ³ 1, it will have a yield of 31% that means the business operations will be error free in 31%. Sigma on the stage two means error freeness in 69.2%, number 3 - 93.32%. All this seems to be a big improvement, but as we will see later on, it is not enough to work on the level 3, or 4, even though both of them have a very high percentage of error-freeness. Sigma step number 4 in the real numbers means 99.37% error free operations. Most of the companies, which are working under 6SQ are operating somewhere between Sigma 3 and Sigma 4. Sigma 5 means almost perfect result. 99.97% error freeness, and this seems to be a dream for most of the compa... ...es is the common sense. Alone the General Electrics Company (GE) is going to invest $550 M only in the year 1999 for the Six Sigma Program. (Manager Magazine, October 1999). Since GE had 293.000 employees in the year 1998, the cost for each employee comes up to $ 1.706. Since we have to consider that not all the employees are willing to take part on the seminar. Some of the people view that the Six Sigma Quality is forcing people to do lots of seminars on what is the common sense saying. Simply it is sometimes viewed as a pure waste of time, because the participation on these seminars takes a lot of time. The other disadvantages include another stress for the employees who are running the quality program and also for the employees who have to be in the program. Very often the idea is not bad at all, but the employees simply do not have time to complete the tasks.

Is a College Education Necessary to Succeed in Life Essay

Education is the key that opens the door to all life has to offer. The benefits of a good education, enhanced vision, increased motivation, and improved performance is crucial to being successful in life. Success belongs to those who acquire a good education. Enhanced vision. Getting a good education can help you gain a better view of what you are capable of doing. Education gives a person an enhanced sense of personal control (Schieman and Plickert, 2008). Sound theoretical and empirical research has established that educational attainment is the critical first step in improving communication skills, improving relationship skills and improving your life (Schieman and Plickert, 2008). The most important thing to remember about education is education is the most important element that can help you increase your personal control in life. Increased motivation. Acquiring a good education can also help you improve your station in life. Abraham Maslow believed that what motivates people is a hierarchy of needs beginning at the most basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing and ending in self actualization (Wilson and Madsen, 2008). Maslow believed individuals have the ability through education to become whatever they want to become because the individual has an ability to learn (Wilson and Madsen, 2008). Through using this ability to learn and acquiring education you can find success and you can find the power to change your life. Increased performance Improving your education will improve your chance for success. Getting a good education has a tendency to make you feel good about yourself. When you begin to feel good your life takes on a new meaning and you are able to cast off the garments of a meaningless life and put on the garments of a meaningful life (The humanist, 1992). This change is accomplished through the renewal of your dreams. When you start dreaming again you will begin to learn through structured programs of learning, from friends and family, from daily experiences, and from self reflection (Teare, 1997). Learning will become a fun thing to do. Finally, education equips you with the critical career and life skills that lead to a successful life (Hays, 2008). When you learn through education to listen, have empathy, start caring about life, become persuasive, become aware of the world in which you live, develop foresight or vision, start seeing the big picture, become committed to your growth as a person, become concerned about doing the right thing, and realize that you are a small part of a greater whole (Hays, 2008) then you will be well on your way to being successful in life and will have proved that people really do need education to succeed. References Hays, J. M. (2008). Teacher as servant: Applications of Greenleaf’s servant leadership in higher education. Journal of Global Business Issues, 2(1), 113. Retrieved form ABI/INFORM Global database. Schieman, S. and Plickert, G. (2008). How knowledge is power: Education and the sense of control. Social Forces, 87(1), 153. Retrieved March 31, 2009, from ProQuest Multiple databases.

What Makes Tetrapods Different From Other Animals

Tetrapods are a group of vertebrates that includes amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Tetrapods include all living land vertebrates as well as some former land vertebrates that have since adopted an aquatic lifestyle (such as whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, sea turtles, and sea snakes). One of the key characteristics of tetrapods is that they have four limbs or, if they lack four limbs, their ancestors had four limbs. Tetrapods Are Different Sizes Tetrapods vary greatly in size. The smallest living tetrapod is the Paedophyrine frog, which measures just 8 millimeters long. The largest living tetrapod is the blue whale, which can grow to lengths of up to 30 meters. Tetrapods occupy a wide variety of terrestrial habitats including forests, grasslands, deserts, scrublands, mountains, and polar regions. Although most tetrapods are terrestrial, there are numerous groups that have evolved to live in aquatic habitats. For example, whales, dolphins, seals, walrus, otters, sea snakes, sea turtles, frogs, and salamanders, are all examples of tetrapods that depend on aquatic habitats for some or all of their life cycle. Several groups of tetrapods have also adopted an arboreal or aerial lifestyle. Such groups include birds, bats, flying squirrels, and flying lemurs. Tetrapods First Appeared During the Devonian Period Tetrapods first appeared about 370 million years ago during the Devonian Period. Early tetrapods evolved from a group of vertebrates known as the tetrapodomorph fishes. These ancient fishes were a lineage of lobe-finned fishes whose paired, fleshy fins evolved into limbs with digits. Examples of tetrapodomorph fishes include Tiktaalik and Panderichthys. The tetrapods that arose from the tetrapodomorph fishes became the first vertebrates to leave the water and embark on a life on land. Some early tetrapods that have been described in the fossil record include Acanthostega, Ichthyostega, and Nectridea. Key Characteristics Four limbs (or descended from ancestors with four limbs)Various adaptations of the skeleton and muscles that enable proper support and movement  on landAdaptations to the cranial bones that allows the head to remain stable while the animal movesA layer of dead cells that reduces evaporation and water loss across the surface of the bodyWell-developed muscular tongueThe parathyroid gland that in part controls calcium levels in the bloodA gland that lubricates the eyes (Harderian gland)An olfactory organ (vomeronasal organ) that enables the detection of pheromones and plays a role in taste and smellAn absence of internal gills Classification Tetrapods are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy: Animals Chordates Vertebrates Tetrapods Tetrapods are divided into the following taxonomic groups: Amphibians (Lissamphibia): There are about 5,000 species of amphibians alive today. Members of this group include frogs, toads, caecilians, newts, and salamanders. Amphibians begin their life cycle as aquatic larvae that go through a complex metamorphosis as they grow to adulthood.Amniotes (Aminota): There are about 25,000 species of amniotes alive today. Members of this group include birds, reptiles, and mammals. Amniotes reproduce using an egg  that is protected by a set of membranes that shelter it from the harsh conditions of a terrestrial environment. References Hickman C, Roberts L, Keen S. Animal Diversity. 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill; 2012. 479 p.Hickman C, Roberts L, Keen S, Larson A, lAnson H, Eisenhour D. Integrated Principles of Zoology 14th ed. Boston MA: McGraw-Hill; 2006. 910 p.