What Does The Super Bowl Have To Learn From Lean Six Sigma - GoLeanSixSigma

14/4/2016
What Does the Super Bowl Have to Learn From Lean Six Sigma? - GoLeanSixSigma.com
REGISTER
FEATURED
USING LEAN SIX SIGMA
INNOVATIVE IDEAS
WHAT DOES THE SUPER BOWL HAVE TO
What Does the Super Bowl Have to Learn From Lean Six Sigma?
By Elisabeth Swan | February 4, 2016 | Featured, Innovative Ideas, Using Lean Six Sigma
Of all the tools in the Lean Six Sigma toolbox, Gage R&R is one of the least
sexy or at least its one of the more complicated sounding procedures. Just
take the name; does this concept promote Rest & Relaxation forgages?
And whats with the odd spelling of gauge? Was someone trying to reduce the letter count
for Twitter and decided to drop the u?
At some point a kind-hearted quality soul renamed it Measurement Systems Analysis to
make it less geeky, but I think I nodded off while I was typing that phrase. Its like they just
strung three quality words together and called it a day. So whether it sounds formidably
technical or confusingly bland, the tool does not command the attention it deserves.
https://goleansixsigma.com/what-does-the-super-bowl-have-to-learn-from-lean-six-sigma/
1/10
14/4/2016
So whether it sounds formidably technical or

confusingly bland, the tool does not command the
attention it deserves.
What if we could tie this method to American Football? Thats immediately going to be
interesting to, well, mostly American men. And what if we could tie the concept to Tom
Brady, the preternaturally handsome quarterback for the New England Patriots?
Well, now that might be of interest to women. Or at least its interesting to one woman his
wife the supermodel Gisele Bundchen.
Allison, Keith. Brady In Action. 2009. Photograph.
And, nally, what if we drew the inevitable connection to De ategate the controversy
that led to Tom Bradys 4-game suspension from the NFL that was subsequently reversed?
Now weve got this little-loved Lean Six Sigma

technique tied to a modern football scandal that just
wont die.
Now weve got this little-loved Lean Six Sigma technique tied to a modern football scandal
2/10
14/4/2016
that just wont die. Its been a year since the fateful game but just the other day, one of the
presidential hopefuls declared to a roaring Massachusetts crowd, Tom Brady was framed!
True or not, it got the crowds attention, and regardless of your stance on Toms innocence
or guilt now youre dying to know the connection to Gage R&R, right?
Lets break down exactly how this story relates to Gage R&R.
In order to understand the situation, I interviewed Molly Goodwin, a member of the USA
Football Board of Directors and an owner of the Boston Renegades, a full- contact
professional womens football team.
Molly knows a lot more than me about football (which is not hard) and she tried to break
down the issues for me. For those of you who somehow managed to miss the story, heres
the gist: The NFL alleged that the footballs used in the AFC Championship game between
the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts had been tampered with by the Patriots. In particular,
the charge was that Tom Brady was somehow involved in having the balls under in ated so
they were easier for him to throw. Im probably doing the controversy a disservice, but you
get the idea.
When I asked Molly about De ategate she said, Theres a report there were two or more
air pressure gauges involved and they got different psi (pounds per square inch)
measurements at different times during the game. This is when my ears picked up.
Gauges? or should I say, Gages? Do tell!
3/10
14/4/2016
the idea is to ensure that when using a gauge, you are

measuring things properly by testing for both
repeatability and reproducibility of the
measurements.
For those of you unfamiliar with Gage R&R, the idea is to ensure that when using a gauge,
you are measuring things properly by testing for both repeatability and reproducibility of
the measurements. Okay, now youre nodding off so let me clarify.
Whats a Gage/Gauge?
A gage could be something with that name in the title such as a pressure gauge that
measures pounds of pressure per square inch or it could be a thermometer that gauges
whether or not youve got a fever. It could also be:
a scale
an odometer
an altimeter
a speedometer
you get the picture?
Whats Repeatability?
Now lets address repeatability. Lets say my butcher uses a scale to determine that my
ribeye steak is 16 ounces (1 pound). If I ask him to weigh it again and, once again, the scale
reads exactly 16 ounces, then, based solely on my steak, his measurement system is
repeatable.
Repeatability means that the same person gets the

same result when measuring the same unit twice.
When people conduct actual Gage R&R tests, they use at least 10 units, and I have no
objection to having 10 steaks but Im just trying to clarify the topic. Repeatability means that
the same person gets the same result when measuring the same unit twice.
Whats Reproducibility?
4/10
14/4/2016
Now lets take the concept of reproducibility. Maybe when I asked him to reweigh the
ribeye, my butcher had already moved on to constructing an 8-foot sandwich for a Super
Bowl party.
Say he asks his daughter Sally to step in and reweigh the steak for me. If Sally puts my
ribeye back on the scale and it reads 16 ounces again, then this measurement system is
reproducible.
Again, this is just to clarify that reproducibility means that two different people get the same
result when measuring the same unit. Of course its the day before the Super Bowl and
these people are busy so lets get back to Brady.
When I asked Molly to please elaborate on De ategate, she explained that the balls were
tested by the head referee before the game, and then tested again at half-time by alternate
5/10
14/4/2016
game of cials, and the two groups got different results. Whether they used the same
gauges or not, they lacked reproducibility!
So if we go back to the Deli that would be akin to Sally determining that my steak was 14.5
ounces which is a bit shy of a pound. If Im being charged for a pound, I might get
concerned that Im paying for more steak then Im getting. Even if she used the same scale,
whats important is that she gets the right measurement.
The scales have to be properly calibrated.
Calibration is a word you hear a lot with Gage R&R. Since there is measurement
equipment involved with continuous data, each gauge has to be true to a standard.
Well use the gauges in your car to illustrate this concept. You probably dont doubt the
6/10
14/4/2016
accuracy of your odometer, and you might like to claim your speedometer is off if you get
stopped for speeding, but you know its not. The one indicator that never seems properly
calibrated is the gas gauge. The needle doesnt seem to move for days after you ll up the
tank, but as soon as its half-full it seems the gas level plummets and before you know it its
on empty. Those early indications of an everlasting full tank might lull you into a false sense
of security.
For the record, that is my of cial excuse for the time I ran out of gas it was a calibration
issue.
7/10
14/4/2016
Another thing Molly mentioned is that temperature can have an in uence on pressure.
Theres a positive correlation between the temperature and pressure of a gas. But NFL
guidelines dont specify the temperature at which the measurements should be made. On
January 18th, the day of the game, the outside temperature in Foxboro, Massachusetts was
anywhere from 15 to 28 degrees Fahrenheit.
And what about games in San Diego or sunny Florida?

And what about games in San Diego or sunny Florida? Would all those balls test at a higher
psi? In Lean Six Sigma, if a factor like temperature could change the measurement, then that
would have to be part of the Operational De nition that details how to measure the unit.
When it come to sports, competition and the NFL, theres a not a lot of grey area in the
passions of fans and detractors. Brady has become a lightning rod so I think its wise for me
to leave football in the hands of professionals. But I do know something about Gage R&R so
Ive listed some guidelines to help the NFL avoid this type of scandal in the future.
Guidelines for Using Gage R&R in the NFL
1. The Gage:
a. Make sure all the pressure gauges are properly calibrated
2. The Operators:
a. Choose people who are familiar with the process like the of ciating crew
b. Make sure theyre trained on how to use the pressure gauges
c. Make sure they get instructions on how, when, where and at what temperature to
measure the units (footballs)
8/10
14/4/2016
3. Parts or Units:
a. Make sure there are at least 10 units (footballs) to test
b. Randomize the units so the operators measure them blind
4. Trials or Replicates:
a. Have each operator test the pressure of each unit (football) twice
b. Make sure the units are measured with the same ambient temperature (run all the
tests in the same of cials locker room)
5. Measurements or Response:
a. Record the psi measured for each unit (football), each time by each operator
b. Enter the measurements into a statistical package (Minitab, SigmaXL etc.)
c. Run Gage R&R to assess if the level of variation is acceptable (<= 10%)
Okay NFL I hope youre copying all this down. Im here for you. Im offering my services as
a Lean Six Sigma Sideline Statistician. Please forward tickets to me for all key games my
husband and Molly would like to assist so maybe just send 4 tickets to cover all bases.
Anybody else want to come help? Game ON!
So, who are you rooting for this Sunday? Let us know in the comments below!
Dont forget to check out our Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt
courses. We want to see how youll integrate football and Lean Six Sigma
together next year!
TAGS: ELISABETH SWAN, GAGE R&R, LEAN, NFL, SIX SIGMA, SUPER BOWL, SUPER BOWL 50, USA
FOOTBALL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Elisabeth Swan
Elisabeth has been partnering with leaders and front-line
staff to streamline processes within industries as varied as
Healthcare, Hospitality and High-tech. She as been
successfully working with businesses to achieve their goals
for over 25 years.
9/10
14/4/2016
10/10

What Does The Super Bowl Have To Learn From Lean Six Sigma - GoLeanSixSigma

Enviado por

Dados do documento

Título original

Direitos autorais

Formatos disponíveis

Compartilhar este documento

Compartilhar ou incorporar documento

Opções de compartilhamento

Você considera este documento útil?

Este conteúdo é inapropriado?

Direitos autorais:

Formatos disponíveis

What Does The Super Bowl Have To Learn From Lean Six Sigma - GoLeanSixSigma

Enviado por

Direitos autorais:

Formatos disponíveis

14/4/2016

USING LEAN SIX SIGMA

WHAT DOES THE SUPER BOWL HAVE TO

So whether it sounds formidably technical or

Allison, Keith. Brady In Action. 2009. Photograph.

Now weve got this little-loved Lean Six Sigma

the idea is to ensure that when using a gauge, you are

Repeatability means that the same person gets the

And what about games in San Diego or sunny Florida?

Você também pode gostar