Issue link: https://industrialengineer.epubxp.com/i/920036
January 2018 | ISE Magazine 37 When threats intensify, executives who refuse to lose their tools can turn these dramas into disasters, and serious challenges become unnec- essary failures. Consider two separate tragedies. In 1994, 14 firefighters lost their lives in South Canyon, Colorado, while 45 years earlier 13 firefighters died in Mann Gulch, Montana. In both cases, the victims were slowed down because they did not drop their heavy tools. With their inef- ficient retreat, all the firefighters died before reaching safe areas. And it pays to drop your tools in other arenas: Air Force fighter pilots sometimes prefer the cocoon of oxygen in the cockpit instead of ejecting, causing them to go down with fa- tally damaged aircraft. Navy personnel sometimes keep their steel-toed shoes on when abandoning ship, either drowning or punching holes in the rafts that could save their lives. Karl Wal- lenda fell during a high-wire walk and grabbed the rope with one hand while holding his balance pole with his other hand. The weight of the pole was too much, and he plummeted to his death. The lesson is simple: Executives need to know that even the most valuable tools have limits, and at times such tools need to be dropped. Such tools include the vaunted Six Sigma methodology. While useful in many cases, sometimes simplifying operations is a better option. More than five years ago, a survey of aero- space companies revealed that more than 50 percent had dif- ficulties implementing Six Sigma tools. Complaints included W GAIN SPEED by losing tools Sometimes Six Sigma is more By Satya S. Chakravorty