A new presentation style: Prezi

Prezi can be another tool in your skill set for making presentations. Instead of preparing PowerPoint slides and moving from one to the next, Prezi uses one large canvas with zooming from place to place as the presentation progresses. YouTube videos can be integrated into the presentation. 

Prezi is free and accessible from the internet at prezi.com. 

The following link is to a presentation I prepared for a recent Public Relations class. The topic is the January 2014 chemical spill in West Virginia's Elk River. You can step through the presentation by clicking on the arrows at the bottom of the Prezi screen.

Three YouTube videos are incorporated into this presentation. It will take 10-20 minutes to view.

Prezi Presentation on Elk River Chemical Spill in January 2014 

The following is a minute-long YouTube video about Prezi.

I used Prezi on both Windows 7 and Windows 8 computers. I was unsuccessful in downloading the iPad app.

If you try out Prezi for the first time, please leave a comment about your experience.

Book Published

A new blog post is way overdue, but I've been busy on a book publishing project. How to Cook Spaghetti Squash (And Grow It Too!) is now available on Amazon.com.

I used the CreateSpace platform offered by Amazon for self-publishing.

Twitter School: 7 Fun Facts

1. Twitter has a powerful search engine. Try researching a topic, company, or individual.

2. Tweets are collected by the Library of Congress.

3. To “like” a tweet, click favorite.

4. Best practices recommend no more than 2 hashtags per tweet. A hashtag # before a word designates it a topic or keyword so the tweet will come up in a search of that word. 

5. Use a URL shortener to reduce the character count when you include hyperlinks in a tweet. Tweets are limited to 140 characters.

6. Are your incoming tweets overwhelming? Organize them into lists. Instead of following, add the person or organization to a list that you’ve created. At your convenience, review the list for their tweets. ( "Following" means you receive copies of all the tweets sent out by that individual or organization.)

7. #FF is a twitter tradition that means ”follow Friday,” and is a recommendation to follow a tweeter which tends to be posted on a Friday.

I recently attended “Twitter School” and was eager to share helpful pointers. I hope you’ve found this information interesting. I’ll share more social media tips soon. Oh, follow me @pamschodt on Twitter, of course.

Contact Me

For more information see my article Twitter School: Retweeting and Notifications.

Simple Steps to Project Management

A project exists to improve or create something. Joseph Juran’s definition is “A project is a problem scheduled for solution.” The phases of project management are: define, plan, implement, and complete.

Project management phases:

1. Define
2. Plan
3. Implement
4. Complete

Project Definition

Involve the project manager, the team, and key stakeholders in project defining meetings. Creative thinking could lead to a breakthrough or novel idea. For example, a laboratory expansion project could include all possibilities at this point without worrying about the viability of those ideas. Using nonrestrictive brainstorming techniques during project definition can foster creative solutions.

Next, project constraints in terms of cost, process, people, or time should be identified. The main constraint is called the limiting factor. Lack of available adjacent real estate could be the limiting factor in a plant expansion project.

Also included in project definition are the deadline, performance measurements, major milestones, and project scope. Project scope defines the boundaries of the project. Without a definition of scope, some projects tend to creep and are never completed thus expanding the timeline and expense. For example, a project to install a water purification unit in a laboratory should spell out who has the responsibility to tie in existing water pipes to the unit. Is it plant engineering or the unit installer?

In another example, the design of a website can include launching the site on the internet or providing a file of code to be launched by the customer. 

Lastly, write up the project definition proposal for review and approval by all stakeholders.

Project Definition List:

1. Develop project definition in collaboration with stakeholders
2. Identify project constraints and the limiting factor
3. Determine the project deadline
4. Describe performance measurements
5. Pinpoint major milestones
6. Assign project manager
7. Define project scope
8. Document project definition proposal
9. Secure final project definition approval by all stakeholders

Project Planning

Planning expands on the project definition by listing tasks, refining milestones, identifying required resources and budgeting. During the planning stage, information should be gathered from those with experience in similar projects. The project team is selected and training and team building can begin.

Scheduling of project tasks is determined. (Project scheduling is an involved topic to be addressed at a later time.)

Rules, policies, and procedures are implemented. A schedule of project meetings is arranged. Tasks are assigned. A contingency plan is developed. Scope creep is monitored.
Documentation of project plans is organized in a Project Management Plan. This information is reviewed with all stakeholders. Plans are revised per feedback.
 
Project Planning List:

1. List tasks
2. Refine milestones
3. List resources
4. Gather historical information
5. Review budget
6. Select project team
7. Plan project team training
8. Organize project team building activities
9. Develop project schedule
10. Document and implement rules, policies, and procedures
11. Schedule project meetings
12. Assign project tasks
13. Develop contingency plan
14. Review plans for scope creep
15. Document Project Management Plan
16. Review Project Plans with Stakeholders

Project Implementation

Project implementation is following the tasks and timeline developed in the planning phase. Use project meetings and procedures outlined in the planning phase to check progress and resolve issues.

The more thorough the planning phase, the easier the project progresses.

Project Completion

There are important steps to complete at the end of a project. Meet with the project team to evaluate lessons learned during the project, identify successful processes, and identify areas needing improvement. Document this information for the project file.

Project completion tasks:

1. Insure customer is satisfied
2. Generate final reports and other documents for distribution
3. File essential project documents
4. Return equipment and perform housekeeping
5. Obtain final payment (if applicable)
6. Perform final accounting and ensure project budget is up-to-date
7. Disband team and assist in reassignment
8. Celebrate and recognize team members

Contact Me

Make Your Brain Smarter: Book Review

What does it take to keep our brains functioning optimally into old age? Sandra Bond Chapman, Ph.D., addresses this issue in Make Your Brain Smarter: Increase Your Brain's Creativity, Energy, and Focus.

Past belief was that brain capacity was a constant until it declined, and little could be done to improve performance.

Dr. Chapman presents new science that refutes this, and indicates that the brain can repair itself and improve performance. Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize and rewire by creating new neurons and neural pathways.

She discusses the barriers to concentration and deep thinking. Numerous interruptions like texts and emails as well as excessive data and multiple trivial tasks sidetrack the deep thought state.

The danger of that is deep thought improves brain performance. 

Another falacy Dr. Chapman writes about is brain function testing. Speed of the thought process and memory have often been used as determiners of brain health and intelligence, but cognitive functioning necessary for strategic planning, learning a new subject, or problem solving is a better measurement of brain function.

She sorts age ranges into groups called the Intermediates, Finders, Seekers, Thinkers, and Knowers, and gets very specific about brain issues in each of those groups.

Dr. Chapman describes aids to cognitive thinking as "powers." 

• The Power of 1 is focusing on one thing without distractions.
• The Power of 2 is selecting 2 important items on your to-do list, and truly concentrate on those. She calls the 2 "elephants" and the others, " rabbits".
• The Power of Deep is pulling together data, knowledge, experience, etc. to create a new idea. She exclaims "Get off of automatic pilot!" [It's not good for your brain.]
• The Power of Less is reducing the amount of information you're bombarded with. She  claims, "Big data freezes the brain."
• The Power of Innovative Thinking is to avoid the status quo by getting inspired.

Of course, eating healthy, sleeping adequately, and exercise are important as well.

Make your Brain Smarter is a very enlightening book about improving brain health. 

The 10 minute video above is the author giving a TED talk on brain health.
Viewing on an iPad or iPhone? Link to the You-Tube video here.

What is Lean Thinking?

Lean Thinking is just like it sounds: managing operations without expending excess resources. Like a lean piece of meat, lean operations are trimmed. Lean Thinking also includes adding value.

Shigeo Shingo, a Japanese author and engineer, identified 7 wastes. Recognizing and eliminating them creates a lean work environment.They are:

1.     Overproduction

2.     Waste of waiting

3.     Waste of transportation

4.     Waste of inventory

5.     Waste of processing

6.     Waste from product defects

7.     Waste of motion

To add value, examine the following:

•      How does your customer see your company?
•      What problems need to be exposed?
•      What can be simplified?
•       Be flexible when considering new ideas or changes. 

     Kaisen and 5S are Lean Thinking terms. Kaisen adds value with continuous improvement. 5S is the reorganization of work areas to improve efficiency and reduce waste. The 5 “S’s” are:

Sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain or systemize.

I think this brief explanation of Lean Thinking illustrates its advantage to any activity. From offices to factories to households, cutting waste and adding value can yield benefits.

ASQ Quality Engineer Certification: Preparing for the Exam-Time Management

Manage preparation for the certification exam like a project. The exam date is the project due date. The registration deadline is a major milestone.

Phase One is to review statistics and practice problems. Depending on your work and education background, you might be able to skip this.

Take the practice tests frequently. Time yourself so you have an idea of how quickly you can move through a test. Although I usually studied alone with no distractions, I took a couple of tests with family members in the house. This prepared me for distractions during the actual test.

When I first started taking these tests, I was discouraged by how slowly I worked through unfamiliar calculations. My speed improved gradually. I compared building up my test-taking speed to an athlete training for an event. As you approach the registration deadline, assess your speed. If you're comfortable with your progress, sign up and make the commitment to take the exam.

Phase Two is to review quality engineer principles and solidify your quality engineer mindset. I used questions from the practice tests to guide this phase of my studies.

About 3 weeks before the exam start taking a practice test every other day. This builds your confidence and speed in tackling calculations. Because you’re rotating the same 4 practice tests, some of your speed improvement is due to familiarity. You will probably not see any of the exact questions from practice on the actual exam.

The day before the exam, give your brain a break. Arrive at the test facility refreshed and ready to tackle 160 questions.

In review, Phase One is to study statistics and familiarize yourself with practice tests.

After registering for the exam, Phase Two is a study of more specific quality engineering principles and building speed by frequent test taking.

Good luck!

Quality Engineering Certification Related Posts:

Study Materials are described in a previous post.
What to expect on exam day.

contact me

ASQ Quality Engineer Certification: What to expect on Exam Day

All ASQ exams begin at 8:00 a.m. You need to arrive 30 minutes early to check in, organize your materials at your seat, and locate the restroom.

I strongly recommend visiting the test facility prior to the exam day. Know your travel route. My facility was a 1 hour drive and had a gated entrance. On test day there was a pouring rain.

You are not allowed to have a cell phone in the exam room. You are not allowed to have a cell phone in the exam room.

I repeat the above because about 20 people out of 60 walked into my exam room with cell phones. Some were busy talking on their phones so they didn't hear the announcements that they weren't supposed to have cell phones. :) The proctor may offer to hold onto the phone, but it is your responsibility to remember to retrieve the phone after the exam. I would recommend leaving it in your car.

Bring a legal calculator. Calculators with graphing capabilities and/or with keys labeled with the alphabet are not allowed. A basic statistical calculator is needed. I used a Texas Instruments  TI-66 that I've had for 20-something years. The proctors will check your calculator, and, if it does not meet the guidelines, you will not be able to use it. You cannot share a calculator with a friend sitting nearby. I emphasize this issue because about 3 people did not have the proper calculators in my exam room.

Bring other supplies as required per the ASQ instructions.

Tuck a bottle of water and small snack in your bag so you can discreetly snack and drink to keep up your energy level.  After all, it is a 5 hour exam.

Be prepared for distractions. There will be many people in the room. Expect fidgeting, sniffling, sneezing, and coughing.

Despite a strenuous study regimen, I used the entire test time. It took me 3 hours to go through the 160 questions,and I used the last 2 hours to review my answers.

Quality Engineering Certification Related Posts:

Study Materials are described in a previous post.
Time management while preparing for the exam.

contact me

ASQ Quality Engineer Certification: Preparing for the Exam-Materials

I recently passed the American Society for Quality's Quality Engineer examination. In this post and others, I'll share my experience and study tips to help anyone facing this challenge.

I allotted about six months to prepare for the exam. I formerly held a quality position, but had been out of the field for many years. These are the materials I used and recommend:

1. A Basic Statistics Text with problems to work through and answers provided. I used The Complete Idiot's Guide to Statistics by Robert A. Donnelly.
2. The Certified Quality Engineer Handbook by Connie M. Borror.
3.  Copies of the two practice exams provided on the ASQ website.
4. A statistical calculator that meets the guidelines for the exam. Practice with this calculator, and do not bring a graphing calculator to the exam. You will not be allowed to use it.

Because I was not currently in a quality position, I took a six week online course called Six Sigma: Total Quality Applications. This served as a good review of basic statistics, problem analysis techniques, control charts, and process capability calculations. If your current job is in the quality field, the course may be unnecessary.

The Certified Quality Engineer Handbook was invaluable for the following reasons:

• Includes a CD with two practice tests.
• Includes a CD with Acceptance Sampling Tables to determine sample size. Print these out to use during the exam.
• Includes examples of calculations.
• Contains many chapters of information on Quality Engineering to study and use as a reference.

Be sure to look at my other Quality Engineering Certification Related Posts:

What to expect on exam day.
Time management while preparing for the exam.

contact me