June PDM – Has the Analytics Wave Changed How We “Do” Quality?

Has the Analytics Wave Changed How We “Do” Quality?

There’s no denying it, the analytics movement has become the hot topic across almost every industry.  Everyone is getting into the act, or so it seems.  This naturally raises the question, “Do we need to change the way we approach Quality Management” as a result?  Are the tools and techniques that have been used for decades now still relevant?  You may have even wondered if your skills are still applicable in today’s marketplace.

In this month’s PDM, veteran quality professional Dave Northcutt will discuss several aspects of the analytics movement and how these aspects relate to quality management in today’s world.  Among the topics discussed will be:

• A brief history of analytics in quality since the 1920s (spoiler alert – quality lead the way for much of today’s analytics!)
• Where analytics came from and why analytics is hot now
• What’s new, what’s old, and what’s hype
• Pitfalls of the analytics movement
• Why data presentation is still critical
• What you need to know to keep pace in your career

About Dave:

Dave Northcutt is a retired Industrial Statistician with over 35 years of experience driving improvements in the IT industry.  Dave was most recently an IBM Distinguished Engineer specializing in data analysis, predictive modelling, and continual improvement in IBM’s services business.  Dave has worked with teams around the world to help them improve their businesses by helping them to understand their data.  Throughout his career, Dave has always sought to make the teams he worked with self-sufficient, not simply give them the answers.  Dave holds Master’s degrees in Economics (Northwestern), Computer Science (Univ. of Illinois at Chicago), and Statistics (Rutgers).