Uncommon Sense - Tools to Improve your Work Forever

It’s a classic tool.  But its reach is far wider than you might think.

Join PMI Consultant Des Kelly as he explains what Failure Modes Effects Analysis (FMEA) really is, how the 2019 global standard changed the game, and why Process FMEA now belongs in hospitals, call centres, control rooms and corporate functions as much as on the shop floor.

If you run, design, or depend on any process (yes, that means you!), you’ll see how FMEA can strengthen performance where it matters most, and start questioning why you ever left risk management to chance.

More resources:

• Getting to Grips with FMEA
• Improvement Toolbox – Failure Mode & Effects Analysis (FMEA)
• Elevate Your Skills: Black Belt Tools for Success

More from PMI:

• Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics
• Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar
• Follow us on LinkedIn

Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. 

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• Explore Distance Learning >>

It’s a bold claim, but one worth exploring.

Join PMI Consultant Niall Coney as he challenges one of the most persistent misconceptions in improvement: that Lean is about efficiency.

Through real-world examples and a return to the purpose behind Lean tools, Niall reframes Lean as a way to see abnormality at a glance.  Not as a shortcut to efficiency, but as a foundation for problem solving.

From 5S to standardised work, Andon to process confirmation, he explores how these tools expose problems rather than fix them, creating the conditions for better thinking, better habits, and better results.

If Lean feels like it’s missing the mark in your organisation, this conversation might just change the way you see it.

More resources:

• Taking Out Waste May Not Make You Lean 
• Lean tools enable change 
• Applying Lean in Service

More from PMI:

• Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics
• Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar
• Follow us on LinkedIn

Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. 

• Explore On Demand >>
• Explore Distance Learning >>

AI is reshaping problem solving. But can it follow the methods you trust? 

Join PMI Director Consultant Dennis Crommentuijn-Marsh as he shares an improvement-in-action story where conventional thinking reached its limit, and a custom AI agent opened new possibilities. 

He explains the difference between generic AI tools and tailored agents, how prompt engineering is shaping the future of work, and why this isn’t about replacing expertise, but amplifying it. 

If you’ve ever wondered how AI could support improvement, this episode will show you what’s possible. 

More resources:

• Revolutionise Your Process Excellence Using AI Agents
• When Is 8D the Right Problem-Solving Approach?
• Leading Transformation in the Age of AI

More from PMI:

• Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics
• Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar
• Follow us on LinkedIn

Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. 

• Explore On Demand >>
• Explore Distance Learning >>

8D has a reputation for being thorough, rigorous, and methodical. But is it always the best choice? 

Join PMI Director Consultant Stuart Gibson as he takes us though three digestible scenarios to highlight the difference between everyday fixes, improvement work, and when 8D is exactly the right tool. Cutting through the confusion, he unpacks the method step-by-step and explains how to use it with discipline, not by default. 

If you’ve ever asked, “Should we just fix it or dig deeper?” this episode will help you decide. 

More resources:

• The Joy of Problems
• Transform You Problem Solving Mindset
• 8D Problem Solving Template

More from PMI:

• Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics
• Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar
• Follow us on LinkedIn

Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. 

• Explore On Demand >>
• Explore Distance Learning >>

“If I change this… what happens over there?”

It’s a familiar question in improvement, and one that correlation helps us explore with rigour and insight.

Join PMI Consultant Niall Coney as he breaks down the concept of correlation and its role in uncovering meaningful relationships. Using practical examples, from machine settings to wellbeing initiatives, he explains how correlation and regression support evidence-based decisions, help avoid blind spots and focus improvement where it matters. 

But it’s not all good news. 

Niall also highlights essential cautions, including the limits of correlation, why causation can’t be assumed, and when covariance offers a sharper lens on variation.

Ready to move beyond surface observations and understand what’s really driving performance? This is essential listening.

More resources:

• Simplifying Sampling Strategies
• From Green Belt Practitioner to Black Belt Specialist: Making an Impact 
• Black Belt Tools for Success: On-Demand Webinar

More from PMI:

• Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics
• Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar
• Follow us on LinkedIn

Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. 

• Explore On Demand >>
• Explore Distance Learning >>

On the surface, everything seems aligned. But improvement just won’t stick. Why? 

Join PMI Director Consultant Warren Knight as he unpacks five leadership behaviours that quietly derail progress. From staying too far from the frontline to clinging to outdated thinking, these pitfalls are easy to miss but hard to work around. 

If you’ve ever struggled to get traction, build momentum or gain support for your improvement work, this conversation will help you see what might really be going on. 

More resources you may find helpful:

• Blog: 5 Things Every Leadership Team Should Know
• Podcast: How Effective Leaders Support a Learning Organisation
• Improvement Focus Collection: How Do You Build and Sustain an Improvement Culture?

More from PMI:

• Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics
• Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar
• Follow us on LinkedIn

Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. 

• Explore On Demand >>
• Explore Distance Learning >>

It’s a deceptively simple question: What is the purpose of this process? 

An unclear process purpose is one of the most overlooked causes of waste, misaligned priorities, poor decisions, and missed improvement opportunities. Yet too often, teams dive into complex redesign without first agreeing on why the process exists at all. 

Join PMI Director Consultant Stuart Gibson as he shows how stepping back to define process purpose clearly and collaboratively can uncover hidden value, prevent confusion, and drive more effective improvement efforts. Expect practical insights, thoughtful examples, and a reminder that common sense isn’t always common practice. 

More resources you may find helpful:

• Webinar: Where to Start with Daily Process Improvement 
•  Blog: Our Processes Should Not Be Rocket Science 
•  Podcast: Process Redesign and the 5Rs

More from PMI:

• Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics
• Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar
• Follow us on LinkedIn

Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. 

• Explore On Demand >>
• Explore Distance Learning >>

It’s simple: identify what’s valuable and do more of it. 

But in practice, defining what truly adds value and what doesn’t, can be far from straightforward. 

PMI Consultant Damion Albinson explores why defining “value add” is one of the trickiest yet most essential concepts in improvement. From legislative red tape to emotional resistance, he shares how well-intentioned tasks can cloud our view of what's really worth doing. 

Hear how to distinguish truly necessary work from disguised waste, why being comfortable with calling things "non-value add" reveals opportunity for real transformation, and how to navigate the emotional terrain of challenging long-held habits. 

More resources you may find helpful:

• Infographic: Assessing the Value Added by the Work We Do
• Podcast: Decode Ambiguity with Operational Definitions
• Webinar: Creating Space to Focus on the Value Add

More from PMI:

• Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics
• Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar
• Follow us on LinkedIn

Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. 

• Explore On Demand >>
• Explore Distance Learning >>

The core principle of DoE is elegantly simple: “how does this thing affect that thing?” 

PMI Consultant Niall Coney explores the value of experimental design and regression analysis: clear thinking, informed decisions, and measurable impact. Whether you’re working on improvement in manufacturing or marketing, operations or organisational change, don’t let the fear of complex statistical calculations hold you back.  

It’s about asking better questions and digesting the answers.

More resources on this topic:

• Podcast: Simplifying Sampling Strategies 
• Video: From Green Belt Practitioner to Black Belt Specialist – Making an Impact
• Blog: 9 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Do A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

More from PMI:

• Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics
• Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar
• Follow us on LinkedIn

Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. 

• Explore On Demand >>
• Explore Distance Learning >>

We’re on the same page…  Or are we?

In improvement work, misaligned understanding around simple terms like ‘on time’ or ‘complete’ can derail progress before it begins. But PMI Consultant Damion Albinson explains how you can cut through the noise with clear operational definitions.

Discover how to turn vague expectations into measurable clarity, avoid costly misunderstandings, and build trust with both customers and colleagues. The difference between rework and results starts with shared understanding.

More resources on this topic:

• Improvement Toolbox: Operational Definitions
• Video Series: Essential Green Belt Tools
• Blog: Agile Improvement Explained

More from PMI:

• Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics
• Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar
• Follow us on LinkedIn

Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. 

• Explore On Demand >>
• Explore Distance Learning >>