Guideline for Writing a Quality Improvement Term Paper

Improvement Activity

Term Paper Guideline

Your term paper should follow the guidelines and include the following sections:

1.Introduction: (suggested number of pages: 1): This section should introduce the background information of the quality improvement activity you are describing. You should provide sufficient information and a clear logic flow of your thoughts/arguments/concerns that allows readers to understand what triggered the improvement activity. Specifically, you should cover the following in the introduction section:

 

a. The background information about the organization/field/industry in which the quality improvement occurred (i.e., what services this organization provides, who thisorganization serves, the mission and value of the organization, etc.)

 

b. The general information about the quality improvement activity (i.e., what trigged the improvement activity, how long it was or is to be, why it is important  and who participated or carried out the improvement activity, etc.)

 

2. Improvement activity: (suggested number of pages: 2-3): This section is the main body of your term paper. You should provide a detailed but concise description about the quality improvement activity. Specifically, this section should contain the following:

 

a. Identification of the problem: What is the quality problem that the activity is trying to address? How is the quality problem defined? Is the problem identified through the systems thinking approach, and are any LSS concepts or tools used in identifying the quality problem?

b. Measuring the problem: How is the problem measured, and if and what LSS tools are used to measure the problem?

c. Analyzing the problem: how is the problem analyzed to identify its root causes?

d. Improvement of the problem: What improvement ideas, tools, activities are carried out to address the root causes?

 

3. Results of the improvement: (suggested number of pages: half page): This section should focus on the result of the quality improvement activity. If the improvement initiative is finished, describe its results and its current performance/situation. If it is still going on, describe what results might be expected. Specifically, you should include the following:

 

a. Briefly relate to the problem identified in II-1

b. What is the result of the improvement activity? Did the improvement activity address the problem identified? If so, describe the results. If not, what or where do you think failed?

c. If the improvement activity addressed the problem other than the one identified, describe what problem it is addressed and your thoughts on what might have happened in the improvement process that the activity addressed the problem other than the one identified.  

 

4. Conclusion: (suggested number of pages: half page): In this section describe what you have learned. Specifically you should include the following:

 

a. The opportunities for use of Lean Six Sigma to make improvements in the organization in which you described the improvement activity. Be very specific.

b.What lessons have you learned from describing the improvement activity?

c. How can the Lean Six Sigma concepts and systems thinking approach be applied in the organization in which you described improvement activity?

Mechanics of Term Paper

No more than 5 pages (excluding the cover page and references)

Typed with a single space (with an extra space between paragraphs) and in Times New Roman,Calibri or Arial, 12 font size. 

Include a cover page that contains your team member’s name, the class title, the topic or title of your term paper and the date of completion.

A scrambled paper will be graded adversely. You should make every effort to avoid plagiarism.