Dr. Harry’s Personal Axioms and Philosophies

Infinity

Forever is the last day on God's calendar
Infinity is the finite point at the end of God's outstretched hand

Truth

Truth is an absolute which endures forever
Truth is reflected in music, mathematics, and esthetics
Facts are the notes of a song, the elements of an equation, and the form in sculpture

Fact

A view of the truth can be gained by assembly of the facts
Truth is fact, but fact is not truth, it is merely a true fact
A fact is a form of information, but not all information is factual
Trust is the belief that a fact is true
Distrust is formed by the omission or commission of information
To believe in the facts does not require faith
The integration of all possible facts reveals the truth
T = f ( F1, ... , FN) where T is the truth and F is a fact

Faith

Knowledge involves belief, but not all belief is based on knowledge
In the absence of fact, faith is the basis of belief
An assumption is merely a potential fact which is dependent upon faith

Questions

To know the truth is to know all of the facts
To know the facts requires investigation
Investigation is driven by questions
A question (Q) always precedes an answer (A), thus A = f ( Q )
Questions lead and answers follow
Without the question an answer is merely information, not an answer
The same question invariably leads to the same answer
To change the answer is to change the question
We won't change the question without reason to do so
We can only reason from what we know
What we know is based on facts
Every fact is an answer to some question
Facts are discovered, not created

Measurement

Measurement has the potential to generate new questions
Changing the measurement can change the question
As the question changes, new behaviors will emerge
Designing a system of behavior can translate to designing a system of measurement
We only know what we experience
We can't assess what we don't experience
We don't question what we don't assess
Measurement is the strongest form of assessment
To change the question is to change measurement
The absence of measurement is a shield of ambiguity
As measurement increases ambiguity diminishes
As ambiguity diminishes, direction becomes clear
Only when direction is clear can people be united
Only when people are united can a common action be taken
Measurement yields data; hence, data are an artifact of measurement
Data are used to describe, regulate, or improve an object, situation, or phenomenon
We can't improve what we don't measure

Values

We don't measure what we don't value
We form values around positive or negative consequence
Consequence is realized only through interaction with the environment

Knowledge

Knowledge is realized through experience
We can't know what we don't experience
Experience is obtained by way of interaction with the environment
The limit of experience is governed by the limits of interaction within an environment
Interaction within an environment leads to observation
Not all observations are accurate or precise
Measurement is the basis for establishing validity of observation
Observations can be classified by rational grouping
The rationality of grouping can only be established by assessment

Data

The outcome of measurement is numerical data
Data are not information - they must be analytically tortured to confess its meaning
Interpretation of data is enhanced through numerical analysis
Numerical analysis is dependent upon mathematics
Mathematics is a reflection of reality
Measurement yields data; hence, data are an artifact of measurement
Data are used to describe, regulate, or improve an object, situation, or phenomenon

Causation

Y = f ( X ), where Y is the dependent variable and X is the independent variable
Y is symptomatic of the behavior in X, thus Y is the effect and X is the cause
The relational function (f) is either linear or nonlinear by nature
The presence of Y is evidence that one or more X's must exist
Y = f (X1, ... , XN), where N is the Nth variable in the system of causation
Every X will have some effect on Y either independently or interactively
Every X carries a unique weight ( ) relative to Y, by virtue of f

Error

Observation is verified through replication of interaction within an environment
No two replicates are ever exactly alike, variations are inevitable
Variation in replication is referred to as "error," or for short
Error in replication ( ) is attributable to change within the system of causation
Extent of replication error is directly related to the extent of change within the cause system
As the control of a cause system approaches 1.0, replication error ( ) approaches 0.0
As the control of a cause system approaches 0.0, replication error ( ) is indeterminate
The accuracy and precision of replication can only be established with measurements
No measurement is perfect, some error is inevitable

Change

The concept of change is not dependent upon improvement
The idea of improvement (I) is dependent upon the concept of change (C), thus I = f (C)
Change and improvement are both relative to at least one baseline condition

Experience

Data is not information until it is interrogated
Information is a rational basis for decision making
Decisions lead to interaction with the environment
Interaction with the environment leads to observation
Replication of observation leads to validity of experience
Valid experience is classified as knowledge

Randomness

Patterns which we can not discerned by human device are said to be random
The idea of a random event exists only as a human conception
Nothing in nature happens by random chance
Everything moves in some form of trend, shift, or cycle over time
The complex blending of independent events can create complex patterns
Complex patterns which can not be discerned create the perception of random behavior

Problems

Repetition of observation leads to expectation
Any observed departure (O) from a desired expectation (E) constitutes a problem
The extent to which a problem exists ( ) is given by = O - E
A full solution is condition in which = 0

Corporation

Systemization is the foundation of organization
The purpose of a corporation is to minimize transactional costs
Management is the judicious use of control toward the attainment of an end

Risk

If we don't know, we can not act
If we can not act, the risk of loss is high
If we do know and act, the risk can be managed
If we do know and fail to act, we deserve the loss

Definitions

Business - exchange of value
Value - comprised of utility, access and worth
Value - belief, ideal, or standard which characterizes something
Entitlement - rightful expectation of something
Quality - state in which full value entitlement has been realized
Behavior - way in which something responds
Process - a series of operations or actions leading to an outcome
Innovation - change made by the introduction of something new
Product - an article having an exchange value
Service - performance of labor for another
Transaction - performance of business or any piece of business
Design - to contrive for a purpose
Defect - presence or absence of something which inhibits a state of quality
Opportunity - set of circumstances favorable to an end
Characteristic - distinguishing attribute, trait, or property
Scale - relative basis for measuring a characteristic
Standard - criterion state, condition, or model circumstance
Density - quantity per unit of measure

Philosophy

We are in business to make money
We make money by satisfying needs
We are able to satisfy needs by doing
Every need/do pair is an interaction
The aim of customer focus is on improving need/do interactions
Repetition of the same action constitutes a process
Improvement our business means improvement of our processes
Customers need products/services on-time, with zero defects, at the lowest cost
Suppliers create processes to generate needed products
As process capability improves, the product quality increases
As quality increases, costs and cycle-time go down
The attributes of customer satisfaction must be measured if they are to be improved
To improve means we must be able to predict and prevent, not detect and react
Prediction is correlated to certainty
Maximization of certainty is dependent upon the measurement of process capability
Process capability is best understood and reported using statistics
Statistics are dependent upon data
Data must be collected in the process according to a plan
Statistical analysis is used to convert raw data into meaningful summary information
Statistical information is used to report on, improve, and control the process
The basis of statistics is the mean and standard deviation
The mean reports on process centering
The standard deviation reports the extent of variation or "scatter" about the mean
By combining the mean and standard deviation, the "sigma" of a process can be calculated
The "sigma" of a process tells us how capable it is
The process sigma can be used to compare similar or dissimilar processes
Such comparison of processes is called benchmarking
Benchmarking is a competitive tool used to uncover what we do well and not so good
Once basic competencies and deficiencies are know, corrective action can be taken
Corrective action leads to the reduction of defects, cycle-time, and cost
The reduction of defects, cycle-time, and cost leads to improved customer satisfaction
As customer satisfaction improves, the likelihood of doing business increases
As business increases, we (as individuals) grow and prosper