Our Value

In prior Investment Corner articles we have discussed, investment vehicles such as mutual funds, stocks, bonds and real estate. In this quarter's article we will cover something of a hybrid which probably has a unique value to offer your investment portfolio. Exchange traded funds, or ETF's, have some of the advantages of index mutual funds and some of the advantages of a stock. As you may recall from the very first Investment Corner article, all rewards carry some risk and they tend to go hand in hand. That does not change with ETFs, which fall somewhere between index mutual funds and stock on the risk/reward scale.

In this video Dr. Steve Zinkgraf reflects on Six Sigma 10 years later. He discusses the evolution from TQM to Six Sigma. He touches on training and the integration of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. In closing, Dr. Zinkgraf discusses how companies face many different elements in growth: innovation and entitlement.
The running time of the video is 22 minutes. It can be viewed online or downloaded for offline viewing.

"Health care is in a constant state of change," we hear executives say. "We're adding services. We're responding to the realities of managed care and reduced revenues. We're working with IHI, CMS, and the Joint Commission on their improvement initiatives. We never stop changing!" It's true, of course. Health care executives feel, as the Red Queen explained to Alice, "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place."
Everyone in health care is working hard. No one disputes that. But what about the fundamental way the work is done? What about the processes that constitute the way care is delivered, and reimbursed? Are they as productive as they can be? Are they ready for change?

Modern Technologies Solutions Incorporated, MTSI, and Sigma Breakthrough Technologies Incorporated, SBTI, are proud to announce they have joined together to offer their customers and prospective clients combined benefits in consulting and training offerings in Systems Engineering and Lean Six Sigma. Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. provides engineering and technical services in the areas of systems engineering and analysis, program development and management, ground and flight tests, technology and standards development, and operational analysis. MTSI has an extensive background in low observable technology and flight tests, electronic counter measures, unmanned aviation, homeland security, and ballistic missile defense systems engineering. Sigma Breakthrough Technologies, Inc. (SBTI) provides management consulting to companies in order to optimize business performance by advancing them to best-in-class results in revenue growth, cost reduction, new product development and process improvement. SBTI delivers these top and bottom line results for customers through training and project management. SBTI is a global management consulting firm specializing in deployment of Six Sigma and Lean methodologies, having deployed over 50 full corporate rollouts in Six Sigma and Lean Methodologies.

SBTI has released training dates for the first wave of 2008 Master Black Belt Training.

• Week 1: Monday 02/11/08 - Friday 02/15/08
• Week 2: Monday 03/10/08 - Friday 03/07/08
• Week 3: Monday 04/07/08 - Friday 04/11/08
• Week 4: Monday 05/05/08 - Friday 05/09/08
• Week 5: Monday 06/02/08 - Friday 06/06/08