Insights from the Field

Practical wisdom from 35 years across oil platforms, clinical settings, and manufacturing floors. Real patterns, tested approaches, and lessons that textbooks miss.

All
Leadership Reflections
Industry Insights
From the Field
Core Insights
Master's Toolkit
Industry Insights
statistical-process-control-chart

Statistical Process Control: From Semiconductor Manufacturing to Any Factory Floor

🕓  

9

  min read

tatistical process control from semiconductor assembly operations transfers to any manufacturing environment with proper process parameter adjustments and proven methodologies....

Leadership Reflections
six-sigma-green-belt-sweet-spot

Six Sigma Green Belt: Why It's the Sweet Spot for Career Growth

🕓  

10

  min read

Six Sigma Green Belt certification delivers 73% of Black Belt benefits at 30% investment, with 47% promotion rates and $15,000 average salary increases....

Leadership Reflections
operational-excellence-pattern-missed

Operational Excellence: The Pattern I Missed for 15 Years

🕓  

7

  min read

After 15 years of operational excellence implementation, three industries revealed why 70% of lean six sigma improvements fail to sustain....

Core Insights
|
Industry Insights
Cross-Pollination: How Oil Rig Safety Protocols Save Lives in Hospitals

Cross-Pollination: How Oil Rig Safety Protocols Save Lives in Hospitals

🕓  

23

  min read

Oil rig safety protocols transformed the deadliest industry into one of the safest. These same systems can revolutionize hospital patient safety, reducing errors by 30% through proven cross-industry methods....

Core Insights
|
From the Field
why-improvement-projects-fail

Implementation Reality: Why 80% of Improvement Projects Fail (And How to Be in the 20%)

🕓  

20

  min read

Learn the real reasons improvement projects fail and the field-tested framework that separates the successful 20% from the failing 80%....

Core Insights
|
Master's Toolkit
Visual representation of the Lean Six Sigma belt system showing the progression through White Belt, Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt, and Master Black Belt certifications.

Complete Guide to Lean Six Sigma Belts: Your Path from White to Master Black Belt

🕓  

14

  min read

Navigate the complete Lean Six Sigma belt hierarchy with insights from actual implementations worth $4.4 billion across three industries....

Master's Toolkit
lean-management-essentials

Lean Management: The Foundation Before Six Sigma

🕓  

15

  min read

Lean management transforms organizations through waste elimination and flow optimization, creating the essential foundation before adding Six Sigma's statistical power....

Core Insights
|
Master's Toolkit
What is Lean Six Sigma? The $4.4 Billion Field Reality

What is Lean Six Sigma? The $4.4 Billion Field Reality

🕓  

21

  min read

Lean Six Sigma succeeds brilliantly when understood correctly, yet 70% of implementations fail. Discover the $4.4 billion difference between textbook theory and field reality....

Master's Toolkit
what-is-lean-six-sigma

What is Lean Six Sigma: The Field Reality Behind the Methodology

🕓  

8

  min read

After 35 years implementing Lean Six Sigma across oil platforms, hospital systems, and semiconductor plants, the most common question remains: "What exactly is Lean Six Sigma?" The textbook answer talks about reducing waste and variation....

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Monthly Insights from the Field

Get practical process improvement insights, real implementation stories, and lessons learned delivered to your inbox every month.

Join 2,000+ process improvement professionals. Unsubscribe anytime.

Form Submitted. Please check your email to confirm your sign-up. Thank you.

Oops! Some Error Occurred. Please try again.

Maria Milo

35+ years of worldwide operational excellence experience across oil & gas, healthcare, and manufacturing. Focuses on practical implementation that delivers sustainable results, rather than just theoretical models.

Let's Connect

Follow for insights from three decades of tranformation work. Connect if you value practical wisdom over theoretical frameworks..

[email protected]

Copyright ÂŠī¸ 2025 Maria Milo | Real Insights From the Field

CEO at Variance Reduction International (VRI) | Serving Oil & Gas, Healthcare, and Manufacturing Globally

www.VarianceReduction.com | Houston, Texas | USA