IEH Academy

Six Sigma Application for the Food Industry

Course details

Self-Paced eLearning

49.00

30 minutes

Ruth Pierson

Six Sigma statistical techniques are exceptionally effective for high-volume food and beverage manufacturing. In this course, we cover case studies demonstrating how data-driven decisions can enhance cost efficiency, quality, food safety, and productivity. Topics include optimizing filling operations, improving package sealing and torque testing, comparing processes and ingredient suppliers, detecting process shifts, predicting parameters with regression analysis, and designing experiments.

Benefits and Learning Objectives

  • Learn the functions of gaskets in the food and beverage industry and how to they contribute to food safety.
  • Learn various gasket materials and their compatibility in equipment to prevent premature failure and downtime.
  • Protect food from physical, chemical and biological hazards with gasket selection.
  • Learn preventative maintenance strategies to inspect and replace gaskets at the proper frequency to prevent downtime and quality issues.
Screenshot 03 of e-learning course.

Agenda:

  • Six Sigma Overview for Food and Beverage
  • Case Study: Time-Based Data Analysis
  • Case Study: Utilizing Measles Charts
  • Case Study: Process Comparisons
  • Case Study: Applying Regression Analysis
  • Case Study: Designing Experiments
  • Case Study: Process Optimization Strategies
  • Summary

Who Should Attend?

  • Process Improvement and Continuous Improvement Professionals
  • Operations Personnel
  • Quality Assurance and Quality Control Teams
  • Maintenance Specialists
  • Process engineers
  • Individuals Pursuing Six Sigma Project Experience or Certification

Registration and Payment

To register for this course, please visit our training portal.

Ruth Pierson portrait.

Meet the Instructor

Ruth Pierson

Ruth Pierson joined IEH as Vice President of Technical Services in 2024. She holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington and an M.S. in Systems Engineering from Southern Methodist University. Her academic achievements complement her extensive practical experience in operations, engineering, food and beverage equipment, quality, sanitation, optimization, and operational excellence, gained through positions at notable food processing companies such as Niagara Bottling and Tetra Pak, as well as other FDA-regulated firms.

Previously, she served as the Senior Manager of Technical Operations at Niagara Bottling, supporting both low and high-acid aseptic beverage plants. Prior to this role, she managed issue resolution at Tetra Pak for dairy, low-acid, high-acid, cheese, and ice cream customers. Ms. Pierson achieved expert-level proficiency in Tetra Pak’s root cause analysis process and shared her knowledge with specialists and field service engineers.

In addition to her academic and professional accomplishments, Ms. Pierson is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt from ASQ and has extensive experience in failure analysis, process improvement, and troubleshooting. She is also a Licensed Professional Engineer and has contributed to academia as an Adjunct Professor in Mechanical and Energy Engineering at the University of North Texas.