Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Quentin Brook, a seasoned manufacturing engineer and Lean Six Sigma training expert, whose widely successful book Lean Six Sigma & Minitab is now in its 8th edition. With a background spanning the automotive and aerospace industries, Quentin has trained countless professionals in the tools of Six Sigma. In this interview, he shares the story behind his book, how it’s evolved to meet the demands of modern data analysis, and what excites him most about the new predictive analytics features in Minitab 22.
Could you start by sharing a little bit about your background and what led you to write your first edition of the book?
My background is in engineering, specifically manufacturing engineering, and I’ve worked in the automotive and aerospace industries. My involvement with Six Sigma began when I trained with General Electric Aircraft Engines in Cincinnati, which led me to a consultancy role where I eventually started training others in Six Sigma. The book idea originated from recognizing that people in Six Sigma training were struggling to keep up with all the information, and frantically taking notes! I realized there was a need for a concise, practical guide to help people remember and apply the tools after their training. The first edition of the book was born out of that need, and over time, it grew as more content and tools were added. Since its inception, we've sold over 200,000 copies.
What inspired you to keep revising and releasing new editions of the book, now on edition 8?
The main driver for the continuous updates is the evolving nature of Minitab software. Minitab has changed significantly since the first edition, and our readers rely on our book to stay up-to-date with the latest features. Every new edition incorporates both new Minitab content and additional non-Minitab tools. For edition 8, Minitab 22 was a key update, but we’ve also added substantial new material. Our readers expect this regular update, and it ensures the book remains relevant.
What are you most excited about in this latest edition (Edition 8)?
The predictive analytics module is the most exciting addition. This new content opens up a whole new way of modeling processes using techniques like decision trees, and can have significant advantages over traditional regression models. Decision trees provide an intuitive approach to understanding what drives variation in processes, making the statistical methods more relatable and approachable for users. Beyond that, advanced techniques like Random Forests take the analysis to the next level, using the power of modern computing to handle large and messy datasets.
How has your perspective on Lean Six Sigma and Minitab evolved from the first edition to now?
In many ways, the core challenges remain the same—we’re still trying to help people solve problems using data. What has changed is the sheer volume of data we now have access to. Twenty years ago, we weren’t swimming in nearly as much data, but today, organizations are inundated with it. The challenge has shifted to how we analyze and make sense of all this information. Tools like Minitab’s predictive analytics module have become critical in addressing these new challenges because they are robust enough to handle large datasets effectively. While technology has evolved, the essence of Lean Six Sigma—solving problems with data—remains constant.
How do you see the future of Lean Six Sigma and Minitab, especially with AI and machine learning becoming more prominent?
Predictive analytics and machine learning are natural extensions of the work we’ve been doing in Lean Six Sigma. These techniques allow us to handle large, complex datasets that traditional methods might struggle with. They offer a different mathematical approach and can cope with messy or incomplete data, making them highly relevant in today’s data-driven environments. AI and machine learning are buzzwords, but the value lies in how these tools can be applied to real-world problems, which is why we’ve started incorporating them into the latest editions.