Ann Arbor-based business process consultants Simons-White & Associates last week announced the launch of a new program for improving product launches and customer satisfaction. The Design for \"Six Sigma - Theory of Inventive Problem Solving\" program was developed by Kai Yang, professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering at Wayne State University, and Norma S. Simons, president of Simons-White. Unlike typical Six Sigma practices, which typically focus on process improvement and defect reduction, the new program focuses on the earliest stages of product development. The problem-solving component of the program is based on more than 50 years of research on millions of patents, focused on unlocking the secrets of inventions and technical breakthroughs. Yang will provide an overview of the new program in an event at Automation Alley in Troy on April 7.