Articles
'Quick Wins' vs the 'Mile Deep Thinking' of Six Sigma
The very name of 'Qick Fix' or 'Quick Win' seems to be derogatory of impulsive action in a change project. Senior management too, are always pressuring for results and yet the Black or Green Belt knows they have to conduct a thorough analysis, following an extensive measure phase. After all, that is the strength of the Six Sigma DMAICT methodology.
So are 'Quick Wins' ever legitimate? If so are there any guidelines for recognising when a solution fix might be implemented, even though the Six Sigma project is still in the measure or analyse phase? In this article are just a few thoughts on the matter - by no means a definitive answer, but perhaps of help to the troubled Belt.
Assessing your organisation's culture . . . how well do you fare?
For many years people have wrestled with the concept of organisation culture - we know that what we have got is not what we want, but what do we want, and how do we know when we have got it? Such issues become even more challenging when facing the fact that culture is one of the greatest influences on competitive edge, be it as a 'drag factor' or 'deliverer of competence'.
The Organisation Culture Profile is a powerful tool that helps organisations from all walks of life to understand what it is that is stopping them from achieving their competitive potential, how they can get the best from their people, and engage everyone across their businesses in change.
Do you have a corporate JOHARI window?
The Johari Window is a model to help people to improve their self-insight and their relationships with other team members through personal disclosure and constructive feedback. Named after Joe Luft and Harry Ingram, the model describes four types of information about people.
Frequently Asked Questions - January 2007 Seminar
Anyone involved in business improvement activity knows the pitfalls! Wherever we go we are often asked questions about Six Sigma, Lean and Change Management, which are clearly common concerns for everyone. Following a recent seminar with idt, we captured these Q&As - such as 'What is the difference between Lean and Six Sigma?', 'Doesn't the act of measurement improve the process anyway?' and 'How do you stop people bucking the system?'.
Click here for our responses to these and other frequently asked questions.
Six Sigma Process Improvement in a Nutshell
A brief excursion into the language and methodology of Six Sigma. This article describes the key features of Six Sigma in a straightforward way and is suitable for distribution to those wanting to cut through the plethora of information and material on the subject.
To simplify or not to simplify? That is the question . . .!
The article addresses the challenge of balancing the simplification of processes before implementing a new system against the time pressures involved in doing so. An approach is outlined which leverages the knowledge in the organisation in a focused and effective way to drive actions which bring results.
Lean thinking in offices - does it really work?
Lean in the office environment - can it really work? This article sets out to explain how Lean has matured and developed from the Toyota Production System to be applied in an office environment. The latest work shows that Lean can be applied not just in traditional ‘paper factories’ where most of the work is of a
transactional nature but also in a service environment where the processes are more discretionary or ‘considerative’. The article also highlights the need to attack ‘Leadership Waste’ as well as the more obvious ‘Surface Wastes’ if you wish to create an environment of sustainable continuous improvement.
onesixsigma.com praise for our FREE Six Sigma Awareness Seminar
Sophie Smiles, director of onesixsigma.com recently attended one of our free seminars. She described the seminar as 'one of the liveliest overviews of Six Sigma' that she had seen and was prompted to write an article for the onesixsigma.com website.
Quality Function Deployment: What's the problem?
Quality Function Deployment (QFD) has taken on a pivotal role in Design For Six Sigma – and indeed in New Product/Process Development frameworks in general. Although QFD is conceptually simple and contains very little mathematical complexity, it has proven a difficult tool to use in practice. This article attempts to explore the reasons behind this and thereby suggests how difficulties may be avoided.
More than a plaque on the wall
Six Sigma is about driving business performance and acknowledging the individual need for reward is more a means to an end, not the end in itself. Leanring the tools of Six Sigma requires huge individual commitment and many people seek some recognition for that. A certificate recognising the competence of an inidividual as a Black or Green Belt is more than just a plaque on the wall. The process of accreditation offers a number of benefits, not only for the project leader (the Belt), but for the business and for its Six Sigma deployment.
The Maturing Six Sigma Organisation : Train-the-Trainer
After around 18 months of Six Sigma deployment, typically after the second or third waves of projects, organisations come to appreciate the need to develop an independence from external consultancy support. The Maturing Six Sigma Organisation : Train-the-Trainer describes a rigorous, phased approach to developing in-house expertise to further train Belts, launch more projects and win even more benefits from Six Sigma process improvement.
Mind your mindset
Mindsets are key to our being able to execute necessary, routine behaviour. The problem with mindsets is that once learned, they are difficult to unlearn. The changing business environment requires that we constantly question the 'learned behaviours' of the organisation. The inertial delay in changing a corporate mindset could lead to lost business opportunity, unprofitable product lines or even closure of the company.
Do averages cause us to see mirages?
We, as managers, tend to make decisions based on averages but how risky are those decisions? Considering the spread of the data as well as the average provides us with another dimension with which to help the decision-making process. This article demonstrates how, using both measures, we can better quantify risks and make clearer decisions.
An introduction to Business Process Management
Business Process Management (BPM) is the conception, design, observation and continuous improvement of business processes. Improved business performance is delivered by streamlining a process to remove causes of 'waste', and managing both its human and technological agents. Often achieved with a degree of automation, BPM allows businesses to measure process performance with real-time statistics, and update their processes to optimise efficiency or respond to new ideas or external business events.
Contact Centre Case Study
An example Minitab Report examining call centre data.
Finding the positive in uncertainty
Being positive is a habit. We can influence outcomes, the behaviours and responses of others by the way we are - make a difference by what we say and the way we say it. Getting the right responses from people is critical in a change programme such as Six Sigma.
A few words about Z.shift=1.5
Discussion between a student and teacher about Z.shift and the approaches to its calculation. The Six Sigma methodology states that when we don't have rational sub-grouping we can shift the Z value by 1.5. As an alternative to the Z.shift=1.5, an inflation factor for the standard deviation is sometimes applied. In particular: stdev LT=1.3*stdev ST.
Don't forget the softer side of Six Sigma!
People don't like doing things differently, they don't like change. It turns out that in delivering a Six Sigma project that the soft stuff is the hard stuff! Statistics alone will not create world class organisations. Just as the DMAICT methodology provides a rigorous framework for conducting process and data analysis, the same rigour needs to be applied to the management of change. Without appropriate consideration of the softer side of Six Sigma, many companies will achieve only short-lived benefits.
Can we trust the data?
As all organisations strive to improve their processes they will find the foundations of success are driven by the acquisition of good reliable data. Measurement System Analysis (which includes Gauge Repeatability and Reproducibility) assesses the integrity of the data obtained from our measurement systems, allowing us to determine whether we can confidently use the data for the purposes of process control or improvement.
The gold at the end of the rainbow
"If I have seen further, it is because I have stood upon the shoulders of giants!" Sir Isaac Newton. The body of knowledge builds upon that which was conceived before and is at the heart of 'learning'. There is no end to the growth of human knowledge and inspiration; there is no limit to our ability to achieve; there are no boundaries to our creativity.
Six heads are better than one
Teams are being used to improve the competitive edge of the company and are at the heart of success of Six Sigma process improvement. Four key areas are discussed: the make-up of the team, the project definition, the launch of the team and the ongoing support of the team.
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