Lean Six Sigma has often been regarded as a methodology that would propel your organization to realizing significant savings and growth. If you are then an organization planning to implement or integrate lean six sigma into your processes, Air Academy Associates suggests that you consider the following 10 input factors:
1. Get executive ownership/leadership alignment.
2. Establish an effective support infrastructure.
3. Integrate existing business improvement initiatives.
4. Select the right full-time people and projects.
5. Integrate training materials and software.
6. Have a financial and implementation accountability.
7. Establish a reward and recognition system.
8. Encourage an enterprise-wide knowledge sharing.
9. Establish a customer and supply chain.
10. Be ready to manage change and cultural upheavals.
The first three on the list leads to a better appreciation of customer value and human resource. The 4th up to the 6th factors lead to a faster top-line growth. Seventh to 10th facilitates bottom-line growth and cultural change at a lower cost.
Once you have worked up these factors, next step would be to examine closely the stages of implementation. Implementation involves three phases:
1. Initialization phase determines the extent of the chief executive’s understanding and support. This is crucial as this is the part that signals the organization to proceed or not. However, once it’s a go, you nee to develop a series of policies, guidelines and rules with the help of the deployment leader, one or more steering committees and selected corporate functions which include finance, human resources, quality, communications and others.
2. At the Execution phase, you now select the people who will play key roles in the implementation process, select initial projects, and start the training.
3. Assessment phase needs to look into the following:
a. Ensure that the key elements of the organization?s Lean/Six Sigma implementation plan are occurring in a timely fashion.
b. Address any gaps in performance to ensure timely benefit realization.
c. Promote knowledge, discipline, accountability and alignment of management.
d. Promote early self-sustainability.
LEAN / SIX SIGMA IMPLEMENTATIONS
