1 Page-Creative Problem Solving for Six Sigma
Posted by: meikah | 6 November 2007 | 12:01 am
I stumbled upon this interesting information as I was surfing the web for good Six Sigma resource.
The paper starts with a discussion on the trends of Six Sigma methodology and how is it when viewed through TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) lens. Then it went on to discuss how the 1 Page-Creative Template, also called the Six Sigma Brainstorming Pool, will benefit Six Sigma deployments.
One interesting part in the paper is the A1 Page-Map of Innovation Patterns for the Six Sigma Methodology. Look at the figure below.
Click image for a larger view
The 1 Page-Map of Innovation Patterns, which reflects the concept of 360° innovation, is basically a graph in which customer delight is plotted against pain. All possible innovation patterns are covered in the figure. Innovation patterns, which relate to TRIZs Inventive Principles, are shown in appendix A. The TRIZ principles can be regarded as more detailed descriptions of innovation patterns that are found predominantly in technical systems. The 9 zones are given metaphorical but meaningful names in order to facilitate referencing; the description of the central (shaded) cell or Octopus Zone is omitted for clarity. The map is a 3×3 rectangular fractal in the sense that each zone can be regarded as a 3×3 map of innovation with similar descriptions for the 9 zones. In this article, the focus is on the 3×3 map as represented in the figure.
From the figure, the predominant direction in the evolution of Six Sigma is towards the Lion Zone, that is, the addition of tools and combination with other methodologies to make Six Sigma more powerful. In general, the range, application, and functionality of the Six Sigma methodology have increased but the pain (in terms of complexity as well as the time and cost of learning additional tools) has also increased. The latter effect is undesirable.
On the opposite end of the evolutionary spectrum, that is in the Minnow Zone in the figure, are variants of Six Sigma which are the results of removing parts and tools from classic Six Sigma. The focus of Six Sigma variants in the Minnow zone is to provide a simplified (less quantitative) view of Six Sigma and its principal tools. The aim is not to tactically apply Six Sigma but to gain an understanding of the philosophy and principles of Six Sigma in order to better position a business and develop strategies for competitive advantage. This approach is sometimes called “Strategic Six Sigma.”
Source:
TRIZ Journal
Filed under: Deployment, Six Sigma References, Information Mapping
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Six Sigma Reference Feature: ASQ
Posted by: meikah | 27 February 2007 | 3:18 am
The American Society of Quality, or ASQ, is the world’s leading membership organization devoted to quality.
This website is like a one-stop shop for all your quality needs: education, government, healthcare, manufacturing, service, and more!
It stands by its slogan, Make Good Great®. If you are a member you will have access to the latest in technologies, concepts, tools, and trainings for quality professionals, quality practitioners, and everyday consumers.
Also, you will find networking opportunities, careers, and recommended books and publications that you can use in your field.
Check out the site and find out about the wonderful world of quality. 
Filed under: Tools/Toolkits, Lean Six Sigma, Finance, Training, Certification, Deployment, Data, Six Sigma References, Healthcare, Public Sector, Information Mapping, Processes
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Six Sigma Reference Feature: Six Sigma Communications @ infomap.com
Posted by: meikah | 5 February 2007 | 9:36 pm
During the Best of Six Sigma Practices seminar, I envied the three companies that shared their Six Sigma journey. It was quite obvious that they had addressed the success factors to begin with. What are these? They had the leadership, they had management support, they had people to train for Six Sigma and go into Six Sigma projects, and they had allocated a portion of their budget to do it.
How could they go wrong? From the open forum discussion, I learned that to sustain the enthusiasm and ensure the Control phase of the DMAIC, there must the right motivation and the timely communication. Reports are made accessible by everyone in the organization, and I’m guessing these reports are in the language that everyone can easily understand.
So, for today’s Six Sigma reference feature, I’m sharing with you a very useful article on “Six Sigma Communications: The Missing Link in Your Six Sigma Strategy?”
Written by Doug Gorman for Information Mapping, the article discusses how Six Sigma projects gone pffft because of miscommunication. I like this part:
Adding Six Sigma to the Communication Mix
Six Sigma initiatives will require you to significantly increase the quality and quantity of communication within your organization. But let’s face it, most organizations are already struggling with communications that are unfocused and difficult to read, with buried key points in endless lines of irrelevant information. The number of poorly written e-mail messages, reports, and proposals that come across their desks each day already overburdens managers. And workers already have difficulty interpreting all of the complicated policies, processes and procedures they are supposed to follow. Adding Six Sigma ideas, reports, proposals, solutions, project updates, and process changes to the mix will only add to the problem–unless they are presented in a clear, effective way that highlights key points and allows readers to quickly access and understand the information they need.
Adopting organization-wide communication standards, methods, and protocols, and adding communication skills training to the Six Sigma curriculum will help Six Sigma teams communicate and sell their ideas, plans, and solutions internally, will make life easier for overburdened managers, and will substantially increase a project’s likelihood of success.
Source:
Information Mapping, “Six Sigma Communications: The Missing Link in Your Six Sigma Strategy?”
