4 Factors Critical to the Success of Six Sigma Projects

QualityMag features the article of Paul Clipp, Sheila R. Poling, and Dr. Sophronia Ward on selecting successful Six Sigma projects and who should be involved.

The four critical success factors are:

1. the Project Champion
2. the Project Leader
3. the Project Selection
4. and the Project Charter

I say, this is a good review for everyone. So read more…

Filed under: Deployment, Tips, Project Management, Six Sigma

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Six Sigma Project: Black Belts and Project Managers

They do seem to have the same roles. The Black Belt seem to have the right project management mindset. Yet when you look at each role closely, you’ll find the two have actually different roles.

iSixSigma has good discussion about the two. Click here to see the tables of comparison.

Both are important for the success of a project. While a Black Belt executes the project, the project manager ensures a well-run project and how it fits the organization’s strategic vision. The key is to successfully integrate Six Sigma methodologies and the project management tools and processes. The result would be a harmony of the two skill sets, thereby giving the project a level of success.

Filed under: Project Management, Black Belt, Six Sigma

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Lean-Six-Sigma-based Project Management Tool

Project managing is no mean feat. Planning, managing, ang organizing resources to achieve the goals of your project take a systematic approach.

Supply Today just released a web-based project management and consulting software tool that is based on Lean Six Sigma principles.

The press release over at Ferret.com goes:

The tool is used by Supply Today consultants to manage assignments by improving visibility and providing additional information to its customers.

Using project support tickets (email look-a-likes), management of dead-lines and tasks are simplified. Projects can to be managed as one-on-one or in formal groups. The application also supports Supply Today’s current methodologies and provides a high quality result along with a consistent approach for its customers.

Read more…

I believe in Lean and Six Sigma and it’s combination, so I think this project management tool is worth checking out.

Filed under: Tools/Toolkits, Lean Six Sigma, Deployment, Project Management, Six Sigma

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When Six Sigma Meets Project Management

The meeting of the two is destined. Well, why not? When both are working toward carrying out projects successfully.

Over at FM & Beyond, there is a good discussion on PM meeting Six Sigma. Here are the suggested ways:

• Developing a solid Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) brings clarity.
• Put your project planning process under the microscope.
• Increase your Risk Management focus.
• Be intentional about PM skills and career development.
• Water from the top, grow from the bottom.

Read more…

Well, I am project managing two content based websites right now, and I find the list above very useful indeed. For sometime now, I have been thinking of how to continually motivate my team. Right now they’re doing well in their individual tasks and I don’t want malaise affect their performance.

You know how it is when you do the same things for a period of time, you are bound to get fed up. So, right now, I’m stil mulling over these things. And I’d like to take the suggestions above very seriously.

I’ll update you how it goes. Meanwhile, perhaps you have other suggestions. Do share them here.

Related stories:
Innovation of the Week: Mind Mapping or “Personal Brain”
Lean Six Sigma and Project Management
Six Sigma and Project Management 

Filed under: Processes, Project Management, Six Sigma

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Innovation of the Week: Mind Mapping or “Personal Brain”

Are you facing a complex task and you seem to be getting nowhere at organizing all your thoughts? Well, Mind Mapping, otherwise known as “Personal Brain” could be the answer.

According to TechNewsWorld Product Review, Mind Mapping software is hot!

Mind mapping, for the uninitiated, is a visual method for organizing ideas — a sort of project management tool for the mind. It often involves lots of thoughts in “bubbles” connected by lines.

The language used to describe the elements of a mind map — root idea, children, siblings, etc. — parallels that used by software outliners, except mind maps don’t have the rigid vertical form outlines have. Mind maps have an air of horizontal chaos about them.

Continue reading…

Filed under: Tools/Toolkits, Innovation Update, Innovation, Project Management

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Lean Six Sigma and Project Management

It’s true. Lean Six Sigma can be incorporated in project management. iSixSigma Software/IT carries a good article on this.

All project management initiatives go through the same basic sequence of events: initiate, plan, execute, control, and close. When DFLSS (Design for Lean Six Sigma) is applied to this process, then DMADV (define, measure, analyze, design, verify) or IDOV (indentify, design, optimize, verify) becomes the tool set that enhances the basic IPECC design process. The various processes tend to integrate with each other as shown in the following figure.

Click on the figure for a bigger version

The natural consequence of this relationship is that DFLSS or IDOV becomes a set of methods and tools that facilitates the project management process.

Where Lean Six Sigma is integrated effectively with project management, the DFLSS philosophy (but not every DFLSS tool) is a core element of every project. Too often organizations make the mistake of distinguishing between DFLSS projects and “other” projects, thereby perpetuating the notion that DFLSS is a selective project-based approach. Since the goal of DFLSS is to deliver better results faster with fewer resources, then the issue is not which project is a DFLSS project but rather which DFLSS tools are most appropriate for any given project. Regardless of how the projects are executed – from a highly iterative agile approach to a stage-gated waterfall approach – DFLSS is a method that is integral to the project management process.

But does one size fit all? Find out here.

Source:
iSixSigma Software/IT, Fitting the Right Belts for Design for Lean Six Sigma

Filed under: Lean Six Sigma, iSixSigma, Project Management

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Six Sigma and Project Management

One thing admirable about Six Sigma is that its tools can be integrated with tools of other quality methodologies. One fruitful marriage is Six Sigma and Project Management.

Using Six Sigma tools throughout the project life cycle adds a series of troubleshooting tools and methodology to the project management system. Project management contributes tools to monitor and track the progress of the project and also adds controls to the problem.

According to Daniel Zucker writing for iSixSigma:

The Six Sigma methodology DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) offers a structured and disciplined process for solving business problems. Six Sigma uses tools designed to identify root causes for the defects in processes that keep an organization from providing its customers with the consitent quality of products the customers require on time and at the most reasonable cost. The Six Sigma work is normally done through cross-function teams that manage the project. Yet the methodology does not address the management of the project itself.

Project management’s tools and techniques focus on attributes of a project such as development, execution, control and closing. There is an assortment of tools that are used throughout the project to manage the project to completion.

Below is an example.

Continue reading…

Filed under: Tools/Toolkits, Deployment, Processes, iSixSigma, DMAIC, Project Management

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