Getting Down to Six Sigma this 2009
Posted by: meikah | 4 January 2009 | 9:39 pm
It’s another year again, and time to evaluate processes. If you have been deep into your Six Sigma efforts last year or the previous years, it might do you more good if you stop a while and look into your current situation.
In so doing, you may ask the following questions:
- How are your Black Belts and Green Belts holding up?
- How is the whole Six Sigma team handling data?
- How are your processes?
- How is management support getting along?
- How is the organization taking the Six Sigma initiative?
Over at Hertzler Systems, Inc. website, there’s a good discussion on what factors affect performance and success of a Lean Six Sigma project.In that report, the biggest challenge is how to get the organization’s culture adapt to Six Sigma.
That is followed distantly, by “Data cÂollection challengesâ€. “Excessive time sent scubbing data†is at the very bottom of the list. In the middle are several issues that sound like cultural issues: Resistance from middle management and continued leaderhsip commitment. Perhaps these are two specific categories of cultural change.
So cultural change is by far the biggest challenge in implementing Lean Six Sigma. For those who have been around this industry for awhile this is hardly controversial.
Filed under: Lean Six Sigma, Six Sigma, Six Sigma References
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Webinar: Lean and Six Sigma in Our Turbulent Economy
Posted by: meikah | 28 October 2008 | 9:47 pm
IndustryWeek invites you to the Live Internet Broadcast titled Lean and Six Sigma in Our Turbulent Economy.
Sponsored by SAP and itelligence
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 – 2:00 p.m. EST (GMT -05:00, New York)
Estimated Length: 1 hour
Leading organizations “knuckle down” and use this time to search for and eliminate the hidden, non-people wastes in their processes. They take a more aggressive approach with their Lean/Six Sigma deployment because they see it as the key enabler to reduce costs, improve competitiveness, or accelerate growth. Regardless of your industry, an effective Lean/Six Sigma deployment requires that executives go on the defense and offense concurrently, and seize the day from their competition. You need to deploy the right improvement methodologies (e.g., Kaizen, Lean, Six Sigma, enabling IT) and resources to the highest impact opportunities now.
Filed under: Lean Six Sigma, Six Sigma, Six Sigma Organizations, Six Sigma References, Webinar
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The SixSig Roundup
Posted by: meikah | 26 October 2008 | 8:14 pm
It’s time for some link-loving and see what other blogs are saying about Six Sigma, Lean, Lean Six Sigma and other quality improvement processes.
Safety Culture shares an overview of Basic Lean Six Sigma Training Tools And Techniques. The overview is useful and a timely reminder.
Fresh Web Content says that (Six) Sigma data collection requires asking the correct questions. True! And this is achieved through DMAIC.
Over at Healthcare Transformation, Dr. Healthcare shares how QFD contributes to the success of Lean Six Sigma in healthcare. The value of QFD in healthcare is that it has the VOC component in it. Go over and read the discussion. It’s a very useful tip.
Lean Blog reacts to a post that says allowing blog comments is waste or “muda” according to Lean standards. The blog claims that “it’s waste for the blogger to have to deal with the problems that come from comments — spam, insults, and general crap.” Well, it really takes time to go through comments, but then there’s a good plugin for spam comments. For me, reading comments from readers are also sources of new learning.
Lean Six Sigma Academy shares a rather touching story, which was on Evolving Excellence blog. Kevin of Evolving Excellence lost a colleague, which helped him come to the realization that “authentic continuous improvement should be focused on the person.” In other words, any improvement effort should give consideration to the team members and their capacity to do the work, yet still take care of their families.
Good links worthe checking out!
Filed under: Six Sigma References, SixSig, Tips
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A Six Sigma Review
Posted by: meikah | 21 September 2008 | 10:01 pm
Do you need to brush up on the basics of Six Sigma?
Here’s a good discussion on the basics of Six Sigma.
In essence, six sigma is a management plan geared towards producing better results, better products, and better service. Developed by Joseph M. Juran and Peter Senge in conjunction with Motorola, six sigma is technically an objective of quality. This objective very specifically defines how variable a process needs to be in terms of product specifications in order to meet and exceed customer demands in terms of product quality and product reliability.
Filed under: Six Sigma, Six Sigma References, Tips
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Six Sigma Reference Feature: Six Sigma and S88 Unite for Batch Automation Productivity Improvement
Posted by: meikah | 31 August 2008 | 8:58 pm
Bruce Jensen, Systems Marketing and Sales Support Manager of Yokogawa Corporation of America, presented this paper at World Batch Forum, North American Conference 2001.
It’s rather an old paper, but the lessons are still applicable till today.
ABSTRACT:
Six Sigma is a quality improvement methodology applied to improving any type of process. It is a methodology endorsed by and heavily integrated into several major chemical companies. This paper outlines how the program works with regard to performing process studies for the purpose of improving batch productivity through automation within a manufacturing environment.
Source:
Six Sigma Zone News Feature
Filed under: Manufacturing, Productivity, Six Sigma, Six Sigma Organizations, Six Sigma References
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Six Sigma Reference: Using Six Sigma Tools in Powder Coating Applications
Posted by: meikah | 18 August 2008 | 9:13 pm
Having trouble with your powder coating application system and don’t know where to begin finding the problem, much less a solution? Try Six Sigma methods. This article gives you solid information about this troubleshooting methodology and how to apply it to your operation.
Read: Using Six Sigma Tools in Powder Coating Applications.pdf
Filed under: Six Sigma, Six Sigma References, Tools/Toolkits
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Upcoming Lean, Six Sigma Conferences
Posted by: meikah | 5 August 2008 | 9:10 pm
4th Annual Lean Six Sigma & Process Improvement Summit
Oct 27, 2008 – Oct 30, 2008
Hotel, Okura, Amsterdam, Noord Holland NetherlandsSix Sigma for IT 2008
Aug 25, 2008 – Aug 27, 2008
American Strategic Management Institute, Arlington, Virginia United States4th Annual Lean Six Sigma Improvement Week 2008
Sep 15, 2008 – Sep 18, 2008
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois United States2nd Annual Lean Six Sigma for Electronics
Oct 06, 2008 – Oct 07, 2008
San Jose, California United StatesWCBF’s Global Six Sigma Summit
Oct 07, 2008 – Oct 10, 2008
Las Vegas, Nevada United StatesASQ Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
Oct 12, 2008 – Oct 16, 2008
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
For more events, check out GoingToMeet.com!
Filed under: Events/Announcements, GoingToMeet, Lean Six Sigma, Six Sigma, Six Sigma References
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Book Review: What to Say to a Porcupine: 20 Humorous Tales that Get to the Heart of Great Customer Service
Posted by: meikah | 16 July 2008 | 12:42 am
From the title alone, you’d already get the idea how the book will be presented. Yes, customer service concepts and principles, most of which we already know, are presented in anecdotes—much like Aesop’s fables.
The book is effective because customer service principles, which would otherwise sound serious and sanctimonious, are derived from real-life situations, and lessons are gleaned by processing each featured experience.
From the experiences and behaviors of clowns, hyenas, a greek chorus, parrots, snipes, porcupines, (grizzly) bear, Murphy’s law, to penguins, self-absorbed bride, a knight (Sir Gawain and King Arthur), piggies, bees, dogs, laid-off psychologists, sloths, mopes, hare (or rabbits), ruler and not necessarily a leader, a coach, there is a mountain of lessons to be learned.
- Make a good first impression.
- Listen to your customers.
- Don’t hassle your customers.
- Avoid negative expectation.
- Don’t be a snipe (meaning, mean-spirited).
- Never confront someone who is prickly.
- Good service is all in the mechanics.
- Shine when things go wrong.
- Silence is golden.
- Focus on your customer.
There are 10 more lessons, so get your copy of What to Say to a Porcupine?
EPILOGUE: Good service is more than a fable. Yes, it’s definitely more than fantasy, more than concepts and ideas. It’s all about action and engagement.
Overall, what I learned from the book is that great customer service springs from a genuine understanding of the human psyche. That psyche is not that of other people, but our own. How we want to be treated, is much the same way that other people would want to be treated as well. In other words, “do not do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you.”
Filed under: Book Review, Customer Service, Six Sigma References
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Visual Six Sigma
Posted by: meikah | 2 July 2008 | 9:58 pm
The name itself intrigues me. Here’s what it is:
Using JMP for Visual Six Sigma, you can literally “see†the important patterns of variation that have occurred, no matter how many Xs and Ys you have. You can then use interactive, exploratory data mining and other techniques to suggest the “hot†Xs that are really driving your Ys, perhaps identifying better operating conditions for your process from the data you already have.
JMP’s comprehensive statistics and interactivity make it the statistical software of choice for consultants and companies using Six Sigma. JMP supports the DMAIC process with software usable for Green Belts through Master Black Belts. Coupled with other SAS solutions for Business Intelligence and Performance Management, JMP gives C-level executives and Six Sigma Champions a total environment for identifying, implementing and sustaining quality improvements.
Have you heard of the visual Six Sigma? Or Have you tried this one out? Do share your experience here.
Filed under: Six Sigma, Six Sigma References, Software/Technology
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Six Sigma Training Tips from LearnSigma.com
Posted by: meikah | 24 June 2008 | 9:52 pm
Rob Thomson of LearnSigma shares these interesting Six Sigma training tips. I’ve shared my thoughts about it too earlier.
Anyway, here are Rob’s top tips:
- Always emphasise the graphical tools over formal statistical analyses
- Teach the tools and their applications, and omit the underlying theory but not the key assumptions which make the tool applicable or not
- Use real life examples and case-studies
- Use software, e.g. Minitab to demonstrate hands-on implementation
- Tie the training into a project, with the emphasis on using tools which are appropriate to solve the problem, in other words, don’t be overly prescriptive with what tools are required
Very useful tips, Rob, and I like the look of your new site!
You may also want to check out my interview with Rob.
