Six Sigma Improves Hospital Processes
Posted by: meikah | 8 January 2008 | 9:41 pm
I went to Makati Medical Center last week to visit a friend. Normally, I would take the stairs for lower floors, but since his room was on the 7th floor, I decided to take the elevators. But boy, the elevator lines were long and slow! There were only three working elevators, and this was one of the premier hospitals in the country!
Not wanting to waste my lunchbreak, I found myself taking the stairs after all. Good thing, his wife sent me a text message to meet me instead at the Floating Restaurant for lunch. Three floors up would do me good, too.
I believe good working elevators are a must for hospitals. Definitely, among other processes at Makati Med, their elevators need improvement. Maybe, they’d like to have a try at Six Sigma, which could improve hospital processes as shown in the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) study.
The study shows that performance improvement practices such as Six Sigma might help hospitals decrease in-patient mortality, length of hospital stay, and healthcare costs. Click here to read how Six Sigma helps in patient care.
Source:
Quality Digest, a featured link of Six Sigma Zone
*Photo from Stock.Xchng
Filed under: Healthcare, Processes, Quality Digest, Services, Six Sigma, Six Sigma Zone
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American Government Agencies Get Serious about Six Sigma
Posted by: meikah | 4 December 2007 | 9:58 pm
As Rob Thomson puts it, Six Sigma has escaped from the shop floor. So true. I have a wealth of information here (just check out the categories on the right side bar) that shows that Six Sigma has invaded all aspects and kinds of business operations.
Latest news has it that the Department of Defense (DOD) is really getting serious at employing Lean Six Sigma, and has in fact been enjoying the fruits of their labor.
FCW.com (Federal Computer Week) reports that:
- DOD has been successful in cost avoidance and has saved cycle time
- Naval Air Systems Command will save more than $1 million in fiscal 2007 because of Lean Six Sigma improvements in its contract closeout processes.
- Department of Agriculture uses Lean Six Sigma for its grants management process.
- FBI also uses the technique.
- The Defense Acquisition University developed a DOD-specific Lean Six Sigma course covering how to apply the methodology and become Lean Six Sigma certified.
Source:
DOD is serious about Six Sigma, a Six Sigma Zone featured link
Filed under: Benefits and Savings, Defense, Deployment, Lean Six Sigma, Military, Six Sigma Organizations, Six Sigma Zone
3 Comments |
OpenSource Six Sigma™ Releases New Products
Posted by: meikah | 26 September 2007 | 6:58 pm
OpenSource Six Sigma™ is adding six new products to its successful first release, the DMAIC v8.1. The new products will include the individual Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control phases as stand alone products.
Open Source Six Sigma™ will introduce DMAIC by phases for $29.99 ea. and Process management v6.0 for $49.99. All other rates will remain the same until our introductory rate of $34.95 expires July 16, 2007, when DMAIC v8.1 will increase to $99.99.
Source:
Finance Visor, a Six Sigma Zone featured link
Filed under: DMAIC, Deployment, OpenSource Six Sigma™, Six Sigma References, Six Sigma Zone, Software/Technology
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POSCO and SAIL Join and Continue Six Sigma
Posted by: meikah | 21 August 2007 | 9:07 pm
The steel industry will never be the same again after this, I’m sure. Two giant steelmakers are joining forces and will continue with Six Sigma for continuous improvement.
According to latest news on Chosun, Pohang Steel Company, or POSCO, and Steel Authority of India Ltd., or SAIL, signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic partnership.
Both parties will share management techniques including management information, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and Six Sigma practices over the next three years.
Source: Chosun.com, a Six Sigma Zone featured link
Filed under: Manufacturing, POSCO, Processes, SAIL, Six Sigma Organizations, Six Sigma Zone
1 Comment |
Six Sigma Reference Feature: Six Sigma and the Chorus of the Customer
Posted by: meikah | 29 July 2007 | 6:31 pm
The customer plays a pivotal role in every organization. As competition grows stiffer by the day, companies see all the more reason to drum up efforts to retain customers, and serve them the best they could.
I stumbled upon a 2006 presentation by Bob Carter, Raytheon Six Sigma Expert (Black Belt), during the 3rd Annual Six Sigma in Service & Transactional Environments Conference. Bob discusses how Six Sigma methodologies and tools can improve cutomer relationships. The secret is in incorporating DMAIC into the cycle of understanding the market and working on how to serve it better.
Source:
Six Sigma Zone featured link.
Filed under: DMAIC, Deployment, Raytheon, Services, Six Sigma Organizations, Six Sigma References, Six Sigma Zone, Tools/Toolkits
1 Comment |
The Benefits Companies Get from SBTI’s Six Sigma MBBs
Posted by: meikah | 2 July 2007 | 7:38 pm
We know that Six Sigma training eats up most of the initial budget for Six Sigma deployment. Although, quality practitioners are always quick to say that the cost is immaterial for the rewards more than compensate for it, still I believe that companies have to start with a considerable budget to even start reaping the fruits of their Six Sigma labor.
Thus companies would love to have a consulting group that help them improve their processes and at the same help them realize significant savings. Six Sigma Breakthrough Technologies, Inc. (SBTI) could be one.
For years, SBTI has kept to their slogan, “Develop your people to build better companies.” True enough, many companies have benefitted from their help.Latest news has it that companies that have commissioned SBTIs services have been enjoying much savings.
Yahoo Finance reports:
Based on a sample of 25 trained and certified SBTI Six Sigma Master Black Belts (MBB), the average savings per MBB personal project is $2,000,000.
In addition, the average annual savings realized from the Six Sigma Black Belts and Green Belts who have been coached by SBTI’s Six Sigma Master Black Belt’s is $7,000,000. This provides a hefty return on investment in excess of 200X for SBTI’s MBB program!
Source:
Yahoo Finance, SBTI Six Sigma Master Black Belts Yielding Significant Benefits to Their Companies, a featured link of Six Sigma Zone.
Filed under: Benefits and Savings, Deployment, Finance, SBTI, Six Sigma Organizations, Six Sigma Zone, Training
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How GE Uses Six Sigma to Drive Security ROI
Posted by: meikah | 24 June 2007 | 9:49 pm
That’s the title of the article on CIO. Francis X. Taylor, General Electric’s (GE) chief security officer, explains how to apply process imrovement methods to manage security risks.
Taylor was speaking before an audience of security executives at the CSO Perspectives in March. Here are excerpts of insights from him.
A methodology like Six Sigma requires a change in how you think about your organization and how it works. It requires shifting loyalties from how your organization operates to how those operations affect customers—the people and organizations who determine the value of what you produce. Performing well in this task adds value to your organization, can help security executives anticipate risks and identify resources to mitigate them, and it enables your leadership to pursue new opportunities for growth.
Taylor then presented process gains in policy violations at , background checks, and security alarms. He improved these processes These are real-life experiences when he was still working at the State Department.
The processes are improved through analysis and knowing what each process involves. The lesson learned is that one only needs to know the processes, gather relevant data, and work toward making the processes work more efficiently. Read more…
Source:
CIO, a Six Sigma Zone featured link
