Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel Goes Six Sigma

Arabian Business Online reports:

Two of Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel executives attended the recently concluded Six Sigma Green Belt (Six Sigma GB) Workshop at the Sheraton Amman Al Nabil Hotel & Towers.

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Starwood Hotels started with its Six Sigma initiatives in 2006, and have been training its people since. The pilot project was with the Westin Chicago River North’s Unwind project, which came up with a set of nightly activities that would draw guests out of their rooms and into the lobby where they could meet, mingle, and develop a greater loyalty to the hotel group.

The newly trained Green Belts at Sheraton Doha wil now be responsible for transfering projects tested and proven to be effective in the realization of Starwood Hotels’ philosophy — that is to bring warm, comforting connections to all valued guests and associates.

It’s good to know that Starwood Hotels is really serious about going Six Sigma and is committed to giving only the best to its clientele.

Kudos Starwood Hotels!

Source:
iSixSigma News

Photo credit

Filed under: Six Sigma Organizations, Training, iSixSigma, Hotels, Starwood Hotels, Six Sigma, Green Belts

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“Slow down Six Sigma…”

Early this year, Erie County had put its high hopes on Six Sigma. Believing that the methodology will help them save on taxpayer’s money, county officials planned on sending employees for Six Sigma training.

The latest news however is saying that the control board and the Erie County Legislature have taken a stand to slow down on Six Sigma. According to the new on tradingmarkets.com, the budget for the Six Sigma training would run up to $912,000. But the control board’s finance committee would want to start small and see how it would go. Read the full story.

I think Six Sigma is not really for the faint-hearted. Unlike other quality methodologies, Six Sigma has to start big. Big because the first step in Six Sigma is training. And Six Sigma training is quite pricey.

I can now hear quality practitioners say that quality is free. Free in the sense that the cost of starting a quality journey cannot compensate for the benefits and savings that one reaps in the end.

So in the case of Erie County, I’m not quite sure if this is a case of being prudent or a case of politics getting in the way.

Filed under: Finance, Training, Public Sector, Six Sigma

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Six Sigma Continues at Chrysler

It is clear that the Chrysler group is big on Six Sigma. A couple of years ago, reports on Daimler-Chrysler going into Six Sigma and being benefitted by it hit the frontpage news.

First, there was news about Chrysler adopting DFSS thereby making them more proactive and receptive the what their customers want.

Second, Daimler-Chrysler strengthens its Six Sigma deployment by integrating structured innovation methodologies into its DFSS program.

And now the latest is that Chrysler LLC will boost the company’s Six Sigma by sending its people to training. Giving training programs is not new at Chrysler. In fact, its technical specialist program has been established since 1988. The company just decided to offer Six Sigma trainings in addition to its already tested training modules.

According to the news in ReliablePlant magazine:

The new technical fellow and master black belt senior specialist programs will build on the company’s existing technical specialist and master black belt programs.

Why particularly these programs?

Black belts use different problem-solving methodologies, including Lean Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma, critical thinking and Shainin Red X to solve various technical and process issues throughout each vehicle program. They progress through the black belt ranks to the current top rank of master black belt specialist. The new top rating of senior specialist demands tougher criteria, but provides greater personal recognition and reward – and benefits to Chrysler’s Product Development operations.

Read more…

Last year, I heard news about problems and issues—both financial and management—besetting Chrysler. I hope this move will help solve these issues, too.

Source:
Six Sigma Zone News

*Photo credit: thecarconnection.com

Filed under: Manufacturing, Six Sigma Organizations, Training, Deployment, Technology, DFSS, Chrysler, Six Sigma, Automobiles

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What Lean Six Sigma Improvement Teams Should Do

Aside from strong harmonious teamwork, Tony Jacowski also suggests that the Lean Six Sigma implementation team should do the following:

1. Identify the common problems and challenges and focus only on those that are critical to the main process - make use of time-tested Six Sigma tools and techniques such as “Process Charts” that highlight each and every event, functionality, and sub-processes of the given process selected for improvement.
2. Seek input from people such as floor managers, supervisors, process managers, and others who might be having workable knowledge about the given business process. If required, middle and top management can also be requested to provide their valuable input and suggestions.
3. Utilize Six Sigma simulation tools.
4. Encourage creativity and innovation because sometimes only these skills can save a project from certain failure. Constant motivation, guidance, and recognition are good ways of promoting creativity and innovation among the Lean Six Sigma implementation team members.
5. (and if I may add)Sustain the improvement initiative by constantly reviewing data and processes.

Source:
Free Business Articles

*Photo from Stock.Xchng

Filed under: Lean Six Sigma, Training, Team Dynamics, Six Sigma

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Lean Six Sigma Cutting Cost at Saint Vincent Health Center

Have you been to a hospital where CT scans for stroke patients, turnaround of radiology reports, and even meal deliveries are done well, quick, and fast?

Maybe yes, maybe not. But for patients at Saint Vincent Health Center in Erie, northwestern Pennsylvania’s largest health care network, those are exactly what they’re getting. For those benefits, they have Lean Six Sigma to be thankful for.

In 2005, the management team of Saint Vincent Health Center partnered with The Center for Industrial Effectiveness (TCIE) at UB to launch a Lean Six Sigma initiative.

According to Steve Osborn, vice president for quality compliance at Saint Vincent Health Center, “It’s pretty remarkable: In two years, we went from having no systematic Lean Six Sigma program to having implemented 50 projects in which we have either reached our goal or surpassed the halfway mark. Our organization is reaping financial benefits and our customers also feel it.”

To date:

Saint Vincent Health Center estimates that overall, the UB program helped it achieve savings to date of approximately $540,000 in areas that include the catheter lab, billing office, central store inventory, radiology department, meal-delivery service and the CT scanning and testing lab.

Read more…

Source:
University at Buffalo Reporter

Filed under: Lean Six Sigma, Six Sigma Organizations, Training, Deployment, Healthcare, Six Sigma, Saint Vincent Health Center

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Neville Clarke Philippines Offers New Six Sigma Trainings

Pera Neville Clarke is an international consultancy firm specializing in providing consultancy and training services in Lean, Six Sigma, Quality Management, Environmental Management, Safety Management, Business Process Improvement and Business Planning.

Neville Clarke-Philippines is offering the following Six Sigma Trainings:

For more information, check out Neville Clarke Philippines Courselist.

Filed under: Services, Training, Neville Clarke, Six Sigma

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Erie County Goverment Gears Up for a Six Sigma Training

About a couple of months ago, I shared here the plan of Erie County to use Six Sigma to save taxpayers’ money. The county would begin doing it by giving its people Six Sigma training.

Well, just last week, wgrz.com reports that by a vote of 14 to 1, Erie County lawmakers voted to approve a 6 Sigma appointment for Erie County government.

Al Hammonds, a Six Sigma Blackbelt, will be the Director for Six Sigma in Erie County and accordig to him, he will teach, train, implement those methodologies, administrate and establish an infrastructure and systems to get Six Sigma, or more importantly the improvements, going.

I commend the County for going seriously into improving their operations. I wish other governments would do the same.

Source:
iSixSigma News

Filed under: Six Sigma Organizations, Training, Deployment, Public Sector, Six Sigma

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National Aviation Services Introduces Six Sigma to Selected Kuwait University Students

The initial project of National Aviation Services Kuwai (NAS) and Kuwait University was to have some students study the high turnaround of employees at NAS.

With the right guidance, the students went down to work. Using the Cause and Effect Approach method the students presented a number of solutions to improve human resource functions and also gave the management a SWOT Analysis with a process map on the way forward.

NAS was so impressed with the work of the students that it decided to sponsor the selected students to a Six Sigma training course.

As a reward NAS will also be sponsoring the students in attending the world renowned Six Sigma Development program. The program that has been developed by Motorola university has been designed to improve business performance and companies all over the world use the program to enhance customer satisfaction, maximize process efficiencies, increase competitive advantage & market share and make savings on operating expenses.

“As a local company that is expanding at a rapid pace, we lay a huge emphasis on corporate social responsibility and this includes encouraging the local youth to pursue exciting careers in the fields of aviation, medicine, IT, engineering and business,” commented Eng. Naji Al-Ajmi, CEO of NAS who was present at the ceremony at which the students were presented with certificates in addition to the Six Sigma Sponsorships to commemorate the completion of their training. “It was a pleasure for us to have these young people in our midst and we are glad they got to learn a little about our business. We will definitely look into their finding and recommendations and we wish them the very best in their endeavors in the future,” he concluded.

Read more…

To me the gesture of NAS is commendable. It’s good to start them young so that when these students get out of university, they bring with them the concept of quality and continuous improvement.

Source:
AME Info, a Six Sigma Zone featured link

*Photo from Stock.Xchng

Filed under: Benefits and Savings, Six Sigma Organizations, Human Resource, Training, Team Dynamics

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Six Sigma Black Belt Certification at Ateneo De Manila University

Six Sigma is now being included in the university curriculum, especially in the graduate school.

Under its Continuing Education Program, the Ateneo de Manila University Graduate School of Business is offering a Six Sigma Black Belt certification program starting this week, from Oct. 4 to Nov. 17.

Course Name: Six Sigma Black Belt Program
Discipline: Certification
Faculty: Anamaria M. Mercado
Description: The Six Sigma Black Belt is the key change agent for the Six Sigma process - leading teams to organizational and financial improvement where it is needed most.

Six Sigma Black Belt Certification Training is an intensive training program in quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, project management, group dynamics, team building, and change management.

Six Sigma Black Belt Certification is conferred to participants who successfully pass the examination and project.

Schedules
Date: October 4, 2007 - November 17, 2007
Day Schedules: 9:00 am-5:00 pm; Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Continue reading…

Check it out!

Filed under: Training, Six Sigma References

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Go Lean or Go Six Sigma?

Last Friday, I attended Neville Clarke-Philippine’s seminar on Empowering Management for a Successful Lean Six Sigma. Armed with theories on Lean and Six Sigma, I went there to accompany two of my colleagues, one of them is our operations manager. I am glad that management had sent three people to a seminar like this, albeit only introductory.

Because the seminar was only an intro to a full-blown trainings on Lean and Six Sigma, I was expecting only to be hearing about the same Lean and Six Sigma insights that I had been reading and even writing about. To my surprise, one thing was made clear to me by the competent seminar facilitator—no other than Neville Clarke’s country manager, Maria Nenita Asuncion Concio.

Here are the things I learned:

• Know the processes of your organizations first.
• Determine what your organization needs to do by listening to the Voice of the Customer. If it needs to simplify processes or structure, going lean may be the way to go. If you need consistency, or you need to reduce variation in your products or outputs, going Six Sigma could be the answer.
• Knowing the need and determining which methodology to adopt is one important step to any improvement initiative.
• Once you know which improvement initiative—may it be Lean or Six Sigma—you need, then you arm yourself with the corresponding tool sets.
• If your organization needs both simplicity and consistency, then Lean Six Sigma may be the answer.
  
• Lean enables Six Sigma quality (reduced inventories, exposes quality issues); Six Sigma quality enables Lean speed (fewer defects means less time spent on reworks. (From Neville Clarke’s notes)
  
• Lean eliminates non-value added steps or waste from the process. (From Six Sigma Institute)
  
• Six Sigma improve quality of value add steps by reducing the variability in the process. (From Six Sigma Institute)
  

Filed under: Lean Six Sigma, Training, Team Dynamics, Six Sigma References, Processes, Neville Clarke, Lean

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