Why HR Should Be Involved in Six Sigma

If there is a department that is so used to trainings or giving trainings, that will be the Human Resource (HR). So how effective the department can be if on top of their HR trainings, they are also involved in Six Sigma?

Terra Vanzant-Stern shares the advantage of an involved HR in Six Sigma. According to Terra, an HR professional who is able to present a business case with a compelling return on investment will be respected. Having a true handle on cost/time estimates, analytical thinking process and fact-based strategies will open doors.

The following are the benefits:

1. Six Sigma methodology provides a solid path to implementing new projects.
2. Learning to use the statistical information promoted in Six Sigma, allows the HR professional to make better, more informed decisions.
3. Studying Six Sigma principles provides for better communication with project managers, technical staff, and executive management.

Not only that, there is more value in understanding and using statistics to address such issues:

• Legal compliance related to human resources management
• Developing a recruiting and retention strategy
• Performance management
• Job design
• Knowledge management
• Human resource information systems

Read more…

Source:
iSixSigma, “Every Reason That HR Should Be Involved in Six Sigma”

Relates Stories:
Six Sigma & Human Resource

Filed under: Benefits and Savings, Human Resource, Processes, Training

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A Quality Quiz from PQ Systems, Inc.

I subscribe to PQ Systems, Quality e-Line, and so I get interesting insights on quality every time. Today, I got this interesting Quality Quiz, which I was able to answer correctly.

I’m posting here the quiz now. Take the quiz and tell me how you fared.

Polly Yurathane considers herself the SPC queen, after successfully explaining the beta coefficient of regression analysis (standardized regression coefficient), to her new boss, Hy O. Pinyon. Now she is preparing a presentation for division manager Emily Dickinson, a poetic manager who leads with an iron will nonetheless. Emily has requested information about the relationship of the cost of coal mined by Blackern Dirt Mine Company to the amount of coal mined and the cost to mine that coal.

Polly, knowing that Emily is a poet, assumes that she knows little about statistics, so she feels quite relaxed about her presentation, seeing it as an opportunity to once again mount her throne as SPC queen.

Opening the Power Point presentation she has prepared, she explains the concept of simple regression, using this data:

DATE	TONS (in 1000s)	TOTAL COST ($1,000s)
JAN	2	2
FEB	5	8
MAR	7	10
APRIL	1	4
MAY	7	7
JUN	8	9
JUL	2	5
AUG	3	5
SEPT	5	7
OCT	6	7

She then shares a printout, generated by software that does simple regression, and explains patiently to Emily that this is a regression model that shows the relationship between the cost (Y) and the amount of coal mined (X).

(Click on the printout for a larger version.)

Where

dependent variable

independent variable

“You can use the model to predict your cost if you know the amount of coal mined,” she says slowly to the division manager, who has remained quiet through the first part of Polly’s presentation, reinforcing Polly’s inaccurate conclusion that Emily is not absorbing the message. Now, however, Emily asks a question:

“What assumptions are you making to assure that this model works?”

Not expecting such a sophisticated question, Polly stumbles for a minute, then asserts firmly, “It is very important that the dependent variable is a parameter and the independent variable is a random variable.”

Is Polly’s response to Emily’s question appropriate and accurate?

a) Yes; now she has really assured her permanent position as SPC queen.

b) No: Polly Yurathane can consider herself only a princess at best.

You can also click here for a more complete video explanation.

Filed under: Data, Data Analysis, Regression Analysis, Statistics

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A Vote of Confidence for Six Sigma

Despite claimed successes of Six Sigma, some companies or people are suspicious that it actually works or can make a difference. Reactions like these are only natural. After all, Six Sigma does not promise us the moon and stars. But for the naysayers, Gianna Clark of iSixSigma Blogosphere provides a good resource on how to deal with them. In fact, for the last couple of days, she has been running a list of The Most Wanted Six Sigma Naysayer.

In the news lately, one company swears on the benefit Six Sigma. Cummins is one the most active believers of Six Sigma, using it for accounting, human resources, information technology, and other functions. I featured Six Sigma Marketing at Cummins before, and the company’s passionate devotion to Six Sigma is rubbing off on its clients and suppliers.

Below is the Six Sigma profile of Cummins.

• Since 2000, the company has completed 7,500 Six Sigma projects, saving or avoiding more than $1.4 billion in costs.
• It has 2,500 active Six Sigma projects involving 10,000 of its 34,000 employees.
• Next year, senior managers at Cummins will be required to have Six Sigma certification before they can switch jobs or be promoted.
• Now the Columbus-based company is encouraging its customers, suppliers and business partners to join the movement.

Read more…

Filed under: Benefits and Savings, Cummins, Deployment, Processes, Six Sigma Organizations, Team Dynamics, Training, iSixSigma

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Innovation of the Week: Three Stories of Innovation

This week, I’m sharing again—as I have featured Dave Pollard here before—stories on How to Save the World blog. Not so recent stories, but the idea and inspiration derived from these stories still apply today.

The stories are about the Weed Eater, the Swiffer Wet-Jet, and about the Greenies. Dave Pollard includes a drawing that shows how innovation works.

The story of the Weed Eater is a lesson in observation and application of science from one discipline to a completely different one, what de Bono famously calls lateral thinking.

In 1971, Texan George Ballas was looking for a better way to trim around the trees in his yard. One day, while going through an automatic car wash he observed how the bristles stood out straight as they spun around. Returning home, he punched some holes in a discarded popcorn tin, inserted knotted fishing line through the holes, and attached the contraption to his rotary electric edger. It worked so well he founded his own company, Weed Eater Inc. refined the product until it virtually sold itself in hardware stores nationwide, and finally sold out to Frigidaire Poulan, who still produce them by the million.

Continue reading…

Filed under: Dave Pollard, Innovation Update, Manufacturing

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Top 10 Mistakes in Training by Software Six Sigma Green Belts

Yes, you read it correctly. Even Six Sigma Greenbelts make mistakes, too. That’s why there’s a need for continuous learning, continuous improvement.

Over at iSixSigma Software/IT, Karl D. Williams, Principal Consultant for Six Sigma Advantage, shares the top 10 mistakes that coaches must watch out for and help their Green Belts trainee avoid. The list is based on the author’s experiences over years of coaching Six Sigma projects, especially those in the software domain.

10. Not Exploring All the Educational Resources

9. Denial of Application in the Participant’s Workplace
8. Wanting to Move into Measure and Analyze Phases Before Define Is Solid
7. Thinking the Data Is Not Sufficient to Do the Project
6. Reluctance to Think in Quantitative Terms
5. Not Evaluating the 10 Percent Improvement Goal
4. Determining the Project’s Solutions Before the Project Starts
3. Worrying Too Much About the Tools
2. Not Planning for Enough Time or Resources for the Project
1. Starting with a “Boil the Ocean” Sized Scope

Read about the examples here.

*Photo form Stock.Xchng

Filed under: Six Sigma Advantage, Software/Technology, Team Dynamics, Training

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Six Sigma Practitioners To Hold Key Positions

In the news, two Six Sigma practitioners will be holding key positions in leading companies.

First is Lynn Kelley. She is the new VP of Textron Six Sigma. She will also serve on Textron’s Transformation Leadership Team, a group of 20 executives from Textron’s diverse businesses and functions that plan and drive the most vital company-wide initiatives. As VP—being Six Sigma Master Black Belt and having experiences in lean and integrated supply chain, Kelley will be responsible for further advancing Textron’s Six Sigma efforts, which do not only drive savings but have become critical to growth and innovation in the organization. Read more…

Second is  Dr. Jeffrey A. Graves who will now sits on the Board of Directors in Teleflex Incorporated.  According to Jeffrey P. Black, chairman and CEO of Teleflex, Graves will bring a strong engineering and international business background, as well as deep experience with Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing initiatives. Read more…

Then you have Kevin Stokes who is now the new VP for Global Technical Services. Stokes will be overseeing the Lean Six Sigma, Design & Test, Development Services, Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quoting and Information Technology for KEG units worldwide. Read more…

Filed under: Events/Announcements, Global Technical Services, Six Sigma Organizations, Teleflex Inc., Textron

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Six Sigma Reference Feature: Integrated Training and Software Offering for Lean Six Sigma

SigmaFlow, a leading provider of Enterprise Performance Improvement Software, and Oriel, a major business productivity consulting and training organization, have joined forces to launch an innovative solution that integrates Oriel’s Lean training content with SigmaFlow’s Project Portfolio Management Solution for Lean Six Sigma. The offering will be available for purchase by end-customers and for leading training firms to integrate into their own engagements.

The two companies came up with the offering because they believe companies today face a major challenge in Lean and Six Sigma deployments. This is due in part to the lack of convergence between training and reference materials from the software tools used in day-to-day work. The current tools in the market just don’t seem to fit. The Oriel-SigmaFlow offering however links training and software tools, from idea generation through project completion, for the best productivity in Lean deployments.
Continue reading…

Source: ThomasNet Industrial NewsRoom, “Oriel and SigmaFlow Announce Integrated Training and Software Offering for Lean Six Sigma” with the link provided by Six Sigma Zone

Filed under: Deployment, Innovation Update, R&D, Six Sigma References, Software/Technology, Team Dynamics

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Six Sigma and Process Management

From that title alone, we can assume that there should be a happy marriage between Six Sigma and process management. After all, Six Sigma is all about process management and improvement. The success of any business depends on how well it is able to manage its processes, and improve it.

The premise for Six Sigma or Lean is for a company to do only the relevant processes to save and be more efficient.

According to an article on BNET titled, The Convergence of Six Sigma and Process Management, process management involves mapping a process, determining the inputs and outputs, linking one process output to another process input, characterizing their performance, and then attempting to either monitor or control them. Six Sigma, for its part, is a structured approach that recognizes the inability of a process or business characteristic to meet its requirements. In many cases, a near intuitive or logical solution is available; these types of solutions are one of the many benefits derived from a process management activity.

When the two concepts converge:

Six Sigma, with its DMAIC approach to problem solving, tends to be very constant in terms of the phases used. Business Process Management (BPM) tends to have stages of completion with potentially increasing levels of activity.

…

If your organization has started with business process management (BPM) before starting Six Sigma, BPM will help you identify where it is most beneficial to apply Six Sigma. This is because Process Management provides the identification of problematic areas of the business and incapable process outputs. It is on these “incapable” processes and process outputs that the power of Six Sigma is focused to achieve improvement.

If an organization has implemented Six Sigma and then launches a BPM activity, BPM is a
catalyst for improvement. Implementing Six Sigma first provides an appreciation for the
importance of process, the need to organically find Six Sigma projects and the need to manage
processes for stability and predictability.

Continue reading about the Six Sigma Methodology in Harmony with BPM.

*Photo from MorgueFile

Filed under: BPM, Processes

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Innovation of the Week: LightSpeed from GE Medical Systems

As a Six Sigma organization, trust GE and its subsidiaries to come up with innovative products.

LightSpeed is a CT scanner that captures multiple images of a patient’s anatomy simultaneously, at a speed six times faster than traditional “single-slice” scanners. It doubles doctor productivity, and enables doctors to more accurately diagnose and treat patients and to make decisions with greater confidence in life-or-death situations. Orders for the system came in at a rate six times faster than any product GE Medical Systems introduced.

And in the true spirit of continuous improvement, GE Medical Systems came up with the LightSpeed VCT XT.

LightSpeed VCT XT is a whole body CT system that excels at cardiac and vascular imaging:

• Up to 70% lower dose without any loss in image quality with SnapShot Pulse.
• Cardiac workflow also improved via a reduction of images to review, process and archive.
• Innovative 80mm of coverage for improved neuro CTA and perfusion with Volume Shuttle.
• All enabled by 40mm V-Res detector and powerful Performix Pro tube/generator.

Sources:
iSixSigma, “ISSSP Session: Innovation and Six Sigma Go Hand in Hand”
GE Healthcare, “New! LightSpeed VCT XT”

Filed under: GE, Healthcare, Innovation Update, Manufacturing

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Six Sigma and Hand Hygiene Practice

Perhaps by its very nature, hospitals are places we know that produce a lot of waste each day yet we expect them to be clean, or at least disinfected, at all times. They have to be clean!

Well, HealthEast Care System in St. Paul, Minnesota launched a Six Sigma project to ensure cleanliness. The project is named, “Improving Hand hygiene Practice with Six Sigma.” Below are the details:

Aim: to increase compliance with hand hygiene practice to 80 percent or a statistically significant improvement from baseline.

Measures:

• Number of hand hygiene actions taken per 100 hand hygiene opportunities encountered (%)
• Volume of hand sanitizer used per 1,000 patient days

Lessons:
In partnership with 3M Health Care, we initiated a Six Sigma hand hygiene improvement project in a 20-bed medical-surgical intensive care unit and improved practice compliance from 36 percent to 70 percent (p< .001) with corresponding statistically significant increase in volume of hand sanitizer used. This was accomplished through the implementation of a comprehensive program that focused on changing the unit culture by addressing staff awareness/knowledge, staff decision making, supply convenience/availability, and empowering staff as well as patients and families to remind health care personnel about the hygiene procedures.

Read more about the changes and results.

Filed under: 3M, Healthcare

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