Six Sigma Improving CMMI Framework
Posted by: meikah | 11 December 2008 | 10:47 pm
The Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) model describes a series of maturity levels (initial, managed, defined, quantitatively managed, optimizing) that demonstrates increasing levels of process maturity for a software development organization.
Organizations use CMMI as a framework for process improvement in areas such as causal analysis and resolution and quantitative process management. These areas have significant similarities to Six Sigma tools and approaches and are used for improving key performance metrics by the software project teams.
In this manner, Six Sigma can be used as an effective tool to make improvements within the CMMI framework and make it more robust. How?
- use Sigma as a level metric
- use Six Sigma as a methodology
- use Six Sigma in the metrics program
Related posts:
CMMI and Six Sigma
Integrating ITIL, CMMI, and Lean Six Sigma
Filed under: CMMI, Six Sigma
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Lean Concepts from Don Tapping
Posted by: meikah | 11 December 2008 | 9:33 pm
Don Tapping, author of several books on Lean including best seller, Backstreet Lean-Solutions for the Job Shop and Value Stream Management for the Lean Office talked with Paula Wallace of Manufacturers’ Monthly.
From the transcript, here are some of the Lean concepts:
- communicate the need with, involve, and engage your people in any Lean or process improvement initiatives
- arm your people with tools before embarking on any Lean or process improvement
- Lean and Green concepts can work together well, just like Lean and Six Sigma
- invest in Lean trainings, consultancy, or gather government support
- choose the best Lean initiative that will work on your situation or processes
In other words, Lean or any other process improvement is not a stand-alone initiative. You will need all the help and resources that you can get.
Filed under: Don Tapping, Lean Six Sigma, Manufacturing, Six Sigma
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U.S. Navy Reserve Works with Lean Six Sigma and PMI Principles
Posted by: meikah | 9 December 2008 | 11:20 pm
Sam Sumwalt is among the Premier 100 IT Leader. Sumwalt is currently the chief technology officer of the U.S. Navy Reserve.
One of his major accomplishments is improving how members of the U.S. Navy Reserve to communicate and collaborate with each other through a website. How did he do improve a mailing list that reached only a handful of them? He combined Project Management Institute principles and Lean Six Sigma.
Sumwalt went on first consolidating projects and then directing the work of three technical teams, two contractors and one internal Web team. In addition to following standard Project Management Institute principles, Sumwalt and his leadership team applied Lean Six Sigma tools to evaluate the project’s effectiveness and timeliness. The end result was a single, comprehensive Navy Reserve Web site, complete with single sign-on to all applications, including blogs, wikis, discussion groups and document libraries.
Indeed, Sumwalt is just living his motto: “There is always a better way. You just have to find it.” And with all the different kinds of process improvement methodologies out there, you just need to find the one that works best for your processes.
Filed under: Lean Six Sigma, Project Management, Software/Technology, US Navy Reserve
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Transplace Launches Lean Six Sigma Program
Posted by: meikah | 9 December 2008 | 9:11 pm
During this critical times, Transplace is launching Lean Six Sigma Program. They had started with the initiative in 2005, and is into it till now.
To date, Transplace has sent to training 12 Black Belts and 65 Green Belts that lead and provide support on projects. As a result, the program has made Transplace realize savings in excess of $5 million, allowing the company to continue investing in people, processes, and technology; all to bring value to its customers.
What’s good about Transplace’s Lean Six Sigma initiative is that it is supported by top management. According to its CEO, Tom Sanderson, the main objective of the program is to equip employees to make decisions based on statistical analysis and drive waste out of processes.
In this note, Transplace suggests the following to make your Lean Six Sigma program successful:
- Provide executive support and leadership. Programs have a better chance of positively influencing the culture with sustainable results when there is sponsorship and support from the highest levels.
- Dedicate qualified individuals. Commit employees with the appropriate skills and not just those that are available. It is important to have solid leadership driving the program and teaching these critical skills to others.
- Practice what you preach. Using Lean Six Sigma principles internally drives experience and knowledge on the program and strategies.
- Fully develop your program. Companies should consider committing 1 percent of their employees to a full-time Black Belt role and engage 10 percent of their employees part-time for leading Green Belt projects.
- Learn from others. Discussing successful Lean Six Sigma strategies with peers paves the way for building best practices and aids in avoiding common pitfalls. Continue to benchmark your Lean Six Sigma program with others.
- Do not practice on customers. Becoming proficient at Lean Six Sigma strategies before engaging customers is critical in order to ensure positive results occur and problems are avoided during implementation.
Filed under: Benefits and Savings, Leadership, Lean Six Sigma, Technology, Transplace
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Quality Quiz from eLine
Posted by: meikah | 9 December 2008 | 8:27 pm
PQ Systems through it’s Quality eline newsletter brings us another quality quiz.
For this month, you will get a chance to win a copy of the popular Quality Gamebox program. Submit your response by December 22 to be entered in the drawing.
Check out the Quality Quiz now!
Filed under: PQ Systems eLine, Quality
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Selling the Six Sigma Initiative
Posted by: meikah | 7 December 2008 | 11:45 pm
Today it seems that more companies are turning to Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, Lean, or any other process improvement methodologies to hurdle the economic crisis.
This is good, actually, for the companies, for Six Sigma practitioners, and for Six Sigma itself. For one, it will dispel rumors that Six Sigma is yet another fly-by-night quality initiative.
In any case, there is a bigger challenge than proving to everyone that Six Sigma is just a passing fancy. And that is selling your Six Sigma initiative to your organization. Let’s say that the need for Six Sigma in an organization is already a given. Management is almost convinced but not quite. The rest of the organization is excited but doesn’t really know how and where to start. In other words, there are still a lot of loose thread to tie.
How are you going to sell the Six Sigma initiative then?
Like in any other initiative, the key is in communicating the plan to everyone who is going to be involved. And you need good communication strategies for that. iSixSigma Healthcare puts out a list for Six Sigma initiatives in hospitals, but I think the list is also useful for all organizations.
If you can answer these questions, or brainstorm with them the answers to these questions, then I don’t see any reason by Six Sigma won’t be sold.
‘What Is Six Sigma?’
- “What is Six Sigma all about?”
- “Isn’t this a manufacturing initiative? How does it relate to healthcare (manufacturing, hospitality, or any other industry)?”
- “We have been through TQM, CQI, PDCA and other programs. Is this just another ‘flavor of the month’?”
- “Some of the terminology seems strange. What is the difference between a Green Belt, Black Belt and Master Black Belt?”
‘What’s in It for Me?’
- “How will this initiative affect me?”
- “How will it impact my department?”
- “Is this a potential threat or eventual benefit relative to job security?”
- “Will there be a role to play even if we’re not statisticians?”
- “We’re already stretched thin – where will we find the time for this?”
- “Are there career advantages to participating in Six Sigma?”
‘What Does This Mean for Our Hospital (Organization)?’
- “How will this benefit our patients?”
- “How will physicians respond to Six Sigma? What role will they play?”
- “What are the initial areas targeted for improvement and how soon will we see results?”
- “What criteria will be used for selecting Black Belts and projects?”
Filed under: Deployment, Six Sigma
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Tocquigny Leads in Six Sigma Marketing Practices
Posted by: meikah | 7 December 2008 | 9:47 pm
Tocquigny, a leading interactive advertising agency, recently received two recognitions during the 3rd Annual Global Lean, Six Sigma and Business Improvement Summit & Industry Awards Improvement Summit: an award for the “Best Achievement of Organizational Business Improvement by a Small Organization†and a finalist certificate for the “Best Project Achievement in Sales, Marketing or Customer Experience.â€
The company got awarded for its deployment of business improvement programs for agency client, Regent University.
The project was to create a data-driven marketing approach, specifically a cost-effective approach to acquire new students for the Regent’s online undergraduate degree program. The campaign began in December 2006, and after applying the five principles of Six Sigma methodology — define, measure, analyze, improve and control — Tocquigny implemented a highly effective search engine and database marketing program for Regent. Tocquigny also introduced rich media advertising to supplement the initiative and increase user interactivity.
Within six months of the launch, Regent University experienced a 250 percent increase in online undergraduate recruits and a 30 percent increase in applications. The campaign simultaneously reduced the cost per acquisition by 75 percent.
Both companies, Tocquigny and Regent University attribute their success to Six Sigma.
Yvonne Tocquigny, CEO of Tocquigny Advertising says, “Our aim is to be the leader in Six Sigma marketing practices, and I see this as a sign that we have achieved that goal. We believe this award is further proof that Six Sigma research methods lead to excellent results far outside the manufacturing realm.â€
Tracy Stewart, Vice President of Information Technology at Regent University says, “Tocquigny’s Six Sigma approach was a fantastic revelation for our school and enabled us to generate the leads we needed to increase our undergraduate enrollment.”
Filed under: Benefits and Savings, DMAIC, Deployment, Marketing, Six Sigma, Six Sigma Organizations
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Google Hires CFO with a Black Belt in Six Sigma Management
Posted by: meikah | 7 December 2008 | 8:50 pm
Even Google, perhaps one of the companies that we think is invincible, is feeling the crunch. Because of the economic crisis, Google is also now experiencing slowing of online ad growth. Yes, the company is tightening its belt.
And as it gears down, Google recently hired Patrick Pichette, a CFO with a black belt in Six Sigma management. According to the news, with the new CFO, Google is in for cost containment. Among its top priority concerns are display and mobile advertising and Google Apps.
This piece of news only validates what I’ve posted before that companies prepare for hard times with Six Sigma in mind.
What about you? How are you coping during this very challenging time?
Related story:
Good Times Gone at Google?
*Photo from World Street Journal article, Google Gears Down for Tougher Times
Filed under: Finance, Google, Six Sigma, Six Sigma Organizations
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Lean Six Sigma in Retail
Posted by: meikah | 3 December 2008 | 11:26 pm
As Christmas draws near, despite the crisis, people still find time to go shopping. That is what’s happening here in Metro Manila, at least. Stores are on sale, and flea markets are teeming.
This is also the time when sales are brisk and inventories are fast. Somewhere along the way, some things are bound to be amiss, customers unhappy, and salesclerks cranky.
How to improve the retail experience?
Six Sigma and Lean, or together as Lean Six Sigma, can be useful. Let me share with you a transcript of an interview with Tony Curtis, partner, process and innovation performance for Accenture, who talked about Lean Six Sigma in retail.
How can Lean Six Sigma be valuable for retailers?
It can help reduce all the non-value-added activities and focus on the customer, and provide consumers [with] a consistent experience — whether that be in stores, on the web, catalog sales, etc. Lean Six Sigma fits very naturally to the retail world.
In short, you need to make it easy for your customers to do business with you. To be able to do that you need to create processes that address customer requirements. And Lean Six Sigma can help you come up with these processes and sustain them.
Filed under: Lean Six Sigma, Retail, Six Sigma, Six Sigma Organizations
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Companies Prepare For Hard Times with Six Sigma Training
Posted by: meikah | 3 December 2008 | 8:44 pm
The global crisis is getting serious. I hear companies shutting down, or getting their employees to go on forced leaves, and worse retrenching.
As companies do all these things, they also are finding ways to stay afloat, and according to a news article on dBusinessNews:
The searches for the term “Six Sigma” in Google have increased almost 25% according to Google Trends. Further, searches for “Six Sigma Training,” “Six Sigma black belt” and “Six Sigma processes” are also up. Business training companies including Six Sigma Online are reporting 10-30% increases over 2007. This trend is attributed to the demand for improved efficiency in the workplace to shave costs.
In the same manner, the individual interest in Six Sigma is also caused by the competitive atmosphere in the workplace. To become more valuable to the company, workers see the need to be certified in Six Sigma.
So is it safe to say that during these hard times, Six Sigma pracitioners are better equipped than those who are not? Well, for one, they have more chances of finding work as trainers and consultants. 
