Welcome to the Six Sigma Line! This series of blog articles addresses topics that we find interesting and provides potentially useful information to anyone trying to enhance their business skills. The Six Sigma Line: Play Ball Top management support extends beyond lip service to actual, day-to-day leadership. You need top management to believe that continuous improvement should be a routine way of doing things and that everyone’s job includes looking for ways to optimize their work. Top management needs to hold middle management accountable for improvement results and be involved in project reviews and program progress. After you’re assured that top management is on the team bus, you’ll build the Steering Team. This team will determine the structure and pace of the program and provide guidance during implementation. Team members will address questions like:
The team is charged with the following:
The Six Sigma Line: The Six Sigma Way Six sigma principles include the following:
Today, let’s look at the fourth principle: DMAIC, or The Six Sigma Way. Six Sigma projects follow methodologies derived from Walter Shewhart and W. Edward Deming’s Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. This evolved into the DMAIC method, which has five critical phases:
We can further divide the five phases into below steps: Define
Sustain and Spread:- Implement controls to maintain the gains (no backsliding), and see if the improvements can be applied to other areas. Every organization is different and projects vary from company to company. As such, not every one of the steps above will apply to every project. However, if you decide to omit a step, make sure that the team agrees that the step isn’t applicable. Be sure to note this on your project charter and describe the reasoning behind the omission. Remember that the best way to become competent in the Six Sigma Way is through repetition. About Purdue’s Online Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Certificate Program
Purdue University offers best online Lean Six Sigma certification programs designed for working professionals with varying levels of Lean Six Sigma experience. The online Lean Six Sigma certificate courses prepare professionals to satisfy the immense demand for Lean expertise, skills and certification. Purdue offers the following courses 100% online:
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As we have previously covered on this blog, the primary purpose of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology is to eliminate waste and reduce variation in manufacturing, service and design processes, thus improving overall production quality and efficiency. However, when implementing Lean Six Sigma into an existing process, it is important to understand every detail—part of the Define phase of the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) method. One of the most effective ways of understanding DMAIC is to create a Six Sigma process map. The Purpose of a Six Sigma Process Map When working with a Lean Six Sigma project team comprised of six, ten, fifteen or more people, it is likely that each member of the team will have a different idea of how a process works and what can be improved. The purpose of a process map is to work together to create a common understanding of the process and how it should work. Key benefits of this exercise include:
Creating a Six Sigma Process Map When creating a process map, keep in mind that the map will resemble a flowchart depicting the start of the process, the middle steps, and the end—or desired outcome—of the process. The map may be a high-level overview, or much more detailed map that includes sub-steps for each major element. The type of process map you choose will depend on the complexity of your project, but each map should be completed as follows: Determine the process boundaries Where does the process begin and end? Using an emergency room as an example, the desired outcome may be to shorten wait times for patients. In this case, the starting point could be when the patient arrives and fills out their paperwork, and the end would be when the patient is discharged. List all the steps in the process In our emergency room example, the steps would include greeting the patient, having them fill out intake forms, entering the information into the computer system, and having the patient see the triage nurse. List the inputs and outputs associated with each step—the items or data that are received (input), and whatever should result from that step (output). Place the steps in order Be sure to arrange the steps in order of how the current process works to make it easier to identify areas for improvement. Utilize the right symbols Most Six Sigma process maps feature the same set of symbols, and each symbol represents a different action or point. Draw these symbols around each step of the process and be sure the entire team understands the meaning of each symbol. The most common symbols and their meanings are as follows:
Check your work Review the map to ensure every step of the current process is listed and described correctly. Have someone outside the project team—but involved in the process—to analyze the map from their perspective to make sure nothing is missing. Making the Most of the Six Sigma Process Map After creating the process map and checking it for accuracy, it’s time to take the most valuable step: improving the process. Everyone on the team should analyze each part of the process and ask questions about how it can be improved. Is there an overarching problem with the entire process? Are there steps that are unnecessarily complex—or unnecessary altogether? What would the ideal process look like? The process map can help the project team visualize each of these questions, enabling them to better reduce waste and continually improve the process—which is the heart of Lean Six Sigma methodology. Purdue University is one of the best university among the universities offering six sigma certification online in the United States. About Purdue’s Online Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Certificate Program
Purdue University offers comprehensive online Lean Six Sigma (LSS) certificate programs designed for working professionals with varying levels of Lean Six Sigma experience. The online Lean Six Sigma certificate courses prepare professionals to satisfy the immense demand for Lean expertise, skills and certification. Purdue offers the following courses 100% online:
Even the most proven business tools and approaches must adapt as time goes on, morphing to suit the state of the market and today’s companies. Six Sigma is no exception, with multiple branches, disciplines, and schools of thought having grown from the original concept over the years to fit new needs. In one case, two different schools of thought have merged into a single, cohesive methodology that can address multiple goals. This is Lean Six Sigma, a combination of management methods that builds on the principles of Six Sigma with a focus on efficiency. Both approaches aim to achieve the same thing: more effective processes that yield a bigger bottom line. The difference comes in the way they go about reaching that goal. Six Sigma Six Sigma was developed with a very specific goal: reduce variation and defect rates in production processes through statistical analysis. To do this, Six Sigma uses one of two, 5-step approaches – either the DMAIC or the DMADV method. Both methods have their distinct uses. DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. This process involves identifying the problem you’re trying to solve, taking stock of your current processes, identifying and implementing a solution, and maintaining that solution in the future. This is perfectly suited for supply chain performance issues or when only adjustments to the process are needed, not an entirely new function. That’s where DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify) comes in. The first phases of the project are the same, but the Design phase allows for the creation of an entirely new tool to solve the problem. The Verify phase then focuses on ensuring that the new solution does, in fact, continue to solve the problem. Six Sigma, then, is all about monitoring the supply chain for defects, identifying issues, and solving them as effectively as possible. The Lean Method The Lean method, on the other hand, is entirely focused on eliminating waste, providing maximum value to customers with the lowest possible amount of investment. The term Lean was first used to describe the Toyota Business System in the 1980’s, a business philosophy that helped the company run at maximum efficiency. It involves every tier of an organization, helping guide new processes and drive the allocation of resources. The primary difference between Lean and Six Sigma Online is that Lean is less focused entirely on manufacturing, but often shapes every facet of a business. Lean Six Sigma combines these two approaches, which creates a powerful toolkit for addressing waste reduction. As companies seek to understand where they may have wasteful practices in place, the DMAIC method provides an excellent road map for identifying and solving the problems they face. This synergy between methodologies functions primarily to help eliminate the 8 kinds of waste, removing anything from a process – whether its material, time, or effort – that doesn’t add value. The forms of waste are:
The Difference Between Lean Six Sigma and Six Sigma Lean Six Sigma is a perfect fit for companies looking to streamline their processes and offer as much value to the customer as possible. The phased thinking and clear roadmap provided by the DMAIC method can be a valuable tool when applied to any business case, not just defect prevention as in traditional Lean Six Sigma Certification methodology. As the line between Lean and Six Sigma continues to blur, entirely new methods and unique philosophies are bound to emerge. Experts that can help companies manage these intricate refinements will define the next great innovation in Six Sigma thinking.
About Purdue’s Online Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Certificate Program Purdue University offers comprehensive online Lean Six Sigma (LSS) certificate programs designed for working professionals with varying levels of Lean Six Sigma experience. The online Lean Six Sigma certificate courses prepare professionals to satisfy the immense demand for Lean expertise, skills and certification. Purdue offers the following courses 100% online:
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