It is reasonable to carry out the Six Sigma Implementation as a six-phase process. Phases from one to four are establishing Six Sigma, and phases from five to six are for realization of Six Sigma. Six Sigma Implementation requires leadership from top management since it must be embraced throughout the organization.
Six Sigma Implementation Model: Steps—Establishing Management Commitment
·Information Gathering
·Training
·Developing Monitoring Systems
·Business Processes to be improved are chosen
·Conducting Six Sigma Projects
First phase in Six Sigma Implementation is to establish commitment of supreme command. This means training the principles and tools to senior management. This should be followed by a development of a management infrastructure to support the Six Sigma Implementation. One tool to monitor the change in management is to use QPR ScoreCard.
Second phase in Six Sigma Implementation is information gathering. This translates into intensive communication with customers, suppliers, and employees. Information about the conditions of the processes which should be improved, for example, supply chain is obtained from customers and suppliers. Analysis of the information helps to identify the obstacles standing in the way of success during Six Sigma Implementation.
Training the whole staff in the organization is the third phase on the way to Six Sigma Implementation. The training needs are assessed, and the training is conducted from top-to-bottom. Training levels can be, for example, Black Belt and green belt. Black Belts are the all-day problem solvers who also operate as team leaders in Six Sigma projects. Green belts are the team members in Six Sigma projects.
Fourth phase of the Six Sigma Implementation process is to develop a monitoring system. Because one main goal is continuous improvement, the framework of the management has to support that end. After the framework is in order, it is time to develop a monitoring system. Adequate measures should be created for strategic goals and key business processes. Measures can be internal and/or external, for example, customer satisfaction. One framework element is, for example, a balanced scorecard.
The realization of the Six Sigma starts from phase five when business processes to be improved are chosen. The current key process in general level is mapped and problems identified, and valueless activities and sub-processes are terminated. Then the processes that need improvement are chosen and a Six Sigma project is defined. One project concept is DMAIC where the problems of the process that need improving are first defined and then the goals that should be achieved during the project are determined. The existing system needs to be measured. Establish valid and reliable measures and carry out a research. Analyze the findings and define the gap between “as-is” and “should-be”.
After analysis, the system starts to create new ways of doing things. Improve the processes and validate them by simulations and statistical methods. Before Six Sigma Implementation the improvements, create a project plan and communicate the changes through the organization. Institutionalize the new improved system by modifying the management system. This means modifying compensation and incentive systems, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), budgets, etc. Establish a proper documentation system, for example, ISO 9001:2000, and monitor the system. Finally, transfer the information, which means that the findings of the project are assessed for relevance to other projects.
The fundamental objective of the Six Sigma Methodology is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction through the application of Six Sigma improvement projects. Six Sigma Methodology is accomplished through the use of two Six Sigma sub-methodologies: DMAIC and DMADV. The Six Sigma DMAIC process (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) is an improvement system for existing processes falling below specification and looking for incremental improvement.
The Six Sigma DMADV process (define, measure, analyze, design, verify) is an improvement system used to develop new processes or products at Six Sigma quality levels. Six Sigma Methodology has recently gained wide popularity because it has proven to be successful not only at improving quality but also at producing large cost savings along with those improvements.
The overall Six Sigma Methodology is a 5-step process:
Define. The Define phase is concerned with the definition of project goals and boundaries, and the identification of issues that need to be addressed to achieve the higher (better) sigma level.
Measure. The goal of the Measure phase of the Six Sigma strategy is to gather information about the current situation, to obtain baseline data on current process performance, and to identify problem areas.
Analyze. The goal of the Analyze phase of the Six Sigma quality effort is to identify the root cause(s) of quality problems, and to confirm those causes using the appropriate data analysis tools.
Improve. The goal of the Improve phase is to implement solutions that address the problems (root causes) identified during the previous (Analyze) phase.
Control. The goal of the Control phase is to evaluate and monitor the results of the previous phase (Improve).
The Six Sigma Methodology includes a rigorous set of tools designed with one purpose in mind—to produce dramatic enhancements in our work quality, business results, and customer and employee satisfaction. The Six Sigma Methodology is aimed at improving key processes in terms of improving efficiency, reducing defects and cost and enhancing patients' satisfaction. The Six Sigma Methodology has been implemented by many corporations worldwide to improve processes utilizing data analysis and statistical techniques.
Six Sigma Methodology has two components: measurement and process. The measurement aspect relates to the quantification of quality. The quantification depends on the actual defects observed in a process and normalized to opportunities for creating those defects. The measurements are an important aspect of the Six Sigma Methodology to establish goals and measure progress towards Six Sigma. The process aspect of the Six Sigma Methodology includes six steps that relate customer needs to the process to deliver products, services or process improvement. Ultimately, the core of the Six Sigma Methodology is an implementation of the six process steps. Once the six steps are implemented successfully, the measurements are utilized to measure progress and drive further improvement.
A Six Sigma Green Belt is defined as an employee who is trained in a subset of Six Sigma tools that fills a Six Sigma role on a part-time basis. In addition to their normal duties, Six Sigma Green Belt spend a portion of their time assisting Black Belts with complex improvement projects or independently leading teams under the mentorship of a Black Belt.
Six Sigma Green Belt Training course is designed to enhance technical problem solving skills in line managers. The Six Sigma Green Belt serves as a specially trained team member within his or her function- specific area of the organization. This focus allows the Six Sigma Green Belt to work on small, carefully defined Six Sigma projects, requiring less than a Black Belt’s full-time commitment to Six Sigma throughout the business. Six Sigma Green Belt Training provides participants with enhanced problem-solving skills, with an emphasis on the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) model.
The Six Sigma Green Belt has two primary tasks: first, to help successfully deploy Six Sigma techniques, and second, to lead small-scale improvement projects within their respective areas. As a support population, Six Sigma Green Belt can do much of the legwork in gathering data and executing experiments in support of a Black Belt project. As managers, they can significantly increase the Black Belt’s effectiveness. The class of Green Belts going through training is called a “wave” in Six Sigma vernacular.
Six Sigma Green Belt Training is a hands-on program designed for those team members who will actually implement the projects identified as improvement opportunities. Common outcomes of Six Sigma implementation efforts include:
Reduced defects
Higher customer satisfaction
Increased market share
Quicker time to market for new products
Improved financial performance
Why Six Sigma Green Belt so important?
·They have been characterized by some as being the "players" on the team.
·They execute and implement the tools and practices of the Six Sigma initiatives.
·They are the "front-line problem-solvers" in the organization.
Six Sigma Green Belt candidates can be employees at virtually all levels of the organization. They are not, however, usually in full-time process improvement positions. The designation Six Sigma Green Belt refers to people who have mastered the basic skills and are assigned to Six Sigma projects as needed. Six Sigma Green Belt are usually led by the Black Belts to apply the right tools at the right time to make process improvements to relatively difficult problems. Sometimes, however, they lead their own teams to exploit the opportunities of "low-hanging fruit" through data collection and analysis and process mapping. The Green Belt training emphasizes a structured problem-solving methodology for addressing business improvement projects by using intermediate quality tools within that methodology.
Six Sigma (Sigma Six) is a measure of quality that strives for near perfection. The Sigma Six process uses data and rigorous statistical analysis to identify "defects" in a process or product, reduce variability, and achieve as close to zero defects as possible.
Using a universal measurement scale, Sigma Six defines and estimates the opportunities for error and calculates defects in the same way every time, thus offering a means for measuring improvement. In fact, Sigma Six takes its name from the Greek letter "sigma," which is used in statistics to indicate standard deviation.
Sigma Six at many organizations simply means a measure of quality that strives for near perfection. Sigma Six is a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects (driving towards six standard deviations between the mean and the nearest specification limit) in any process—from manufacturing to transactional and from product to service.
A quality measure and improvement program developed by Motorola that focuses on the control of a process to the point of ± Sigma Six (standard deviations) from a centerline, or 3.4 defects per million items. It includes identifying factors critical to quality as determined by the customer, reducing process variation and improving capabilities, increasing stability and designing systems to support the six sigma goal.
The statistical representation of Sigma Six describes quantitatively how a process is performing. To achieve Sigma Six, a process must not produce more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. A Sigma Six defect is defined as anything outside of customer specifications. A Sigma Six opportunity is then the total quantity of chances for a defect. Process sigma can easily be calculated using a Sigma Six calculator.
Sigma Six methodology is a proven tool set for driving and achieving transformational change within an organization. It is a business improvement process that focuses an organization on customer requirements, process alignment, analytical rigor, and timely execution.
The Sigma Six methodology incorporates this data and statistical analysis into a project-based workflow that allows businesses to make intelligent decisions about where and how to incorporate improvements.
Ultimately, Sigma Six is about more than numbers. It's a highly disciplined methodology and practice that provides the tools you need to achieve consistent, high-performance results from your products and processes. By increasing performance and decreasing variation, Sigma Six allows organizations like yours to make customer-focused, data-driven decisions that ultimately yield a reduction in product defects, increased profits and employee morale, and high-quality products - a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Throughout the business world, the Six Sigma Program has become a leading method to improve quality, save time, and cut costs. It applies to all aspects of business, including design, manufacturing, inventory, delivery, and product performance.
Efficient logistics operations using Six Sigma Program play an increasingly important role in many organizations. The rigor, discipline and tools provided through a Six Sigma Program can help establish state of the art logistics operations. Six Sigma Systems offers a tailored Six Sigma Program for logistics applications. It is customized to the particulars of supply chain management and the tools taught in our Six Sigma Logistics program include analytical methods beyond those found in traditional Six Sigma Program to ensure a successful implementation.
Embarking on a Six Sigma Program means delivering top-quality service and products while virtually eliminating all internal in efficiencies. Once an organization decides to implement a Six Sigma Program, it must impart the challenge to every employee. This includes not only people close to production—where indexes and measurements are relatively easy to implement on physical processes—but also administrative and service providers.
The Six Sigma Program was developed by Motorola in the late 1980s, which used Six Sigma to improve its manufacturing processes. Other companies, including General Electric, Ford, IBM, AlliedSignal, R.R. Donnelley and Sons and 3M, have adapted the program to all facets of business, from accounting to service. In doing so, these companies report savings of hundreds of millions of dollars while increasing customer satisfaction.
A Six Sigma Program involves every employee, supplier, and customer in a simple, well-focused improvement program, resulting in reduced operating cost, rework, and inventory and cycle time. The Six Sigma Program applies several specialized skill sets to streamline operations including process analysis, statistical measurement, and group facilitation.
