Part 3 of 3 In Part 1, we discussed how to focus your efforts and develop a compelling case for change, and in Part 2, how to analyze the data and identify the most significant problems driving the performance gap. In Part 3 we will cover how to develop and implement permanent solutions and document… Read more »
Part 2 of 3 In Part 1, we discussed how to focus your efforts and develop a compelling case for change. In Part 2, we will discuss how to analyze the data and identify the most significant problems driving the performance gap. Analyzing the right data was the biggest challenge. Each organization had relied on… Read more »
Part 1 of 3 This is a three-part series about how two Lean Six Sigma teams addressed the same issue – employee retention, but by using the same methodologies and collecting and analyzing the right kind of data, they arrived at different root causes and effective solutions for their organizations. Employee retention is one of… Read more »
Root cause verification techniques run the gamut from uncertain to certain, with many shades of doubt in-between. There are generally six levels of root cause verification used in process improvement initiatives. Level 1 – Guessing. This is a hit or miss approach that is most often found in Lean and Kaizen events which rely on… Read more »
Although root causes may be identified and properly verified, Lean Six Sigma process improvement projects can still fail because planned solutions are not successful. This could be because of the approaches applied during solution development, implementation, and/or standardization. But if planned solutions are improperly designed in the first place, the potential for failure increases… Read more »
Your Organization Is a Funnel We all know that organizations are composed of processes. And a process converts an input into an output. And the greater the output in relation to the input, the more efficient the process is. But have you ever looked at an organization this way? About 30 years ago, while working… Read more »
Out of Our Control Root causes can originate from external and internal factors. Teams often discard apparent external root causes because they believe the causes are outside of their control to address. As a result, they move on to “more controllable” causes which have less impact on the performance gap that they are trying to… Read more »
Getting and maintaining focus throughout a DMAIC process improvement project is key to success. Teams often get lost in the details or follow the data to interesting but irrelevant conclusions. Whether it’s selecting a baseline measure in the Define step, a significant problem in Measure, root causes in Analyze, countermeasures in Improve, and standardized solutions… Read more »
The Storyboard is used by the team to help track and communicate the team’s progress and successes in applying the DMAIC Process. Tip: It is useful to display the Storyboard in the work area as the team progresses through the problem or opportunity. This enables others in the work area to contribute ideas to the… Read more »
Why use charts instead of data tables? The main functions of a chart are to display data and invite further exploration of a topic. Charts are used in situations where a simple table won’t adequately demonstrate important relationships or patterns between data points. By describing the data graphically, a person unfamiliar with your subject… Read more »