Six Sigma is a powerful business improvement strategy. It helps
your organization to identify, reduce, and eliminate defects
from any product, process, or transaction. More than a "quality"
program, Six Sigma is a flexible and dynamic continuous
improvement strategy and process initiative that helps your
organization uncover solutions.
For example, you may know that a particular process at your
organization is not meeting customer specification or is
otherwise not performing adequately. However, the solution is
not apparent up front. There are many variables that could be
causing the defect in the process. How do you determine what
specific action you can take to improve your process and reduce
defects? Finding that unknown solution is what Six Sigma does
best. Six Sigma is not a pre-packaged one-fits-all solution. Six
Sigma is a process that doesn't impose a particular outcome but
discovers the previously unknown solution to a problem. It uses
a structured systems approach to problem solving that achieves
strategic business results through an intelligent step-by-step
process. A structured thinking process helps solve problems
better than an ad hoc, blank page approach.
Six Sigma leads organizations through five-steps of realization:
1. We don't know what we don't know. 2. We can't do what we
don't know. 3. We won't know until we measure. 4. We don't
measure what we don't value. 5. We don't value what we don't
measure.
By using Six Sigma to identify and correct major problems you
create real data that uncovers previously unknown solutions to
problems - solutions that you most likely would not be able to
discover except through the Six Sigma methodology. What drives
this process is the DMAIC method. DMAIC is an acronym for five
interconnected phases of a Six Sigma project: Define, Measure,
Analyze, Improve, Control. By going through the structured
phases you discover the unknown solution to your quality problem.
First you identify the problem you need to solve. At the Define
stage of a project, you should have a defined issue or problem
you wish to overcome and improve. Once a process is selected as
a candidate for improvement, a problem statement is developed
and the objective or desired outcome is defined. Progress
measures are established and a cost/benefit analysis is
performed. Also during the Define phase, you highlight what the
project is supposed to do and how it is supposed to do it and
what metrics apply. With a clear measurable set of indicators,
the Measure phase studies the process to determine the key
process steps and variables to determine the potential ways the
process could be going wrong.
After measurements are gathered, the data is analyzed to
discover what is causing process variation. Once problem causes
are determined in the Analyze phase, you find, evaluate through
testing, and decide on creative new improvement solutions. As
you move through the Analyze and Improve stages of the process
you will identify various process improvement scenarios, and
determine which solution has the best net benefit impact to the
company. Most likely, the variation is from a completely unknown
source. Without going through the Analyze and Improve stages you
would not have known what improvement was required, much less
what categories of variables were being affected!
Six Sigma is about tackling problems with an unknown solution.
Six Sigma experts know that there are no one-size-fits-all
solutions. Six Sigma training provides participants with
enhanced problem-solving skills, with an emphasis on the
methodology for identifying and creating solutions. As Six Sigma
practitioners, you need to be agnostic. Use the best tools from
all of the various methods and apply the right solution to the
right problem. Through being agnostic and open-minded you will
discover solutions through observation and data rather than just
impose solutions from the outside. This enables you to use the
best from all of the various methods and tools available and
apply the right solution to the right problem. You will be
amazed at how well THAT works!
Peter Peterka is a Master Six Sigma
Black Belt for Six
Sigma us and has implemented Six Sigma in a variety of
organizations. For additional information for Six
Sigma Online Training please contact Peter Peterka at
http://www.6sigma.us
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