Week 2 Lean Six Sigma

Control phase of DMAIC

Finalized control systems are determined • Long-term capabilities are verified for sustainable and long-term success • Determine how the process will continue to be measured once it is implemented - This can be performed through a statistical process control and control plans that determine exactly who and what should be measured • Standardized processes should be put in place so that the old way of doing things does not occur again • Improvements need to be quantified to see if the project's goals were actually achieved

Conducting one meeting for each of the 15 tollgates is recommended because

It lets the sponsor review the work at each step • It keeps the information focused • The sponsor stays actively engaged throughout the project

The 7M tools, also called the 7 management tools

are an important Six Sigma family of analytical tools including: • Affinity diagrams • Tree diagrams • Interrelationship diagraphs • PDPC networks • Cause-and-effect matrices • Prioritization matrices • Activity network diagrams

Authority

are made based on the power of an individual or a small group. • The authority figure can make the decision because of his or her position • Can be good or bad - Based on intelligence and skills of the authoritarian • Works well when time-based decisions are needed • More effective when consensus is made first If an authoritarian is well-informed, intuitive, and uses data, highly effective decisions can be made. Authority-based decisions are good if they are based on action-driven results. Decisions made by the authority should aim to ensure that objectives are being reached, rather than making decisions based on egos, opinions, or emotions.

Tree diagrams are

critical-to-quality diagrams that translate customer requirements from a broad perspective to specific, actionable items that are able to be measured. This helps show the scope of a project. There are three main steps to creating CTQ trees: 1. Identify critical needs that your product has to meet. 2. Identify quality drivers. 3. Identify performance requirements.

The cause-and-effect matrix is a tool to help

subjectively quantify the relationships of several X's to several Y's. The X's are generally compiled from your cause-and-effect diagram. The steps to create a cause-and-effect matrix are as follows: 1. Across the top, enter the output measures or effects (the Y's). 2. Give each Y a weight. Use a 1-10 scale, with 1 being least important and 10 being most important. 3. In the leftmost column, enter all the variables (X's) identified in your cause-and-effect diagram. 4. Within the matrix itself, rate the strength of the relationship between the X in the row and the corresponding Y in that column. - Start with L, M, and H, then replace L with 1, M with 3, and H with 7 5. Multiply the number in the cell for a given X by the importance of the Y. 6. Add up the row totals to identify the most important X's. After you have completed your cause-and-effect matrix, build a strategy for validating and/or eliminating the X's as significant variables to the y = f(x) equation

During a Tollgate meeting

teams meet with the sponsor and seek approval to continue. xxxx are key to the team's success Never skip a xxx. Teams might spend more or less time on one, but we never skip them

Each of the five phases of DMAIC has how many tollgates that need to be completed in order to move on to the next step.

three

Five steps in facilitating a good meeting

1. Create an agenda. 2. Set the meeting rules. 3. Ensure we have time dedicated to following up on a meeting. 4. Encourage active listening. 5. Ensure balanced participation

Tollgates of the Improve Phase

1. Generate possible solutions - Determine possible solutions - Lean tools often provide specific solutions or ways to come up with them quickly 2. Select solutions - Decide which of the possible solutions are best • Based on criteria important to the customers, company, and project - Focus on making data-driven, fact-based decisions 3. Implement solutions - Wrap up with a plan to drive implementation of the solutions - There are multiple ways to implement solutions in Lean Six Sigma • Make a project plan for all improvements • Do a kaizen event (depending on what the solutions are) • Do both of the above - Some Lean issues could be quick wins with a kaizen event, while other improvements will take longer to implement

Tollgates of the Control Phase

1. Monitor and control plan - Review performance metrics and ensure new procedures are operating as planned - Implement key Lean tools to make sure the process is working as planned • Visual management, 5S, etc. 2. Response plan - Create a plan to address potential problems that may arise • If a lot of potential root causes were identified, there is no excuse for not being prepared to deal with many of them Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | 15 3. Continual improvement plan - Don't stop at eliminating the problem or gap in your performance - Go back and do it again in order to make the process as effective and efficient as possible

Tollgates of the Measure Phase

1. Performance indicator identification - Select the metrics - Ideally based on process mapping • Upstream indicators and critical X's - Focus on cycle time and defects 2. Data collection plan - Thoroughly operationalize the data • Operational definitions • Types of data • Sampling plan • Costs of gathering data - Focus on conducting studies on the reliability of the data Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | 13 3. Baseline performance measurement - Verify the need for the project and its impact - Gather critical information about the process capability and Sigma levels - Use the tools in this phase to enhance Lean approaches • Lean assumes you know how to measure cycle time, lead time, quality, etc.

Tollgates of the Analyze Phase

1. Potential root causes - Identify anything that might be contributing to the problem • Be open to all possibilities - Look for possible Lean issues contributing to lack of efficiency - Can utilize a number of Lean tools at this point • Waste walk, spaghetti map the process, equipment effectiveness examination, etc. 2. Narrow root causes - Reduce the number of potential root causes to those that are likely the largest contributors or the most critical - Rely on team tools and statistical methods 3. Critical root causes - Select the causes that contribute most to the problem • Eliminating these will raise performance levels to the desired levels - Look for a mix of issues here • Items that cause defects and slow down the process - Verified by data • How often do they occur? How many defects do they generate? How much additional time do they contribute? What is the cost? How do we know there is a causal relationship?

Tollgates of the Define Phase

1. Project charter - Create the business case, problem statement, and scope of the project - Think about both effectiveness (defects) and efficiency (speed and waste) 2. Customer needs and requirements - Define exactly what the customer wants - Review against the Lean concept of value 3. Map the process - Understand the process that delivers the product or service - Utilize the value stream map from the Lean tool set • SIPOC chart, detailed flowcharts, swim lanes, etc

Consensus

A crucial, and preferred, decision-making approach

Listening

Active xxxx requires behaviors by both the participants and the meeting leader. Participants need to: • Paraphrase concepts in their own words • Ask questions for clarification • Make gestures to confirm their understanding - Nodding head - Making eye contact Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | 31 A meeting leader needs to: • Convey the message in plain language • Read body language to determine if people are engaged or disengaged • Ask open-ended questions - Open-ended questions don't result in a yes-or-no answer or other straightforward answers

Consultant decision making

An alternative to purely authoritative decision An authority consults experts and then makes a decision • Has all of the pros and cons of authority decision making, but involves additional opinions and expertise Effective decisions are a critical success factor for improvement projects. With the right information, authority decisions can be effective

What are three primary ways to make decisions in a group:

Authority Majority rule Consensus

Useful for highly effective meetings

Before the meeting, communicate the agenda (maybe a day or two before) • Ensure that the team is available for the meeting - Check their schedules and get feedback that they plan to be there • Prepare for the meeting - This will ensure that the meeting goes well and the objective is met

One of the most powerful tools in your Six Sigma tool belt

Brainstorming

Project should be closed out with

Clear reports - Actions - Best practices • Lessons learned should be documented • A successful project should always end with a celebration

Measure phase of DMAIC

Data and processes are understood in order to meet customer requirements • Measurement systems are developed and evaluated • Current process performance is measured • Key performance indicators are determined Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | 7 • Data is collected - Understand when and where to gather data - Understand what sampling schemes should be used • The quality of the data is checked for accuracy • The distributions of the data can be determined to see how the process is actually behaving • Data is evaluated to determine current performance, current baselines, and future potential of the process with respect to the customer • Determine the amount of defects and variations present

what happens during Kaizen day event

Day one is retraining some of the baseline Lean tools. We're diving into the particular tool that we will be implementing (cellular design, total productive maintenance, or quick changeover) • Day two is collecting data. Part of the training from day one is actually the use of the data collection tools • Day three is brainstorming, selecting, and implementing our improvements. We go through that cycle over and over again as many times as we can • Day four concludes with training the people in the focus area to the new standard • Day five is all about reporting out to leadership and celebrating those improvements

is a problem-solving tool for identifying forces that exist in the current state. These forces are: • Restraining forces - prevent movement from the current state to implementation of a solution • Driving forces - help in the implementation of a solution

Force Field Analysis

During a Tollgate meeting

Greet the sponsor and describe the project • Briefly review prior phases or tollgates • Go over the current information - Goal for the tollgate - What the team did - Key tools used - The findings • Take any questions the sponsor may have and respond to them • Request approval to move on or revisit a prior tollgate or phase (if necessary) - Request additional resources if appropriate Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | 11 • If moving on to the next tollgate, tell the sponsor what the next goal is • Ask the sponsor for any input, guidance, or suggestions

Steps in Force Field Analysis

Identify the change or potential solution. 2. Brainstorm restraining forces. 3. Brainstorm driving forces. 4. Formulate a plan to deal with the restraining forces. 5. Assign team responsibilities.

Decision Making

Next, summarize decisions, then summarize the actions and owners. Remember, meetings should drive action. Here's an example of a good agenda: • "Today we are going to create a charter and select team members for a new network analyst training program. The deliverable for today's meeting is a completed charter. Here are the topics: We are going to agree on the goal and the time line. We are going agree on what is in scope and what is out of scope. Last, we are going to determine who the team lead will be and who the team members will be. At the end, we will summarize actions and determine when we are going to meet again and what the next meeting is for. In this case, the next meeting will be on Monday the 18th and we will discuss SIPOC.

The sponsor's role in a Tollgate meeting The sponsor might be a green or black belt

Provide guidance, insight, and suggestions that might help the team • Keep an eye on the goal and make sure the team doesn't get distracted • Provide support in the way of staff, funding, requests for additional team members, and requests for the team • Allow the team to continue, make them clarify or verify things if necessary, or halt them if the situation changes or the findings suggest that's a reasonable course of action

What makes a good agenda

Purpose - Why is the team gathering? - What is the problem statement or what is the opportunity that we are trying to capture? • Topics and timing for each topic - Example: if there are going to be introductions, save five minutes for introductions; that way the meeting stays on time Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | 29 • State the roles for attendees - Lead - Facilitator - Scribe • Include time for questions - Ensure that everybody's voice has been heard and that everyone understands the decision

After a Tollgate meeting

Report back to the team on the outcome of the tollgate meeting • Follow up on any requests from the sponsor • Get back to work

Before a tollgate meeting

Send any critical documents to the sponsor a day or so ahead of time • Be prepared to communicate the information clearly and concisely - A strong message makes getting approval easy • Make sure the team has any necessary back-up documents - If you collected any data, be prepared to answer any in-depth questions about it from the sponsor • Check for the sponsor's preferred format - PowerPoint slides, short bulleted document, etc. • Create an agenda

Kaizen events in Six Sigma

So the word "kaizen" is a Japanese word, and it rhymes with the word "pen," not the word "can." It comes from two words: "kai" meaning change, and "zen," which means being good or for the better. So kaizen loosely translated means "change for the better," or many people have adopted this to mean continuous improvement

Rules of a meeting

Start with a list of common meeting rules. - Examples: cell phones should be silenced; respect other individuals; no idea is a bad idea 2. Engage the team around additional rules. - Open it up to the team 3. Post the rules so everyone can see them. 4. Ask the team for consequences. - If there aren't consequences to following the rules, then it is easy to break the rules - Example: if there is a rule to silence your cell phones, the consequence for a phone going off might be to sing a lullaby. This is a way to have fun with the meeting and the project Once the meeting is over, there are a couple of things to remember: • Summarize and distribute the action items • Send out parking lot items to the appropriate people • Determine a time and day for the follow-up meeting

For a tollgate review, get the information across and get out. Try to keep the group small by only including

The Black Belt • The sponsor Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | 10 • Perhaps a Green Belt - To expose them to what goes on • Possibly a team member - If they have particular expertise regarding a tollgate topic

Free-Form Brainstorming

The facilitator poses a problem or a topic to the team • Team members provide as many ideas as possible - Verbally or written down on cards • The facilitator collects and organizes all of the ideas • A group discussion determines which idea or ideas are best • The team develops a plan and moves forward with the decision

Improve phase of DMAIC

The generation of solutions occurs - Solutions should be based on root causes and data-driven analysis while implementing effective measures • All different potential solutions are evaluated through data-driven exercises so that assumptions are mitigated Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | 8 • Error-proofing exercises are put in place so accidents are eliminated • The best solution is selected based on - Criteria developed by the business - Feasibility of the solutions - Ease of implementation • Risks are assessed • Failure modes and effects analysis are performed • Pilot plans are conducted to ensure proper rollout before implementation occurs • Implementation occurs • Validation of statistical methods are verified

Analyze phase of DMAIC

The potential cause of the problems is identified • Relationships between inputs, processes, and outputs are identified • Data analysis is carried out • Determine how the current baseline process works • Waste is able to be determined and theories are developed based on potential root causes • A great deal of brainstorming is utilized; ask a lot of questions • Data is evaluated to show trends and visually review the data • The root causes are verified to understand the cause and the effect • Multiple tools are used to judge the accuracy and the confidence of the data from a statistical point of view

Define phase of DMAIC

The project is initiated • The specific problem is defined • The project's goals and scope are identified, as well as the customer • A clear project charter is developed on real life problems that affect the customer • The business case is defined and benefits are determined by asking some basic questions - What could go wrong? - What do we want to achieve? • The clarity of the process is defined • Project management is determined, including - The project plan - The stakeholders - The management support - The teams • The project receives final approval in order to move forward and ensure success

Driving Forces

We also separate driving forces into three categories. Within each category, we list forces that push the horizontal line up and, again, we label each with an M and/or W. • Time management - Training (M) • Personal contacts - Project reviews (M and W) - Status reports (M and W) • Enhance credibility - Management involvement (M)

Restraining Forces

We separate restraining forces into three categories. Within each category, we list forces that are pushing the horizontal line down and we label each with an M and/or W. The M indicates that management is responsible for this force and the W indicates that the workers are responsible. • Job structure - Lack of time (M and W) • Lack of knowledge of each other's jobs - Frequent travel (M) • Lack of management support - Changing priorities (M)

An activity network diagram, also known as the program evaluation and review technique (PERT), provides

a weighted assessment of time or cost. There are three main parameters for PERT: • O is the optimistic or best-case scenario • P is the pessimistic or worst-case scenario • ML is the most likely scenario The PERT equation provides for heavier weighting on the most likely scenario, but also considers the best- and worst-case scenarios. If the best- or worst-case scenario is an extreme situation, PERT will account for it in a weighted manner. This is the equation: (O + 4ML + P) / 6 For example, we're trying to understand the time needed to receive a new computer. The supplier generally overestimates and has given a window of three weeks, or 21 days (P). Your coworkers' computers have all been received in one week, or seven days (O). The most likely scenario is the median of the supplier's delivery time, which is 10 days (ML). In our case, the equation would be (7 + 4*10 + 21) / 6. This equals 11.3 days as your adjusted time for delivering your new computer.

The affinity diagram is a tool that

allows large numbers of ideas to be sorted into groups based on their natural relationships. The steps for creating an affinity diagram are as follows: 1. Clearly define the question or focus of the exercise. 2. Record all participant responses on note cards. 3. Lay out all the note cards. 4. Identify general themes or categories. 5. Move the note cards into the categories until all responses are allocated. 6. Reevaluate and make adjustments.

The five phases of DMAIC and 15 tollgates are

clear, logical, and thorough. It is a systematic, repeatable, and reliable process that will drive success during any improvement project. Lean tools are a powerful addition that will take DMAIC and the 15 tollgates to the next level, and help drive both effectiveness and efficiency in the process

A prioritization matrix helps organize

data and prioritize resources and processes. This helps you narrow your options and compare choices in a systematic approach. The steps for a prioritization matrix are as follows: 1. Agree on the goals and objectives. 2. List the criteria needed to meet the objectives. 3. Compare the importance of each criterion on the vertical side of the matrix to each criterion on the horizontal side of the matrix using the following numeric weightings: - 1 - the criterion being considered is equally important or equally preferred when judged against the criterion you are comparing it to - 5 - the criterion is significantly more important or more preferred - 10 - the criterion is extremely more important or more preferred - 0.2 - the criterion is significantly less important or preferred - 0.1 - the criterion is extremely less important or preferred 4. Evaluate the options against the weighted criteria. 5. Evaluate each criterion against every other criterion. - Pick the first criterion you wish to consider and compare each possible choice with every other possible choice by asking how well it will deliver that criterion or characteristic - After comparing the remaining criteria, complete a matrix comparing each of the possible choices for each of the remaining criteria 6. Merge the ability of a possible choice to deliver a desired criterion to the relative weighting of that criterion. - Make a new L-shaped matrix with all the possible choices on the vertical leg and all the criteria considered on the horizontal leg

An interrelationship diagraph, also known as a network diagram,

helps identify relationships and influences between various factors, areas, or processes. It can also be used to identify critical issues and key drivers of a problem. Items or concepts with the most connections will usually be the most important. The steps for creating an interrelationship diagraph are as follows: 1. Agree on the problem. 2. Add a symbol to the diagram for every element involved in the situation. 3. Compare each element to the others; for items that have an influence, connect the related elements. 4. Draw an arrow from the element that influences to the one that is influenced. If two elements influence each other, the arrow should be drawn toward the stronger influence. Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | 44 5. Count the items that have the most outgoing arrows - these are the root causes. 6. Count the items that have the most incoming arrows - these are the key outcomes.

Round Robin Brainstorming

is a technique that requires team members to take turns writing down their ideas. Each individual gets the same amount of opportunities to submit an idea. This approach helps prevent groupthink because team members don't voice their ideas out loud. Using the round robin brainstorming technique: • The facilitator poses a problem or topic to be discussed and chooses a person to go first • The first individual writes down their first idea • The person directly to their right either builds on that idea or writes a new idea - This process continues until everybody in the group has had an equal opportunity to present or build upon an idea • The facilitator collects all the ideas • A group discussion determines which idea or ideas are best • The team develops and moves forward with a plan

Brain Writing

is an idea-generation technique where participants write their ideas on a form that contains the problem statement at the top. Many variations exist, but a common one is the 6-3-5 method, where six people on a team generate three ideas during five minute rounds for a total of 108 ideas. How do you do the 6-3-5 brain writing method? • The facilitator separates the team into subteams of six if necessary • Each individual receives a brain writing form - Each form has a problem statement at the top and 18 spots for ideas • Team members take five minutes to write down three ideas • Each team member then hands their paper to the person next to them - That person contributes three new ideas or builds upon the ideas already on the form • The facilitator organizes the ideas and a group discussion is held

A Process Decision Programming Chart, or PDPC, is a specific type of

tree diagram that is generally used to assess project risks. Items in a PDPC are typically identified by multiple rounds of brainstorming or other qualitative methods. It is similar in nature, but not as data-driven, as the failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) tool. The steps for creating a PDPC are as follows: 1. Identify a desired action or outcome at the top. 2. Draw a layer identifying risks that may negatively impact that outcome. 3. Create an additional layer of deeper issues for particular items (where necessary). 4. At the bottom, identify actions to address the risks before they become a problem.

Majority rule

xxxxx rule decisions are made by all participants bringing their input to a decision meeting, discussing the issue at hand, and then voting on the best solution. Decisions that receive more than 50 percent of the votes should be implemented. Majority rule decision making: • Can be an effective base for decision making if all opinions are voiced • Requires moderation to protect minorities from being demotivated - The minority may feel as though they did not get justification for the decision • Little or no correlation between the number of people in favor of an idea and the actual worth of the idea • Often polarizes groups into winners and losers

Benefits of Teams

• Bringing together unique individuals • Everyone winning or losing together - Example: rowing • In a rowing team, everyone has to row in unison; if not, the boat weaves instead of gliding straight • Respect for, and trust in, others grows • Better understanding of others' intent and capabilities allowing for a foundation for culture to be built • Working through the phases in Patrick Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team as trust increases • Mastering conflict • Commitment to common goals Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | 27 • Holding each other accountable • Achieving world-class results • Finding and eliminating variation