Managing Process Improvement Projects : Managing Process Improvement Projects John Alexander Bowie
Lecture Content : Lecture Content Definitions
Types of Process Improvement Projects
Managing Process Improvement Projects
Case Study: Tips for Managing Six Sigma
Case Study: Rolls-Royce Inchinnan Manufacturing Facility
Case Study: Implementing and Managing a Lean Six Sigma Culture in Biopharmaceuticals
Project Management Definition : Project Management Definition A Project is…
A planned or proposed undertaking
A collaborative enterprise, frequency involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim
To achieve defined objectives and goals
Project Management is…
The application of knowledge, skills,
tools, techniques throughout the
lifecycle of a project
Process Improvement Project Definition : Process Improvement Project Definition A Process is…
a succession of things in order; sequence; progression
Examples range from…
A manufacturing process to setting up a bank account – and everything in-between!
A Process Improvement Project is…
A project with the aim of improving a process is some ways
For the customer: accuracy, timeliness, product performance, cost, value
For the company: Reducing error rates, resource utilisation, unit cost, profit
Process Improvement Projects Definition : Process Improvement Projects Definition The below YouTube demonstrates the benefits of process improvement
Lean Thinking : Lean Thinking Lean is about…
Focus, removing waste, increasing customer value
Smooth process flows, doing only those activities that add customer value and eliminate activities that don’t
Introduction to Lean Manufacturing on YouTube…
Lean Thinking : Lean Thinking In Lean Thinking, the 7 wastes are
Do not carry out unrequired activities
Eliminate waiting time for people or information
The movement of information, people or materials in non-value adding
Eliminate process which generate further processing
Eliminate wastes associated with building up inventory
Avoid the waste of motion
Continually strive to reduce the waste caused by defects or mistakes
Six Sigma : Six Sigma Sigma is…
Mathematical symbol for standard deviation
The Sixth Sigma is the likelihood that only 3.4 out of every 1 million data points will appear outside the sixth standard deviation
Six Sigma is…
Focused on specific problems
A structured analytical and logically sourced approach to problem solving.
A data driven methodology to understand and improve processes
Six Sigma : Six Sigma This clip on YouTube is another good introduction to what Six Sigma is…
Lean Six Sigma : Lean Six Sigma The key difference between Lean and Six Sigma is…
Lean deals with material and information flow between processes
Six Sigma deals with reduction of variation within each process step.
Lean Six Sigma was then invented to
Make Six Sigma into a framework for problem solving
Integrate Lean and Six Sigma to have a single method which will allow superior results than each method independently
Top 10 Tips for Managing Six Sigma : Top 10 Tips for Managing Six Sigma www.isixsigma.com || twitter.com/#!/iSixSigma
Top management commitment is essential.
Six Sigma is a cultural change programme and if the top level management within a company or not 100% behind the project and understand the benefits introducing Six Sigma into an organisation then the process improvement project will not succeed. The top management should be trained in Six Sigma first.
All leaders should be trained as Six Sigma Champions.
This allows more people within an organisation to understand the benefits of Six Sigma and make sure they ‘ask the right questions of Six Sigma practitioners’.
Top 10 Tips for Managing Six Sigma : Top 10 Tips for Managing Six Sigma Include Six Sigma planning within the business operating plan.
By including Six Sigma project savings into future plans of the company, the organisation is buying into the project and engaging the project to ensure it succeeds.
Select the right consultant to train your Belts.
It is important to remember that ‘you will be best trained by a Six Sigma practitioner (Black Belt or Master Black Belt) rather than an academic who will teach you only the theory’. Investing in Black Belt training programmes for employees takes time (4-5 months) and it is important to make sure the right people deliver the training.
Top 10 Tips for Managing Six Sigma : Top 10 Tips for Managing Six Sigma Ensure the Return on Training investment is a least 20 times.
This will ensure the financial viability of introducing Six Sigma into the organisation is sound. It can be done by ‘good project definition and correct practitioner allocation’.
Create a certification process.
And make sure it is ‘rigorous and true’. This will ensure that only candidates of the required standard are certified and it maintains a minimum standard of practitioner while allowing more employees to become certified. Key stakeholders in the Six Sigma project should sign on project certificates ‘declaring that the benefits have actually started accruing’.
Top 10 Tips for Managing Six Sigma : Top 10 Tips for Managing Six Sigma Get the movement going at the shop floor level.
Don’t just have a few Black Belts or Green Belts in the organisation working on projects all the time. Have shop floor operators and supervisors trained into the use of the tools and techniques of Six Sigma. The will engage them into the process and allow them to ‘own’ projects and make improvements on their own. It is suggested that project leaders and their team members are rewarded when they receive certification (Black Belt, Green Belt etc). Other people in the organisation should aspire to achieve certification so it is important to instil this in employees and certified candidates ‘should be adequately compensated during their annual performance review’.
Top 10 Tips for Managing Six Sigma : Top 10 Tips for Managing Six Sigma Develop a mentoring process.
Ensure that new candidates are partnered with more experience practitioners to ensure knowledge exchange and guidance for new candidates. This ensures that ‘course corrections are made regularly and the projects get completed on time’.
Ensure financial validation of projects.
Ensure that the savings made of projects using Six Sigma are recognised. Ensure the ‘project metrics continue to be tracked after the project is declared complete’. This will allow tracking of long term financial benefits of introducing Six Sigma.
Top 10 Tips for Managing Six Sigma : Top 10 Tips for Managing Six Sigma Never allow Six Sigma to be classified as a Quality Manager’s job.
‘A Quality Manager's role is distinct and s/he will not be in position to manage the Six Sigma process as for the entire business.’
Case Studies : Case Studies The next section of the material focuses on case studies to provide information of how these process improvement methodology projects are managed.
Case Study 1 : Case Study 1 Rolls-Royce Inchinnan Manufacturing Facility
Opened in 2004
Manufactures aero engine components
Initially struggled to manufacture components correctly
poor efficiency
high costs
Case Study 1 cont. : Case Study 1 cont. A process improvement project was initiated
Managed using large quantities of data to analyse the process AND intellectual capability of employees
Case Study 1 cont. : Case Study 1 cont. Manufacture process improved dramatically over 4 years, currently manufacturing at 4.5σ and aiming for 6σ
How was it successfully managed?
High level manager buy in
Buy in at shop floor level
Financial validation of project insured
Case Study 1 cont. : Case Study 1 cont. Why were the critical factors in making the project a success?
Shop floor employee engagement
Process automation
Key engagement of shop floor workers into the benefits of process automation
Successful cost reduction through an increase in the number of products manufactured Right First Time
Case Study 2 : Case Study 2 Implementing and Managing a Lean Six Sigma Culture in Biopharmaceuticals
This case study can be examined by listening to the key points from the podcast below.
Quiz : Quiz Please attempt the quiz on odijoo to test your knowledge on Case Study 2
Case Study 3 : Case Study 3 Implementing Six Sigma throughout Your End-to-End Value Stream
A podcast by Christopher Coole, a speaker at Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement Seminar in January 2010.
Quiz : Quiz Please attempt the quiz on odijoo to check your knowledge on case study 3
Summary : Summary