To redesign the ‘To-Be Process’, the Sort and Store elements of the 5S can be very useful to improve the process layout and flow e.g.

• Simplify work screens in a software application or database by removing the unused or non-required work fields (Sort)
• For those that are left over, create icons or shortcuts that are easy to see and access (Store)

Submitted by Éamon Ó Béarra, SQT Lean Six Sigma tutor

E.g., a Food Processing Company was trying to baseline the Cleaning in Place (CIP) Process. In order to understand if here a difference in the CIP time by shift, product type, CIP types, etc. they set about collecting data over a 6 week timeline to answer some of these questions.

When the Project Team examined the data after the 6 weeks, they found there were some major differences by shift and the other aforementioned factors. Importantly though, this was not due to a difference in performance but by how the Metric was being measured.

• Shift A was interpreting the CIP time as ‘from the time the equipment was stopped until it was started again with the CIP complete’
• Shift B was interpreting the CIP time as ‘from the time the equipment was stopped until an acceptable micro test result for the CIP was back from the Lab allowing the equipment to be restarted’.
• Shift C had another interpretation altogether

Unfortunately, it was then back to the proverbial drawing board!

The morale of the story is to agree on a very specific Operational Definition for a metric, include it on the Data Collection Sheet and even go as far as to give the Data Collectors a fictional pre-completed data collection form to use as a guideline.

Submitted by Éamon Ó Béarra, SQT Lean Six Sigma tutor

So how do we convince people to come on board the Lean Six Sigma Journey and go along with our Project Objectives in the Define Phase and the New Process in the Improve Phase of the DMAIC Methodology? Easier said than done, Grasshopper!

Well one technique used is known as the 3Ds – Data, Demonstration, and Demand.

Data

Some people are convinced by Data – this would involve showing them a credible business case and baseline data in the Define Phase e.g. our current process is not capable and has an defect rate of 4.5% (158/3500 units) for Q4 of 2012. The cost of this is €56,000 if annualised.

Demonstration

Other people fall into the doubting Thomas category and have to see to believe – in this case we use Demonstration and could simply let the physical defects accumulate for a lengthy time in the quarantine cage and let people see with their own eyes the magnitude of the problem.

Demand

Demand normally comes from the customer or marketplace but could also come from the Regulatory Body or Corporate Management – this could be a memo saying that unless the process performance improves there is a risk that we might lose the contract or we might not get the new business or we might get fined or have our operations suspended.

Irrespective of which or all of the 3Ds you use, Change Management is all about the People and convincing them to do something different on a Monday morning versus what they were doing the previous Monday!!

(Note: DMAIC is Define Measure Analyse Improve Control)

– The next step in the RCA (Root Cause Analysis) involves the Doctor probing to establish what caused the rash in the first place – was it a bug picked up on a foreign trip? Was it contact with a plant or shrub? Is it an allergic reaction to a type of food or drink? You scratch your head and think. Slowly it dawns on you that it might be an allergic reaction to beer and nuts of all things as the World Cup Soccer has just finished and the high stool in your local has formed a profile of your posterior and has been retired and dedicated in your honour!

– Your heart sinks as a subsequent Allergy test verifies the terrible news.

– However, the antibiotic and face cream or Containment Action has kicked in and you are feeling much better. Your thoughts drift to a vision of an ice cool beer and KP’s best. You jolt back to reality and realise, no pain no gain and the Corrective Action and Preventative Action is to keep strictly away from your favourite combo. This is going to be tough but will Prevent Recurrence of the rash from hell.

– However, being the kind compassionate individual that you are, you think of your identical twin, Hughie. God forbid that he gets a dose of what you got. So you ring him up and tell him the scéal! Hughie is in love with himself and baulks when you mention that it might be in his interest to avoid beer and peanuts. He states indignantly that he hasn’t touched such plebish food in years and lists his favourite white wine and caviar as being his pleasures in life. How do says you!! as you replace the phone handset. All I was trying to do was to spare you a nightmare (Prevent Occurrence). So much for my Good Samaritan act!

So in summary a Root Cause Analysis Approach involves

1. Implementing Containment Action (this is treating the symptom)

2. Establishing the Root Cause

3. Implementing Corrective Action to deal with the immediate issue

4. Implementing Preventative Action to Prevent Recurrence (avoiding a repetition)

5. Implementing Preventative Action to Prevent Occurrence (applying lessons learnt)

The Project focused on:

– Reducing the number of reports being generated and issued

– Reducing the cycle time for the generation of the top 10 most time consuming remaining reports.

Commonsense one might rightly conclude but it is only when the organisation compiled and costed baseline data in the Define Phase of the DMAIC that the paper elephant in the room began to roar for attention.

Most impressively the Project Team decided to put Dumbo on a permanent diet by ensuring that any new reports being proposed were scrutinised with a value add and business case assessment before being approved.

This is the sequel, just when you thought it was safe to go back into the Line Up Room!

Typical lean six sigma projects focus on everyday process and metrics that most companies use. For example in manufacturing – yields, defects, cycle times, downtime, lead times, set-up and changeover times and in the transactional and service industry – call duration, number of errors, service level agreements, over and under payments. These would be considered – the usual suspects, the same type of projects focused on the same type of processes.

However, since the ‘Usual Suspects – Part 1’ we have come across a range of quite innovative and uncommon projects. For example;

· Reducing the number of reports in a financial services company
· Reducing the cycle time of the interview process whilst maintaining or reducing the level of turnover in the organisation
· Reducing the level of scanning of customers files
· Optimising the use of Online payslips
· Reduce the waste and cost of customer issued literature
· Increase the use of ‘Green Statements’
· Better meeting management
· Application of Lean Principles for Quality Systems
· Reduction in Canteen Operating Costs

If you notice the common theme here is that these projects are being carried out in departments and functions which in many organisations are always ‘left out’ of continuous improvement or process improvement Programs. It has always been the manufacturing, engineering, materials, customer service, and operations processes.

The morale of the story is that it doesn’t always have to be the ‘usual suspects’

Project type and frequency
Waste reduction/elimination 63
Cycle time reduction 41
Process yield improvement 34
Process improvement 19
Reduction in NVA activities 19
Increase in process throughput 13
Process control 8
Cost reduction 6
Customer satisfaction 6
Process risk reduction 6
Quality improvement 6
Improving process capability 5
Cost savings 4
Design change 4
Defect reduction 3
Risk exposure 3
Compliance 2
Improved staff utilisation 2
Process leveling 2
Process stability 2
Other 27

Total 275

The following is a graphical display of above information.

What’s interesting is that lean type projects were more popular. By way of context, 81% of the the projects were completed in financial services and pharma companies.

Firstly there was a broad cross section of companies represented as shown in the following graph. Financial services and pharma accounted for 55% of companies.

An analysis of project type revealed the following:

Project type and frequency

Process yield improvement 16
Waste elimination or reduction 9
Cycle time reduction 5
Reduction in NVA activities 5
Improvement in customer satisfaction 3
Improving process capability 3
Increase in process capacity 2
Cost reduction 1
Design change 1
Process reliability improvement 1
Process risk reduction 1

Total 47

Process yield improvement and Waste elimination/reduction account for 53% of all project types. The following graph displays the above data.

Tomorrow I will post on Green Belt project selection.