Lean Six Sigma

The initiation steps of a Lean Six Sigma DMAIC/Process Transformation project are dependent on the environment you are operating in and who is responsible for project selection in your organization.

In a large corporate environment, you may have managers/leaders evaluating potential process transformation projects and selecting which projects will be completed. In this case, the manager should prepare the first version of the project charter and either assemble subject matter experts (SMEs) for the team or engage leaders in the areas required for involvement to begin identifying team members.

Process Transformation Business Cases

If a business case for the project is requisite for your organization/primary executive sponsor, it must be completed before the project kick-off meeting is held. As with any business case exercise, executives must recognize the time required for due diligence and metrics associated to producing a business case of the level of rigor requested. Time invested in business cases for process projects that do not proceed will be a cost of doing business.

Please recognize the temptation to launch a process transformation before completing the business case (presumably because initiating process improvement projects often do not require a capital outlay). However, completing a process transformation business case or cost/benefit analysis after the project is kicked off is highly ineffective. When this occurs, natural human behavior produces a strong inclination to find a way to justify the project that is already in process, rather than objectively evaluate the value of the project and make a rational business decision on accepting the project.

Key Deliverables of the Define Phase

• Project Charter ^
  
• Project Team Kick-Off Meeting
  
• Project Action Plan ^
  
• SIPOC(s) ^
  
• As-Is Process Maps & Value Stream Validated ^
  
• Translate VOC to Critical Customer Requirements ^
  
• Value Add vs. Non-Value Add Analysis
  
• Quick Win Opportunities (Published)
  
• Define Measureable Project Goal(s)
  
• Prepared Team
  
• Finalized Project Charter ^
  
• Project-Level Communications Plan
  
• Project-Level Stakeholder Management Plan
  
• Updated Storyboard ^
  
• Management sign-off on Define
  

^ denotes deliverables due at, or before, sign-off

Common activities and deliverables in the Measure Phase of Lean Six Sigma DMAIC projects include:

• Input, Process and Output Measures
  
• Operational Definitions ^
  
• Customer Approval of Output Measures
  
• Data Collection Formats and Plans
  
• Compile & Display Data
  
• Baseline Lean Sigma Performance ^
  
• Productive Team Atmosphere
  
• Project-Level Communications and Activities Executed with Key Stakeholders
  
• Updated Charter (Including Scope, Financial Benefit etc) ^
  
• Updated Storyboard ^
  
• Translate VOC to Critical Customer Requirements ^
  
• Management sign-off on Measure (^ denotes deliverables due at, or before, sign-off)
  

Common activities and deliverables in the Analyze Phase of Lean Six Sigma DMAIC projects include:

• Refined Problem Statements(s) ^
  
• Conclusions from Data Analysis ^
  
• Identify Potential Root Causes
  
• Identify Most Probable Root Causes
  
• Validated Root Causes ^
  
• Energized Team Environment
  
• Project-Level Communications and Activities Executed with Key Stakeholders
  
• Updated Storyboard ^
  
• Management sign-off on Analyze (^ denotes deliverables due at, or before, sign-off)
  

Common activities and deliverables in the Improve Phase of Lean Six Sigma DMAIC projects include:

• Generate/Gather Process Improvement Ideas
  
• 5 S Assessment ^
  
• Explore Benchmarking Opportunities
  
• Value Add/Non-Value Add Assessment
  
• Constraint Analysis (including shoe stoppers, etc.)
  
• Recommended Solutions ^
  
• Improvement Impacts and Benefits ^
  
• To-Be Process Maps ^
  
• To Be Organization Design (people, roles, etc.) ^
  
• High Level Implementation Milestones ^
  
• Aware and Supportive Key Stakeholders
  
• Updated Storyboard ^
  
• Management sign-off on Improve (* denotes deliverables due at, or before, sign-off)
  

Common activities and deliverables in the Control Phase of a DMAIC project include:

• Plan and Complete Pilot
  
• Pilot Test Results ^
  
• Validate Improved Performance Compared to Baseline
  
• Change Management Strategy for Solution Implementation
  
• Solution Full Implementation Plans ^
  
• Solution Risk Analysis (FMEA) ^
  
• Process Control Systems ^
  
• New Standards and Procedures ^
  
• New Solution Training
  
• Documented Benefits & Success
  
• Turnover Meeting with Process Owner
  
• Replication & Standardization Opportunities
  
• Lessons Learned - Validated and Communicated ^
  
• Documented & Closed Project
  
• Final Storyboard ^
  
• Process Owner Sign Off
  
• Management sign-off on Control
  
• Celebrate Success
  

^ denotes deliverables due at, or before, sign-off

What's Important About Control Phase

• Clear close out and transfer of process ownership
  
• recognize contributions of team members
  

Pilot Implementation Considerations

The primary reason to conduct a pilot is to reduce the risk of full implementation. The trade-off is that a pilot delays full implementation, but if the risk

Implementation Approaches

• Sequenced - one at a time
  
• Parallel - two or more at a time
  
• Phased - overlap between sites
  
• Flat - all sites simulataneously
  

Replication is the expansion of a successful solution.
Standardization is the applying solutions from one business process to another, that may be quite different from those where a solution was first deployed.

In both cases, the following must be priorities...

• progtect integrity of the original process design and results (crtieria for success)
  
• Ensure continuity of the deployment expansions
  
• Take advanatage of best practices learned throughout the original pilot or site implementation.
  

Functional

• hierarchical organization
  

Process-Driven

• flat organization