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суббота, 11 ноября 2023 г.

Lean Six Sigma. Part 4.

 


There’s excitement in the Improve Phase—the urge to jump to solution is always there —but the Control Phase holds the key to success. The process has been improved, but how do you sustain it? Now that the problem is fixed and solutions are in place, it’s critical to hold on to the gains.


In the Control Phase the team develops a Monitoring Plan to keep an eye on the continued success of the updated process. They also develop a Response Plan in case there is a dip in performance. Who do you call? What should you do if things go south?

Once they’ve got a plan that answers these critical questions, the team hands it off to the Process Owner for ongoing maintenance. The Process Owner is responsible for the continued health and welfare of the process. The team is busy moving on to tackle the next improvement effort, so it’s key to leave the process in good hands.


Ensure the New Process Is Managed and Monitored


In order to maintain focus, the team must narrow down the vital few measurements they need for ongoing monitoring of the process performance. There may have been dozens of measures that helped the team dig to root cause, but the goal at this point is to establish a balance of “leading” and “lagging” indicators. Leading measures alert the Process Owner of issues coming down the pike, whereas lagging measures answer the question, “how did we do last month?” We need both.

This Monitoring Plan is accompanied by a Response Plan which dictates the expected performance of the newly improved process. It also outlines the “Trigger Levels”—if the process goes beyond these points then it’s not operating as it should and it’s time to react. The Response Plan details what to do if and when the process performance starts to decline. The plan is for continued process refinement—the pursuit of perfection!

ToolsControl PlanControl Chart and Monitoring & Response Plan

Monitoring Plan Map



What is a Monitoring Plan Map?


The Monitoring Plan Map is a guide to continued monitoring of the process, and the response plan for each of the measures being monitored. These three elements have been initiated earlier in the process, but in the Control phase, the monitoring is reduced to key input, process and output measures that will provide critical leading and lagging indicators during the project tracking period after implementation.


Control Chart



Control Charts are time charts designed to display signals or warnings of special cause variation. Special cause variation, as distinct from common cause variation, refers to changes in process performance due to sporadic or rare events indicating that a process is not “in control.” The advantage of Control Charts is that they enhance the understanding of process variation making it easier to take action to reduce special cause variation and improve ongoing process performance.

Graphically, they feature points that represent project mean or variation, and upper and lower Control Limits. The location of these points determines if a project is “out of control” and under the influence of common or special causes.



Monitoring & Response Plan



What is a Monitoring & Response Plan?


A Monitoring Plan is a data collection plan for checking the ongoing health of the improved process. It lists the measure, the targets for each measure, how each measure will be checked, how and who will check the measures. It sets the stage for the Response Plan.

The Response Plan establishes a threshold or trigger level for each measure in the Monitoring Plan. When the process performance goes beyond a trigger level, the Response Plan details immediate and long-term actions that will help the process return to and maintain the desired performance.




Document the Improved Process


Throughout the life of the project the team has been creating documentation—Standard Work, Process maps, Checklists and so on. It should be painless to finalize the documentation so others can use it. This smooths the way for training new employees and it also makes it simple for existing process participants to adopt the new way of doing things. Adoption and adaptation are critical to ongoing success.

One of the most powerful methods of ensuring that others follow the new process is to create a visual workspace—labels, outlines, color-coding, and standards. This means anyone can see at a glance exactly how a process flows and where to find what they need. The more intuitive the updated process becomes, the less training anyone needs to understand it.



Standard Work



Standard Work is a precise explanation of the current best practices for carrying out the steps of a process. It is a key component of Continuous Improvement since it supports the reduction of variation in how a process or process is performed. This addresses the problem of process participants developing their own preferred ways of completing any given task. The concept dictates that if there is no one “best” method being practiced then there is no way of achieving process excellence.

Visual Management Checklist



What is Visual Management?


Visual Management is the practice of making the workplace visually easy to work in. This includes making it easy to identify units and materials, updating people on the process status, showing how the process works and providing a visible process plan for future steps.


Transfer Improvements—Spread the Wealth!


One of the best ways to increase the power and “bang for the buck” of any Lean Six Sigma effort is to apply the discoveries from the project into other areas within the organization. Even if it’s not feasible to transfer the entire project, there may be parts of it that could be adapted and shared.

Before they hand off their project, the team takes inventory of all the Quick WinsVisual Boards, and other value-adding techniques they used and considers what might work for another team. The idea is to spread innovation quickly. This transfer of improvement ideas can come from large and small efforts but quickly multiplies the impact for the business.

ToolsInnovation Transfer Opportunities

Innovation Transfer Opportunities



What are Innovation Transfer Opportunities?


The Innovation Transfer Opportunities worksheet provides a structure for detailing which changes to the process could be of benefit in other work areas, departments or business units. Being able to transfer solutions to other process areas is one of the best ways to leverage process improvement work.



Share and Celebrate Your Success


Although the temptation is to race off to the next big effort, it’s important to stop and reflect on what the team accomplished. It’s key to share the news of project success since it accelerates change momentum. When colleagues and other business units see results, they immediately want in.

The team is in charge of marketing and publicizing each innovation. One great format for sharing results is the project displays like “Gallery Walks.” These are formal gatherings to educate colleagues and leadership and help to build the problem-solving culture. The cycle of improvement builds and continues. That’s worth celebrating!


Tools: Gallery Walks

Continuously Improve the Process


The Control Phase is not the end of improvement, it is simply a milestone in the journey. With each success, the problem-solving culture grows. The “C” in DMAIC stands for both “Control” and “Continue.” The journey continues but it’s smart to take the opportunity to pause.

As each project comes to a close, it helps to reflect on the four Lean principles—ValueFlowPull and Perfection. As Continuous Improvement teams celebrate their results, they double down on their efforts going forward. Now is the time to remind fellow employees of the foundations of their success. Every process—even one recently improved–can always be better. These principles guide the way:

  • Value: Determine what steps are required (are of “Value”) to the customer
  • Flow: Remove Waste in the system to optimize the process to achieve a smoother pace
  • Pull: Ensure the process responds to customer demand (“Pull” = want)
  • Perfection: Continuously pursue “Perfection” within the process

Building an army of problem-solvers happens slowly and strengthens each time an employee succeeds in reducing bureaucracy, improving profits, making work life easier and customers happier. Time for a new challenge!


Lean Six Sigma: DMAIC In-Depth



https://goleansixsigma.com/

Lean Six Sigma. Part 3.

 


Now that the team understands what’s causing the problem, how will they solve it? Once the project team has sifted through the data and studied the process to verify the root causes, it’s time to develop solutions. This is the fun part!


The Improve Phase is where the team gets to solve the problem. They develop solutions, pilot the process changes, implement their ideas and collect data to confirm they made a measurable difference. This is where their hard work pays off.

If they’ve done their work right, they’ll have the opportunity to create innovative and elegant solutions. They’ll positively impact the baseline measure, create better work life for employees and a better product or service experience for customers.



Gather the Best Ideas to Fix the Problem


Throughout the life of the project, the team has been gathering ideas—from process participants, colleagues, customers, suppliers and leadership. Problem-solving opportunities generally start cropping up early on in the project. Teams come into the project with ideas and immediately find more opportunities during the Process (Gemba) Walk in the Define Phase. With a good Solution Parking Lot they’ll amass a useful collection of countermeasures by the Improve Phase.

It’s good to research internally but it’s also good to look beyond the process for innovations. Other departments, other business units or even other companies and industries may have solved a similar problem. The team can benchmark and cast a wide net for ways to address the root cause of the problem.

They could also revisit the many classic solutions developed in the Quality world. There may be new ways to solve the problem but there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel. Many teams draw from time-tested techniques like 5SWork Cell DesignSetup ReductionKanbans and other well-defined methods to improve process flow.


ToolsBrainstorming, Benchmarking and Classic Lean Improvements



Select the Practical Solutions


In some cases, a project team can employ as many improvements as they see fit. But given the time and effort involved in most process changes, it makes sense to apply some criteria to make good choices between options. Tools like the Solution Selection Matrix allow them to list the possibilities and assess each one to make the best decisions. They can also use the Impact Effort Matrix to assess which solutions provide the most impact for the least cost or effort.

ToolsWeighted Criteria Matrix and Impact Effort Matrix

Weighted Criteria Matrix


What is a Weighted Criteria Matrix?


A Weighted Criteria Matrix is a decision-making tool that evaluates potential options against a list of weighted factors. Common uses include deciding between optional solutions or choosing the most appropriate software application to purchase.

Typically, a Weighted Criteria Matrix takes the form of a table, with multiple options listed across the top and criteria (e.g., Ease of Use, Cost, Time to Implement) listed in the leftmost column. The criteria are weighted relative to their perceived importance and then each option is scored against each criteria.

The process of scoring the options turns this into a powerful communication tool regardless of the final scores.


Impact Effort Matrix


What is an Impact Effort Matrix?


The Impact Effort Matrix is a 2 x 2 grid that helps you assess solutions for their relative impact given the effort required. It provides a quick way to filter out solutions that might not be worth the effort. The best solutions are in the upper right quadrant, easy to implement but with substantial impact.



Develop Maps of Processes Based on Different Solutions


Solutions often reduce issues like rework loopswaste and wait times. That means the team has refined the process and removed or altered steps. Once they’ve determined the new flow, the team creates a revised map of the process which is also known as a To-Be Map. The new map guides the team’s efforts and provides a quick reference as well as a training tool for new employees making it easier for everyone to learn the new process.


ToolsTo-Be MapValue Stream Map and Swimlane Map


Test and Refine the Best Solutions


In order to ensure they develop the best countermeasures, the team may run mini-testing cycles known as PDCA or Plan Do Check Act to refine the solutions while collecting valuable Stakeholder feedback. These cycles are a great way to find out if small improvements are viable in a fast and low impact way.

They can also consider the unintended consequences of making changes to the process. Any changes, even good ones, introduce an element of risk. Tools like the Failures Modes & Effects Analysis (FMEA) help the team think through the potential impacts of altering the steps and features of the process and plan ahead.


ToolsPDCA/PDSAFMEA

PDCA/PDSA


PDCA is a four-step methodology for problem-solving. PDCA stands for Plan Do Check Act/Adjust. It can also stand for Plan Do Study Act. This methodology can be used continually to improve processes.

Plan: Plan or outline a problem.
Do: Do or apply countermeasure to address root cause.
Check: Check or assess if the problem is fixed.
Adjust: Adjust or fine tune the fix.

PDCA is a method developed by Dr. Deming that favors trial and error over extensive planning and trying for perfection up front with the assumption the each test allows for essential fine tuning. PDCA is often paired with A3 Documentation.


Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (FMEA)


What is Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (FMEA)?

Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a risk management tool that identifies and quantifies the influence of potential failures in a process. FMEA analyzes potential failures using three criteria:

  1. Occurrence (failure cause and frequency)
  2. Severity (impact of the failure)
  3. Detection (likelihood of failure detection)

Once assessed, prioritized failures are addressed with mistake-proofing for preventable failures and contingency plans for unpreventable risks.

FMEA Resources



Implement the Solution(s)


Making sure solutions are successful requires careful planning. The team has to consider logistics, training, documentation change management and communication plans. Although it often feels counterintuitive, the more time the team spends planning, the faster process participants will adapt to the new process.

For large-scale implementations, the team can run a pilot to ensure the changes work prior to implementation—it’s a good practice to create an Implementation Plan. Running pilots and including others prior to making process changes is a great way to build a sense of ownership of the new process. Acceptance of change is equally important to the quality of the improvement.

ToolsPilot Checklist and Implementation Plan

Pilot Checklist


What is a Pilot Checklist?


A Pilot is a limited implementation of the solution to allow you to learn and make improvements to the solution and implementation. A Pilot is a defined test of a solution that will result in fine tuning before a full roll out.


Implementation Plan


What is an Implementation Plan?


The Implementation Plan provides a structure for detailing the action steps, due dates and people responsible for implementing solutions.


Measure to Validate Improvement


Once the team has implemented their changes to the process, they can collect data to check whether or not they have improved the baseline. This can take anywhere from 1 week to 4 months depending on the length of the process cycle. Once the team demonstrates that their solutions resulted in measurable improvement, it’s time to celebrate success!

The team should recognize themselves as well as all the process participants who helped with the implementation. It’s important to give credit and spread the good news. A little momentum goes a long way. Then the team can move on to the Control Phase.


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