How To Select A Six Sigma Quality Improvement Project

	Bookmark This Page Email This Page Format for Printing Cite This Article Submit an Article Read More Articles
	Related Tools & Articles Celebrations and Events to Build the Team How to Create a Pareto Chart Creating Project Teams
	Six Sigma Quick Poll Do you actively empower employees to identify and make changes? Yes Sometimes I need to do more
	Discussion Forum "As the first Green Belt project I intend taking up to increase productivity of fresh graduates joining IT company (specifically in the IBM Mainframe technology area). For the [charter] form, I need to show Savings. In such an area as this one, should I be measuring productivity of the newcomer while keeping track of salary of the newcomers and work out savings? Is there some other attribute from which I can work out savings? Please guide me." How To Select And Charter A Green Belt Project

Y

New from iSixSigma Project Selection Research Report Best-Seller Bundle Research Reports Black Belt Return on Investment Research Report

ou've identified a process improvement area within your business or department. It's easy to figure out what comes next -- just fill out a team charter, select the team and team leader, form the team and get out of the way, right? Well, sort of...

Why Select Projects?
Selecting the right project can have a tremendous effect on your business. If done properly, processes will function more efficiently in 3 to 6 months, employees will feel satisfied and appreciated for making business improvements and ultimately shareholders will see the benefit. If project selection is done improperly, a project may be selected that doesn't have the full business buy-in, project roadblocks may not be removed due to other business priorities, the team may feel ineffective and the end result may be less than ideal. No one wins in this situation, especially the quality manager who may look to these same people the next time a need arises. So how do you make sure you select projects in-line with business priorities?

Select Projects In-Line With Your Business Priorities
Here are five guidelines to keep handy the next time you are evaluating potential quality improvement projects:

• Ask your business leader for the three greatest issues facing the business. Make sure your project is one of the issues or is directly related. This will ensure that your management team is giving the project the proper attention and quickly removing roadblocks.
• What are the three greatest issues as seen from the eyes of your customers? Look through customer complaint logs, listen to call center telephone conversations and call customers that have stopped your company service. Create a pareto chart to prioritize issues. This will help with project prioritization and project selection.
• Is the project manageable? Can the project realistically be completed by a team within six months? If longer, you may lose members as they move to other jobs or the team may feel frustrated that they're not making a difference.
• Will the team have a measurable impact on the business processes or financial bottom line? Don't embark on a project without knowing what the benefits are to the business. This will keep your team motivated along the way.
• What is your process capability? If you haven't been measuring your process, how do you know it needs improvement? Make sure you know what amount of defects the process is currently producing and define your project desired outcome.

Every business is different and you should ensure that your specific priorities are taken into account when evaluating and prioritizing potential projects. Spreadsheets or databases can help you organize potential projects by assigning evaluation categories, values and weightings to create a consistent selection process. If you create a project selection template and provide it to iSixSigma, you could be featured here!

"The Bottom Line" Links

BMG Upgrade Your Skills Master Black Belt Certification Get the industry's most Flexible, Robust Program for Professionals >> Find out more

VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY   Earn Your Lean, Green or Black Belt Six Sigma Master Certificate Online BOOST YOUR SALARY! *$38k more than uncertified counterparts. Learn From Industry Leaders!   START NOW

SIGMAPRO MBB, Lean Sigma, & DFSS   when experience matters most...

M O T O R O L A U N I V E R S I T Y Learn from the most experienced practitioners of Six Sigma in the world Public Training & Certification Click here to take a free Six Sigma Lesson

J URΛN   Lean Six Sigma Public Workshops Atlanta, GA - Sept 2008 Become one of your organization's 'vital few'. Get Juran Certified.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY Now offering Process Simulation ! 4 weeks + 1 cost saving project + 1 mentor + 1 caring instructor = 1 Marketable Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

WINSTON SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY Now offering Process Simulation ! 4 weeks + 1 cost saving project + 1 mentor + 1 caring instructor = 1 Marketable Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN 2 weeks + 1 project = Black Belt Certification

. Find us on LinkedIn Join the iSixSigma Network and Connect with Other Six Sigma Pros .

Download the iSixSigma Toolbar for 1-Click access. Search Your Way. Everyday. Without Delay.

BEST SELLING PRODUCTS (iSixSigma Publications) 2008 VERSION! Six Sigma DMAIC Training Slides The OSSS Six Sigma DMAIC course is comprised of:1,176 slides, Instructor notes, Slide explanations, 37 data sets, 20 sup... NEW VERSION! Process Management Training Slides The OSSS Process Management course is designed in two phases comprised of:352 Powerpoint slidesInstructor notesSlide exp... Gage R&R Excel Template Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility (R&R) studies measure the amount of measurement variation that is attributabl... Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Assessment Exam This test is useful for students interested in assessing their knowledge of Lean Six Sigma on the Black Belt level. It c... Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Assessment Exam This assessment exam is useful for students interested in assessing their knowledge of Lean Six Sigma on the Green Belt ... Customer Identity Verification Project Example The credit card division of TD Bank Financial Group receives more than 3.7 million customer calls per year. Research s... Design of an Operational Risk Management System Project Example Great Lakes Finance Company (GLF), a small Michigan-based retail and commercial lender, experienced several severe opera... Sell Your Products