Six Sigma Quality Resources for Achieving Six Sigma Results
Online Training from BMG University Air Academy Six Sigma Certifications from Villanova University Click To Learn More About PremiumLinks
 Home > Methodologies  > Project Selection Search:
 
 for    
Publications
Marketplace
| iSixSigma
Stuff
| iSixSigma
Blogosphere
| Events
Calendar
| The
Dictionary
| Discussion
Forum
| Find
a Job
| Post
a Job
| Industry
News
| Newsletter
Signup
| Sigma
Calculator
| Online
Surveys
2008 Version! DMAIC Training Slides: 1,176 Slides + Instructor Notes and More for $99.95
iSixSigma Magazine Signup
 iSixSigma Live!  
  iSixSigma Live! Summit
  Agenda
  Registration Info
  Breakthrough Awards
 Free Newsletters!  
  Sign Up Now!
  Manage Subscriptions
  New To Six Sigma?
  Six Sigma Q&A
  Cert. Practice Test
  Problem Solving Wizard
  ISSSP Info
ISSSP Is The Official Six Sigma Society of iSixSigma
 Channels 
  Europe
  Financial Services
  Healthcare
  Military
  Software / IT
 Quality Directory 
  Best Practices
  Certifications/Awards
  Consultants
  Culture Evolution
  Methodologies
   BPR
   DMAIC
   Kaizen
   Metrics
   Six Sigma
   TQM
   Work-Out
  News & Events
  Organizations
  Product/Service Guides
  Statistics & Analysis
  Tools & Templates
  Voice of the Customer
  Free Whitepapers
 Related Topics 
  Innovation
  Outsourcing/Offshoring
  Business Process Mgt
 Quick Access 
  Help
  Search
  Advertise Here
  Article Archives
  Newsletter Archives
 User Feedback 
  Please suggest site
  improvements.
 
  [ larger form ]

Finding and Selecting Good Six Sigma Projects

Bookmark This Page Bookmark This Page
Email This Page Email This Page
Format for Printing Format for Printing
Cite This Article Cite This Article
Submit an Article Submit an Article
Six Sigma Article Archive Read More Articles
Related Tools & Articles
  • Six Sigma Quick Poll
    Who selects Six Sigma or improvement projects within your business?
    Business Leaders
    Quality Leaders
    Master Black Belts
    Black Belts
    Employees
    Some combination of above
    Discussion Forum
    "My biggest mistake in the beginning was working on projects that no one seemed to own or really care about too much...as I said, the defect and the improvements need ownership."
    Choosing A Project
    By B. Krishna

    General Guidelines for Project Selection

  • Any project should have identifiable process inputs and outputs.
  • A good six sigma project should never have a pre-determined solution.
  • If you already know the answer, then just go fix it!
  • For projects that have operator or operator training as an input, focus on ways to reduce operator variation, therefore making your process more robust to different or untrained operators.
  • All projects need to be approached from the perspective of understanding the variation in process inputs, controlling them, and eliminating the defects.

    Example #1
    Problem: We are experiencing slow cycle time at Station 30 because we are getting bad parts from Station 20 and have to rework them.
    Non-Six Sigma Solution: Rebalance the line in order to do the rework and keep your cycle time below specifications while not spending extra labor cost.
    Six Sigma Solution: Investigate and control key inputs that contribute to making a bad part production at Station 20.

    Example #2
    Problem: We have had 2 quality related issues reported this year for missing armrest screws.
    Non-Six Sigma Solution: Add sensors to detect screws further down the line. If screws are missing, operator manually fixes.
    Six Sigma Solution: Determine process inputs causing missing screws. For example, auto gun does not always feed correctly due to air pressure variation. Either study range required for 100% operation and control in that range, or find way to make gun more robust to range of variation experienced.

    About The Author
    B. Krishna is an active iSixSigma reader and has recently begun to write for iSixSigma. He is a valued contributor to our quality community.

    First Page > Obvious Areas For Improvement
    Page 2 > Less Obvious Areas For Improvement

     
    Rate This Article:  Current Rating: 3.55
      Poor    Excellent     
              1    2    3     4    5
    Copyright © 2000-2008 iSixSigma – All Rights Reserved
    Reproduction Without Permission Is Strictly Prohibited – Copyright Requests


    Publish an Article: Do you have a Six Sigma tip, learning or case study?
    Share it with the largest community of Six Sigma professionals, and be recognized by your peers.
    It's a great way to promote your expertise and/or build your resume. Read more about submitting an article.


    "The Bottom Line" Links

    1BMG
    UNIVERSITY
    .
    I
    I
    Lean Six Sigma
    Online
    I
    I
    Reduce Travel Costs
    Maximize Training Budget

    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

    JURΛN

    2009 Lean Six Sigma Public Workshops - SPECIAL OFFER!
    Register for any course before December 31st and receive 50% off any additional registrations, plus receive free consulting support! Call 800-338-7726 to register.

    LodeStar Institute

    |

    Live Lean Six Sigma Training

    Starting at $660

     WHY SETTLE FOR ONLINE? GET LIVE TRAINING AND PROJECT MENTORING FOR ONLINE PRICES.
    Finding that key person for your
    team is just a click away . . .
       
    TheJobShop

    jobs.isixsigma.com
         
    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
    .
    .
    iSixSigma Live! Summit & Awards
    Jan 13-16, 2009 • Miami, FL
    Save up to $200.00 • Click Here!
    Space is Limited! Hurry!
    .

    BEST SELLING PRODUCTS (iSixSigma Publications)
    1. 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 ...
    2. Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Assessment Exam
      Interested in assessing your knowledge of Lean Six Sigma? Preparing for certifications? Testing your students and traine...
    3. 5S Training Course
      One of the key fundamental tools of process improvement is 5S. 5S is a methodology for organizing and minimizing item...
    4. Six Sigma Black Belt (DMAIC) Training Slides
      The 2008 Six Sigma Black Belt course is comprised of: 1,176 PowerPoint slides, Instructor notes, Slide explanations, 37 ...
    5. Six Sigma DMAIC Training Slides
      The complete 2008 Lean Six Sigma DMAIC course prepares participants to perform the role of a LSS Black Belt; covering wh...
    6. Gage R&R Excel Template
      Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility (R&R) studies measure the amount of measurement variation that is attributabl...
    7. CSSBB Preparation Pack
      The CSSBB Preparation Pack includes materials for passing the Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) exam. This CSSBB Pr...
     
  • Six Sigma AdLinks
    Rath & Strong
    Learn statistics online with Quality Trainer by Minitab
    SBTI Public Offerings, World Class MBB, Lean Enterprise
    SigmaXL: User Friendly Excel Add-ins for Statistical and Graphical Analysis
    Smarter Solutions Makes Lean Six Sigma Easier
    SigmaWorks: A complete toolbox for LSS & DFSS
    Michigan Engineering - Six Sigma Certifications
    @RISK for Six Sigma and quality analysis
    AdLinks Information


    Google AdWords
     
    Home | Discussion Forum | Event Calendar | Job Shop
    Link To iSixSigma | Rate This Page | Report A Problem | Free Content For Your Site | Submit Article For Publishing
     Terms of Service. ©2000-2008 iSixSigma. All rights reserved. v3.0lb, 1.0-C-246
    About iSixSigma · Contact Us · Privacy Policy · Site Map
    nogeo