Posts Tagged ‘Europe’
A Lean-Six Sigma Duo for the Office – A Case Study
The experience of a European life insurance provider highlights the lessons learned from transferring Lean from the shop floor to the office, as well as providing a deployment model that integrates Lean, Six Sigma and process management.
A Roadmap for Making Business Strategy Actionable
Businesses need a framework for guiding the mobilization of an organization around its strategic plan. A “roadmap” enables everyone in the business to clearly understand each action and what decisions need to be made, who needs to make them and when.
Adding Science to the Art of Sales Boosts Effectiveness
A predominantly sales- and marketing-driven company shows that not only does Six Sigma apply to sales and marketing, but the benefits are twice as great as one normally experiences in applying Six Sigma to operations processes.
Avery Dennison Appoints MBB Schuetz as VP, Operations, Supply Chain
Avery Dennison has appointed Michel Schuetz to the post of vice president, operations and supply chain, for its materials businesses in Europe.
Belgian Wind Turbine Firm Hansen Transmissions Hires VP, Six Sigma
Hansen Transmissions International NV is pleased to announce the
appointment of Leszek Biskup-Koestner as Vice President, Six Sigma.
Bestnet Europe Trains Workers in Six Sigma for Kenyan Plant Expansion
Danish manufacturer Bestnet Europe Ltd. has announced the establishment of a new sewing and packing facility to produce mosquito netting in Mombasa, Kenya. Bestnet has already trained its management team and staff of about 50 workers in Six Sigma methodology and plans to triple the number of workers as it ramps up to full production capacity by mid-2011.
British Electronics Firm Seaward Group Wins Lean Innovation Prize
British electronics manufacturer the Seaward Group, based in Peterlee, U.K., has taken the top prize for the Northeast region at this year’s Innovative Working Practices Award, organized by the EEF Manufacturers’ Organization.
British Study Finds Change Management Programs Average ROI of 650 Percent
According to the report from Changefirst, more than 40 percent of change managers believe at least a third of the financial gains could be attributable to change management activities alone. This means that, after nine months, for every £1 spent on change management these organisations were getting £6.50 as a return.
Business Leaders’ FAQ on Europe Six Sigma Deployment
Business leaders who are considering implementing a Lean Six Sigma program need answers to a wide variety of questions. Here are the answers to questions that business leaders most frequently ask about European Lean Six Sigma deployments.
Car Makers Struggle with Supply Chains One Month After Japan Quake
Honda is only the latest of several automobile manufacturers to report production slowdowns in the wake of last month’s Japan earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis – triple catastrophes that have crippled global car production supply chains and reduced overall capacity by as much as 30 per cent, according to the British newspaper The Independent.
Case Study Shows Six Sigma Role in Financial Services
An international bank, decided in 2003 to adopt Six Sigma in all its business units in Europe. It then set out to implement one of its priority business strategies - significantly grow its car loan business in the next two years.
Common Success Factors, Uncommon Success in Europe
Whether implementing Six Sigma in Munich or Manhattan, Paris or Prague, there are certain common factors that are critical for success.
COSMOS to Improve Europe's Wind Turbine Manufacturing Productivity Via Lean
Spanish software engineering firm Ibermática is leading a European project called COSMOS, which aims to apply Lean techniques to the aeronautics and wind-power industries, and boost manufacturing productivity by 20 percent.
Demand Rising for European Supply Chain Optimization
As manufacturers increasingly rely on globalization to produce goods, there has been an increased need to develop stronger supply chains via continuous improvement efforts in Europe in the last year, according to two business management consulting groups.
Deploying a Measurement System: What Does It Take?
The use of dashboards to measure process and business performance has become increasingly popular. As a result, many companies are revamping their measurement systems. Here is a framework for launching and deploying a new measurement system.
Deploying Six Sigma: Challenge for Pan-European Manager
Managing an integrated European company with variety of national cultures is tough enough. But a little guidance is helpful when a pan-European business is seeking to deploy any organizational change such as Six Sigma or Lean across the business.
Doncasters Steps Up Training with Three New Certified Black Belts
Doncasters Group Ltd., a U.K.-based global manufacturer of precision-engineered machine parts, has met its internal goal of training three members of its staff as Lean Six Sigma Black Belts in three different locations.
Eight Steps Toward More Accurate U.K. Retail Data
The grocery industry in the United Kingdom could avoid more than £1 billion in revenue losses over the next five years by addressing chronic supply-chain problems, such as overstocking, lost sales from stock shortages, product shrinkage and manual workaround, according to a recent study.
European Program to Fund Six Sigma Training at 16 U.K. Businesses
Sixteen manufacturing firms located in the West Midlands region of the United Kingdom are poised to receive Six Sigma business management training as part of a European Union initiative to spur competitiveness in the region.
European Wind Project Embraces Lean
Spanish software firm Ibermática is leading a new European project called COSMOS, which aims to apply Lean techniques and modular factory design to the wind power industry and boost manufacturing productivity by 20 percent over the next three years.
Faster Deployment for Europe’s Small/Medium Businesses
To initiate a continuous improvement program, small- and medium-sized businesses must refine the deployment model to meet their needs. This is particularly important in Europe, with the typical European company being smaller than its U.S. equivalent.
Global Problem Solving with TRIZ
At the recent TRIZ Future Conference 2010, held in Bergamo, Italy, Ellen Domb, editor of TRIZ Journal, reported on several of the papers presented on the latest worldwide applications of the TRIZ problem-solving, analysis and forecasting tool, also known as the Thoery of Inventive Problem Solving.
How Six Sigma Adds Value in an Existing Quality Culture
In a conversation with iSixSigma, Dr. Randall W. Powell, vice president of Eastman Chemical Company, Europe/Middle East/Africa, offers his views on how Six Sigma adds value to an existing quality culture.
IASSC Appoints Joep van Nieuwstadt as Associate Director, European Affairs
The International Association for Six Sigma Certification (IASSC) has appointed Joep van Nieuwstadt as associate director of European affairs. As an expert in the field of IT education and certification Joep van Nieuwstadt has been heavily involved at high levels…
IBM Applies Green Principles to Reduce Waste at Irish Facility
By Larry Raymond Businesses today generally understand they need to do as much as possible to conserve energy and water, reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions, and minimize their environmental impact overall. Societal pressures from customers, increasing regulation and economics…
IBM Applies Green Principles to Reduce Waste at Irish Facility
Larry Raymond, strategic initiatives program manager with IBM’s Integrated Supply Chain organization, describes in environmentalleader.com how an IBM facility used Lean Six Sigma to reduce energy consumption at its Dublin, Ireland, plant by 20 percent.
Implementing Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) in Europe
Sets of questions offer help for implementing Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) if working on the development of new products, services or design of new processes in European companies.
Leadership and Lean Six Sigma Opens Door to Innovation
Lean Six Sigma improves the quality of management, working processes and applies resources in a targeted way that can dramatically increase the productive and creative potential across a business population.
Leadership Sustains High Performance in Manufacturing
Research done on 75 manufacturers, predominantly European, sheds light on the balance between product/process and people leadership capabilities needed to sustain high levels of performance in manufacturing plants.
Lean Six Sigma Around the Globe: Hertel – Europe
By Elaine Schmidt Headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Hertel has operations in more than 20 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. The company offers construction, maintenance, modification and dismantling solutions at client sites, such as on- and…
Leverage ITIL and Six Sigma Together to Maximize Outcome
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Framework is a set of best practices that facilitate delivery of high quality IT services. Combined with Six Sigma, ITIL serves as a model that prompts organizations to use maximum synergy.
Mobilizing a Business for Turning Strategy into Action
Given the complexities of the European market, there is a special need to allow local business unit leaders to adjust the tactics to local needs.
Opening the Door for Process Standardization in Europe
By understanding the differences and the commonalities between local processes, European businesses can start to assemble a pan-European process to satisfy the needs of each country, opening the door for process standardization and resource pooling.
Pace of Six Sigma Teams Differs Dramatically by Culture
Six Sigma project teams from different countries will approach and complete projects in their own way and at damatically different paces. This is valuable for the management of multinationals to understand so realistic expectations are set.
Salaries for European Six Sigma Professionals Hold Steady
After a difficult year of serious cutbacks at many businesses due to the global economic crisis, average salaries for Six Sigma professionals around the world, including those in Europe, held steady, for the most part, according to the results of…
Scotland's Six Sigma Efforts Pay Off with Manufacturing Savings
A recent report by the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS), a business advisory group sponsored by the government of Scotland, found that continuous improvement efforts, including Six Sigma, have resulted in more than £21 million worth of productivity benefits across the region over a 12-month period in 2010-11.
Six Sigma Improves Workflow in N-Medicine Department
The well-regarded nuclear medicine department located in the Ospedale Santa Croce e Carle profits from a Six Sigma continuous improvement project.
Starwood Appoints Harnischfeger GM of Aloft London Hotel
Starwood Hotels and Resorts has announced the appointment of Julia Harnischfeger as general manager of the company’s new 252-room Aloft London ExCeL hotel, which is scheduled to open in October 2011.
Streamlining the Ordering Process for U.K. Book Publisher
British book publisher Hachette UK prepares for the e-book age by deploying Lean Six Sigma to shorten ordering lead times and simplify the book assembly process.
U.K. Ductwork Firm Senior Hargreaves Applies Lean for Site Expansion
Senior Hargreaves, a British ventilation ductwork manufacturer, has adopted Lean methodologies to help the company add 28,000 square feet of new space to its existing facility in Bury, Lancashire.
U.K. Electronics Firm Reports Six Sigma Quality Levels Via Automation, Training
A U.K.-based manufacturer of electrical and electronic assemblies has attained Six Sigma manufacturing quality levels of 99.97 percent following the installation of fully automated, custom designed wire processing machinery at its factory in the West Midlands. A gradual, phased implementation…
U.K. Estate Agency First in Industry to Adopt Lean Six Sigma
In response to what has been called a difficult 18 months for the estate agency sector in the United Kingdom, senior management at Frank Marshall & Co. have announced that the company is the first to adopt the Lean Six Sigma methodology in the estate indsutry.
U.K. Hovercraft Maker to Implement Lean at New Facility
Hovercraft manufacturer Griffon Hoverwork recently struck a deal to move from its main facility in Hythe, U.K., to a former Vestas wind turbine factory at Merlin Quay, near Southampton, which it plans to renovate using Lean techniques.
U.K. Manufacturers Cite Staff Resistance as Common Barrier to CI Efforts
In a recent study of 100 senior manufacturing staff, British magazine Works Management (WM) found that the largest barrier to the adoption of continuous improvement (CI) programs is lack of cooperation from their staff.
U.K. Packaging Firm Celebrates First Year of Lean Six Sigma
Through a combination of Lean and Six Sigma techniques, British packaging giant Benson Group has recorded a “double-digit” improvement in production in its first year of using the Lean Sigma Lean manufacturing program. Other benefits achieved include an increase in product quality, energy savings and waste reduction, the company said.
U.K. Study Says Data Inaccuracies Cost Top Retailers 1.4 Billion Annually
A new white paper, co-authored by Professor Alan Braithwaite, estimates that data inaccuracy among the top five retailers and their suppliers is costing as much as £1.4 billion per year – 1 percent of total revenue, and a considerably higher figure than previously estimated.
U.K. Study: Change Management Can Reap High ROI
A recent study from the United Kingdom found that expenditures on change management activities can reap huge rewards for relatively little cost, with a return on investment (ROI) as high as 650 percent. According to the report from British consulting…
U.K.'s Prism Electronics Enhances Problem-Solving Skills with Lean Training
Undertaking NVQ business improvement training has helped staff at St. Ives (Cambridgeshire, U.K.) based contract electronics manufacturing services provider Prism Electronics Limited become better problem solvers.
U.K.-based Fine Tubes Hires Fletcher as Quality Director
Fine Tubes, the leading manufacturer of high-quality precision tubes in the United Kingdom, has recently appointed Dr. Richard Fletcher ss Quality Director.
Using Six Sigma in Europe: A Cross-Cultural Perspective
Six Sigma is about organizational improvement, with its focus on process improvement, design and management. But, it is as much about people’s behavior as it is about the behavior of processes. These two behaviors cannot easily be separated.
Volcano Provides Tough Lesson for Europe’s Lean Organizations
By Randy Woods The rumbling and ash plumes have subsided for now over Europe’s skies, but the echoes from April’s Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption in Iceland are still being felt throughout the Lean supply-chain structures of the continent and across the…
What Europeans Need to Know About U.S. Colleagues
Six Sigma practitioners in multinational companies need to know the differences in perspectives between European business leaders and their American counterparts. With some insight, they can improve their understanding and avoid potential conflicts.
What Role Does National Culture Play in Implementation?
On iSixSigma’s Discussion Forum, a poster working on a doctoral thesis asked about how various differences in national culture can affect Six Sigma implementation. Respondents provided several links to studies on the role of cultural differences among deployments in the…
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