Dr. Mikel Harry answers the question, “How can Six Sigma be applied to the Human Resources (HR) function?” Listed are some simple examples for Human Resource projects: 1) Employee turnover rate. 2) Job satisfaction issues (surveys). 3) Management satisfaction. 4) Cafeteria food quality. 5) Policy deployment. 6) New hire process quality and cycle time. 7)…
In my deployment and implementation experience, Black Belts should not be pooled into a central organization and then farmed out like a bunch of “rented experts.” To my knowledge, only a few organizations have successfully implemented this type of approach. When executed in a large-scale corporation, there is a certain amount of “up-front management appeal.” …
The first Black Belt project is just that – a training project. It is not a platform from which to attempt solving world hunger, or the like. The purpose of a training project is two fold. The first purpose is related to the reinforcement of learning. The second purpose is to realize an operational objective…
Is the process broken because of poor process control? Is it broken because of inferior technology? Is is broken because of inadequate operational knowledge? Is is broken because of a mismatch between the process technology and the design specifications? Is is broken because of some interaction thereof? How can you expect anyone to rationally answer…
It is widely known (in the field of quality management) that Motorola inaugurated Six Sigma in the mid eighties. At that time, Six Sigma was employed to make a dramatic gain in customer satisfaction (by way of quality improvement). Almost by nature, the initiative was based on the idea of defect reduction. For the sake…
I do not believe that any of the Six Sigma roles should constitute a career, as they are temporary job assignments.
It is possible to analyze non-normal data when conducting a capability analysis – even if it cannot be transformed to a state of normality. Of course, this position assumes that the underlying distribution is unimodal in nature (i.e., not multimodal). Technical details aside, this particular type of problem can quickly become an analytical nightmare for…
In my opinion, between 25 and 50 percent of variable pay must be directly linked to “hard” Six Sigma goals – throughout the organizational hierarchy. This tactic usually gets everybody’s attention and quickly sounds the alarm to “align goals and objectives.” It also sets the mood for “win-win” and generates a lot of leadership energy. …
I assume you mean “sustainability of project results.” In other words, the resulting benefits are not to be enjoyed just one time – they are recurrent in nature. The best way to ensure that recurrent benefits are continually realized is to monitor the situation. This would normally involve a proactive accounting system and someone to…
The first generation of Six Sigma (1984 – 1994) was initiated at Motorola. At this time, Six Sigma was primarily focused on the reduction of defects (quality improvements). It was widely believed that the reduction of defects would naturally and invariably offer certain economic benefits – even though such benefit could not often be directly…
Rhetorically speaking, what is the purpose of ISO9000? Is it a standard of expectation, much like Six Sigma? If an organization is currently performing to a Six Sigma level, would there even be a need for this standard? If this standard was perfectly deployed and implemented in a corporation, would it be a Six Sigma…
The gentlemen referred to as “Pareto” long ago advocated that 80 percent of the world’s wealth was controlled by 20 percent of the world’s population. This phenomenon is also called the “Pareto Principle,” and will be designated as “PP” for our discussion. For the case just given, it should be noted that the 80 percent…
Obviously, you know how to ask a “huge” question. In terms of scope and depth, it is nearly equivalent to the question: “How does one go about boiling the ocean without harming the ecosystem – give me some examples (case studies), tell me the best tools to use, how to use the tools, and kindly…
Having “been there and done that,” I deeply appreciate your question. A simple literature search will yield a lot on this subject. However, you should first read the Rath and Strong book on Six Sigma. I highly recommend this particular reading, especially for “middle management level” guidance. This book provides a number of relevant templates…
The following references will provide a very nice overview of the field – from general theory to in-depth case studies: 1) Six Sigma: The Breakthrough Management Strategy Revolutionizing the World’s Top Corporations by Mikel J. Harry, Ph.D. and Richard Schroeder, Doubleday 2000. 2) Six SIGMA Leadership Handbook by Rath and Strong Staff, John Wiley &…
As humans, we often seek insight by way of reasoning. In this case, we are concerned with the reasoning of a “skeptic.” Referencing the standard dictionary (Excel version), we define a skeptic as “somebody who questions the validity or truth of things that most people accept.” Of little surprise, it would be generally accepted that…
Simply stated, an opportunity is merely a set of conditions favorable to some end. In view of the two possible fates of a (critical to quality) CTQ – success or failure – we have the idea of a yield opportunity and that of a defect opportunity. Since one is merely the flip side of the other…
One must necessarily understand that the short-term standard deviation reports on the “instantaneous reproducibility” of a process whereas the long-term standard deviation reflects the “sustainable reproducibility.” To this end, the short-term standard deviation is comprised of the “within group” sums-of-squares (SSW). The long-term standard deviation incorporates the “total” sums-of-squares (SST). Of course, the difference between…
The simpliest form of an answer to each of your questions is “yes.” There does exist an ever-present danger that Six Sigma will become diluted. In fact, there are many signs that it has already happened. For example, many business executives now see Six Sigma as a commodity. So what is driving a lot of…
The best metrics are those that correlate to your business goals. If you are uncertain as to the extent of correlation – measure it.
To me, the ideology of Six Sigma will evolve in two distinct by complementary directions. The first will be a focus on value creation, not just cost reduction and quality improvement. The second will be an implosion of Six Sigma to the personal level. I have been working with these two perspectives for quite some…
The following references will provide a very nice overview of the field – from general theory to in-depth case studies: 1) Six Sigma: The Breakthrough Management Strategy Revolutionizing the World’s Top Corporations by Mikel J. Harry, Ph.D. and Richard Schroeder, Doubleday 2000. 2) Six Sigma Leadership Handbook by Rath and Strong Staff, John Wiley &…
Imagine working for a corporation that is operating at an overall quality level of about Six Sigma. In terms of capability, this means that the company would be about 1,800 times better than the average organization (about Four Sigma). So, what would such a difference be like? If it existed, what would not need to…
In my recollection, two recurring questions have dominated the field of six sigma. The first inquiry can be described by the global question: “Why 6s and not some other level of capability?” The second inquiry is more molecular. It can be summarized by the question: “Where does the 1.5s shift factor come from – and…
The following is a list of some “big dos.” Just flip things around to answer your question. 1) The project targets only one CTQ (for purposes of improvement).2) The target CTQ should be measurable – conveniently and economically so.3) The CTQ should have a well-defined set of performance standards.4) The CTQ should not involve destructive…
By the nature of your question, I would assume you are a quality professional of some type or form – especially now that you provide consulting services within this arena. I find it most interesting that you have only three years experience as a quality practitioner, but now serve as a quality consultant. Given such…
Today, very few corporate executives believe that TQM is a viable system of business management. To this point, a 1996 study titled “Measuring Performance After Meeting Award Criteria” was published in Quality Progress magazine. The conclusions were quite apparent – the impact of TQM practices may not be nearly as significant as some think. After…
Having originated the term “Black Belt” at Unisys Corporation in 1986, pioneered its development at Motorola’s Six Sigma Research Institute in 1990, focused its purpose at Asea Brown Boveri in 1993, delivered its promise at Allied Signal in 1994, and set its destiny at General Electric in 1995, it should stand without saying that this…
The main difficulties can be extracted from the following assertions: 1) Everyone is a “decision maker,” but every decision requires consensus. 2) The purse strings are many, and so are the knots. 3) The phrase “just around the corner” means there are more corners. 4) The words “yes” and “no” are fully interchangeable — and…
It is now late in the evening as I prepare an answer to your question. Maybe it’s the fatigue after a day of providing answers or perhaps it’s the nature of the question, but what really grabs me about your question (perhaps in the wrong way) is the word “tools.” From a different perspective, I…
Based on the elements of your question, I would say that your problem could be readily shaped into a Black Belt project. I would assume that a Pareto analysis has already been conducted. As a more advanced diagnostic, you should consider employing a multi-vari chart. Although simple in nature, such a chart has considerable power. …
As most of the world already knows, nothing sells better than sex, money, and hope. Since sex would appear to have little to do with Six Sigma, we should focus on the merits of money and hope. Most generally, top management gains “hope” when it smells “money.” This principle seems to hold true regardless of…
Reference the quality literature on statistical process control, also known as “SPC.” There are many excellent books on the subject, particularly the one by “Grant and Levenworth.” Process improvement and optimization is often accomplished by way of statistically designed experiments, or “DOE” as it is known. To this end, the work of “George Box” is…
No, this is not a challenge; it’s called “dreaming.” You have to be joking – a six sigma project (over the phone) with little management support – and you are asking me if it will be successful? My best advice is for you to; a) approach your management in a courteous way, and then b)…
We must always remember that the power brokers within and external to a corporation are the ones who render judgment about the success or failure of some initiative. Simply stated, the power brokers are only concerned with one matter – demonstrated results that are overtly visible and economically aligned with larger aims, not hidden somewhere…
First, there is a great deal of literature on this subject – find it and read it. However, there is no substitute for direct experience. Of course, this is directly related to the old saying “we learn by doing.” Along these lines, I would strongly recommend that you further your Six Sigma training and education…
From my perspective, this is not a Six Sigma problem. However, it does seem to be a management problem. The motivational issue will likely disappear with some proactive leadership. The difficulty you are have in relating your issues to the bottom line is likely due to the nature of your accounting system (i.e., a mismatch…
The following references will provide a very nice overview of the field – from general theory to in-depth case studies: 1) “Six Sigma: The Breakthrough Management Strategy Revolutionizing the World’s Top Corporations” by Mikel J. Harry, Ph.D. and Richard Schroeder, Doubleday 2000. 2) “Jack Welch and the GE Way: Management Insights and Leadership Secrets of…
Sometime in the not too distant past, I recall that Quality Progress magazine reported on a study that considered annualized Black Belt earnings. For the exact information on this, you would obviously have to reference the original article. However, my less-than-perfect memory seems to inform me that a Black Belt earns about $9K(US) to $10K(US)…
I assume that you are referring to the “quantitative” variety. In this regard, I believe that benchmarking is a highly valuable activity. For example, consider the “sigma-tizing” of a business. Let us suppose a certain corporation discovers that it is a 3.5 sigma business. Now suppose that the same company finds one of its competitors…
The attempted integration of Six Sigma with other technologies is quite natural, although often unsuccessful. Perhaps it is only instinctive that people try to blend the benefits of several different approaches into a single entity (per se). After all, such a thing is seemingly quite rational. More to the point, it is often believed that…
A central aspect of six sigma is an eight-step approach for achieving dramatic improvement at different levels of the business. The process is given by the acronym RDMAICSI – Recognize, Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control, Standardize, and Integrate. As a short cut, many just apply DMAIC. At a top management level, it functions as a…
The idea of a not-for-profit organization is eloquently simple – it does not operate for a profit. Some people falsely believe that the very nature of such organizations necessarily implies some type of complexity that prohibits or otherwise precludes its involvement in the world of Six Sigma. When it comes to implementing improvements in not-for-profit…
Personally speaking, I agree with all your points – and many others that are not specifically called out. For example, it is my humble opinion that the recent trend of certifying Black Belts (not excluding Green Belts) has the potential to alienate the various roles of Six Sigma from the pressing needs of a corporation….
Please reference this previous question. This question and answer examines how to select a “good” Six Sigma consultant. In summary, you must consider the consultant’s credentials. In the consulting business, credentials are everything – plain and simple. If a consultant does not have the necessary credentials, they should not be considered (for anything). Following is…
In terms of a Six Sigma Deployment and Implementation (SSDI), it is a natural tendency for newcomers to infer huge differences between a small and large business. However, it is quite often the case that several “small businesses” defines a larger corporation. From this perspective, the process for installing Six Sigma does not change (in…
Simply stated, the deployment of Six Sigma in a single functional area (to the permanent exclusion of others) will most likely not succeed. Generally speaking, Six Sigma is an “all or nothing” proposition. However, if the overall deployment and implementation plan (for the total organization) calls for a staggered but comprehensive rollout over time, then…
Many quality practitioners treat product and process capability as if they were interchangeable concepts. Presumably, this convention has evolved over time due to the naturally strong correlation between the two. However, it would not be my recommendation to view these two concepts in the same light. At the risk of leading a dead horse to…
The best way to develop a CTQ tree is the form of a cause-and-effect matrix. Locate CTQ’s on columns and CTP’s on rows. Each column-row intersect constitutes a “causal opportunity,” the strength of which must be rationally measured or otherwise evaluated.