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15 Criteria for Selecting a Viable DMAIC Project

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As anyone involved in Six Sigma knows, selecting the right project is a critical component of project success. If practitioners do not put enough effort into selecting the right opportunity for improvement, a project can end in disaster, or create unnecessary work and complexity for the project team. Selecting projects with just a […]

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Project ROI: A Key Metric for Project Selection and Resource Allocation

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Financial project metrics can be cumbersome to use and jargon-heavy. We demystify and simplify project return on investment, making the concept accessible to all and giving you the confidence to use it in your project management operations.

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Value Index for Project Selection

Use the Value Index to Prioritize Project Efforts

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Your organization may have any number of possible areas for improvement. How do you pick which project to start with? The value index can help you prioritize by measuring optimization between performance, quality and cost.

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Successful LSS Projects Start with Proper Metric Selection

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A successful Lean Six Sigma (LSS) project will produce either breakthrough performance โ€“ a shift in the mean or median โ€“ or variation reduction โ€“ a shift in the standard deviation or variation. How do you know your project has undergone a shift in the process that benefits the business? If there has been a […]

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An Affinity for Scope

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Mike was a newly hired Black Belt (BB) at a roofing shingle manufacturing plant who was going through Six Sigma training. Tim, the general manager of the plant where Mike worked, brought Mike into his office and explained that Mikeโ€™s Master Black Belt was on the speaker phone. The Master Black Belt, Robert, shared with […]

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Project Selection That Benefits the Entire Business

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To be competitive, organizations need continuous improvement efforts working internally and throughout their supply chains. How can this type of system be created so that it is both immediately beneficial and able to maintain its integrity through inevitable leadership and organizational changes? It is critically important to develop a clear mechanism for selecting improvement projects […]

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Timeless Wisdom Can Keep Today’s Belts on Track

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Successful practitioners must do more than simply master the Six Sigma methodology. They also need to keep an eye on people-related aspects throughout the lifespan of all of their projects. To do that, practitioners may want to consider some ancient (and not-so-ancient) lessons: King Solomonโ€™s use of wisdom at the right time, The art of […]

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Not Everything Needs DMAIC

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After coaching Lean Six Sigma for the last 12 years, it is still surprising to see how many projects get cancelled because they are not considered โ€œvalid.โ€ Practitioners and managers must remember that this methodology is designed for making process improvements. If leadership cannot identify a broken process, more work by the project sponsor is […]

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Holding Black Belts Accountable for Positive Project Results

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As a Black Belt, I know it is easy to fall into the trap of working only on projects that cut costs. I also know that this type of โ€œaccountingโ€ is a slippery slope that can cloud essential business goals by creating unfounded visions of savings. Donโ€™t get me wrong โ€“ cutting expenses is important. […]

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An Accelerated Project Approach Can Build Support for Six Sigma

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For many middle and senior managers who are considering business improvement initiatives, the thought of committing resources to a three- or four-month Six Sigma project can be a daunting. Many managers feel they are already working โ€œflat outโ€ and donโ€™t have the people to spare. Others understand the reality that projects can sometimes stretch out […]

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Reducing Cycle Time for Six Sigma Projects

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While Six Sigma continues to evolve, the most often cited complaint is long project cycle times. The obvious expense of eight to nine month (or longer) Black and Green Belt projects is opportunity lost. For example, a project that produces cost savings at a run rate of $30,000 per month leaves $150,000 on the table […]

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How To Avoid Over-Committing On Six Sigma Projects

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Delay the Pain, Beg for Forgiveness Years ago I came to a stark realization of an evolving culture in the business world. Employees at all levels were making, or agreeing to, commitments that they could not keep. In fact, the over-commitment culture was prevalent at the most critical level of the business โ€“ the company […]

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Project Selection Options

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Six Sigma is accomplished one project at a time. The billions of dollars saved by companies around the world is the cumulative effect of properly selecting and defining business issues that can be assigned to Green Belts and Black Belts for solution. As you may have read last week, a strategic plan includes planning, adequate […]

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Managing Your Software Project Scope Without Creep

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Have you ever managed a project that just will not end? For those projects that never seem to finish, a common cause is cited. It is not necessarily inexperience of personnel or a flawed technology, rather allowing requirements to pass in and out of the revolving door of project scope. Below are a few simple […]

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How to Select a Quality Improvement Project

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You have identified a process improvement area within your business or department. It is easy to figure out what comes next โ€“ 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 […]

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Finding and Selecting Good Six Sigma Projects

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Obvious Areas For Improvement External Defects Anything you have recently been audited or formally rejected for Anything you haven’t been audited or rejected for, but you know is out of specification or not meeting regulations Anything you inspect and/or contain to protect the customer Anything you cover for by having a guy in the customer’s […]

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Six Sigma Trends: Next Generation of Projects

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I would like to start a series of articles reflecting the University of Kassel’s research in deploying Six Sigma within crossโ€“domain industrial applications. They cover the following topics: Six Sigma trends Advanced strategies Innovative team training I will certainly appreciate if these articles launch a discussion. Getting feedback, I will be able to tailor the […]

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To Pilot or Not To Pilot a Six Sigma Project or Design

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Defining “Pilot” The meaning of acronyms and words change over time โ€“ for example, ARM for many was an acronym for allergy relief medicine; banks use the acronym for adjustable rate mortgages. The same holds true for the meaning of pilot โ€“ the light that kept stoves burning, the title of an airplane captain or […]

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Through Change, Tracking Savings Must Stay Constant

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There are people who say that Six Sigma is dead โ€“ that it has no value in modern business culture. But these people are mistaking growth and evolution for complete departure. It is true that aspects of Six Sigma have adapted to customersโ€™ changing needs over the years, but its role as a problem-solving system […]

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Use Point System for Better Six Sigma Project Selection

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One common problem many companies run into when starting Six Sigma and Lean efforts is what projects to choose. If they choose unwisely, the whole effort can be stalled or abandoned because the results may not be impressive enough to gain momentum for the cause. New practitioners should be wary of an initial project that […]

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Product Guide: Project Tracking Software

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Tracking financial metrics, reporting on project status and sharing knowledge more easily are just a few of the benefits of project tracking software. This directory provides information about the capabilities and functionalities of several products. Sponsors: MoreSteam.com Tim Kelley, 414-247-1080, [email protected], moresteam.com SigmaFlow Jim Henry, 972-447-8340, [email protected], sigmaflow.com Six Sigma practitioners use project tracking software […]

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Project Selection in a Critical Software Environment

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Careful project selection is critical to the success of a Six Sigma initiative. The best selected projects are the ones with the greatest business impact, the least effort required and the highest probability of success. Good problem statements and objectives clearly communicate the scope, significance, and goals of a project. Primary and secondary metrics will […]

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Use a Thought Map to Increase Efficiency

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Why create a thought map? What are the benefits? What common mistakes occur, or challenges may be faced, if a thought map is not used? Using non-statistical tools as well as more complex statistical techniques such as DOE (design of experiments) and SPC (statistical process control) can improve processes and products. A potential shortcoming in […]

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Six Sigma Business Requirements Document

Writing a Winning Six Sigma Project Business Requirements Document

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Many businesses have a process in place to assist with project management and implementation. One opportunity for improvement involves making reasonable estimates of how big a project is and how much it is going to cost. There are many different names for tools used with this process: business needs specification, requirements specification or, simply, business […]

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