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  Chapter 10: Picking Out the Solution, Implementing, and Following Up

  One way to ensure that you can implement the Six Sigma project is to start with a pilot project. This helps you to figure out what problems are present in the business and what you can work on for them. You can also determine who will carry out the work and get their input through it all. Remember that Six Sigma is only going to work well if everyone in the business is involved in the whole process.

  From here, we need to not only look at the problems that are going on with the business and that need to be improved, but we also need to pick out a solution, implement that solution, and make sure that the proper follow up occurs so that things don’t get messed up or go back to how they were before. Let us look at each of these parts and see how they work with the Six Sigma methodology.

  Picking out a solution to your problem

  At some point, you are going to need to come up with some solutions to the problem you are choosing to fix. How you do this is going to depend on the problem you are fixing, but often there are more than one available solution from which to choose. So, how are you going to choose the right one based off all the choices you have?

  This is where you need to go back and look at some of the tools that come with Six Sigma and use them with your data. This way, you will easily be able to see what will be the best solution to make you more efficient, reduce waste, and help you to make more profits in the process. In the end, you should end up with just one solution to handle the problem.

  Implementing the solution

  Now that you have taken some time to look at all of the different solutions that are available and you have chosen the one that you would like to work with, it is time to implement the solution. This is the step where everyone really needs to be on board with each other. If not, things are not going to be implemented right and your Six Sigma methodology will not work the way that you want.

  You and the others on your team can come up with the procedures that need to be followed in order to come up with a good implementation of your solution. This could be new training for the employees, or a new way that you do the manufacturing of a product. It could be many other things. Nevertheless, you have to look at the solution and find a way to implement it so everyone is on the same page.

  Following up to see if it works

  Hopefully, the solution that you decided to implement is going to work well for you. It will be a solution that you can implement easily and that your employees and customers will enjoy. It will take away some of the issues that you were having before and will ensure that you are able to be as efficient as possible with your business.

  However, in order to make sure that this is working for your business, you need to have plenty of evaluation and follow up. This helps you to see that the solution is being implemented properly and that things are actually getting fixed.

  As your project finishes up, an evaluation is important because it is going to detail what worked well and then what was causing you some problems. The workers who help with this are going to be a big source for you when it comes to evaluation parameters and criteria.

  You will need to have some method in place to help you ensure that the new procedures are implemented the right way. Your managers should know how to do these evaluations and how to report them back, and even fix the behavior if needed.

  The whole point of doing Six Sigma is to make sure that you get rid of the defects of your business and provide better service to your customers. If you come up with the solution and do all of the other parts of this process, but then you do not follow up and make sure that the solution you picked is actually being used, then you just wasted a lot of time and effort in the process.

  Six Sigma is a process that is going to take a lot of time and effort on your part. It is not always the easiest thing in the world and it can cost money and time to make happen. However, if you are ready to provide a better experience for the customer, provide the best products possible, and reduce your overhead so you can make more profits, then Six Sigma is the option for you.

  Chapter 11: Common Issues with Implementing Six Sigma

  Many people in the business world have been talking about Six Sigma and how great it has been for them. Many of the organizations who choose to implement this method have found that it can improve their processes, services, and products. Having the ability to reduce their defects has helped these companies to increase their profitability, customer satisfaction, and productivity.

  However, there are going to be some obstacles that can show up, and these will often stand in the way of being able to implement Six Sigma properly. You need to make sure that you recognize some of these hurdles and that you know how to address them if you want to be able to make Six Sigma work for you. Here are some of the common issues that sometimes come up when you are implementing Six Sigma and how you are able to fix them.

  Lack of commitment from leadership

  Six Sigma is not a methodology that you can read about once, hand off to the employees, and hope that it goes well. There needs to be a big effort among the whole company to make Six Sigma work, and getting commitment from everyone in management is one of the most important steps.

  A true test to see if a company is truly committed to working with Six Sigma is going to come when the management decides which employees it is going to dedicate to the new Six Sigma project. It is always best to go with your top talent on a Six Sigma project, rather than just picking out whoever is available.

  If you just choose to use some random people in the business who are available but do not have the right training, then you are already starting the project off on the wrong foot. Moreover, this can reduce how likely it is that the project will be a success. A successful Six Sigma project is going to require leaders who have the dedications to provide money, talent, time, and resources to this new endeavor.

  You will find that taking your top performers and reassigning them from their current work so that they can work with the Six Sigma project is going to be the best bet. Sure, you may have to make some short-term sacrifices to make it work. However, in the end, you will end up getting the most benefits out of Six Sigma, which can greatly improve your business, when you choose to do this.

  Not understanding how Six Sigma works

  It is hard to get a methodology to work well if you do not have a complete understanding of how it works. Some organizations try to do it simply because they think they should. Some do it because they see that someone else was successful, and they want to be successful too. Others just rush into the project because they are so excited, but they do not have a firm grasp on what it requires to implement Six Sigma successfully.

  The first thing to understand is that you should never implement the Six Sigma methodology just to keep up with the competition. You should also not waste your time on it if your only reason is to impress the shareholders. If you are only planning on using Six Sigma as a cosmetic change, or you implement it without giving it all the resources that it needs, then you are just inviting failure into the project from the start.

  The best way to overcome this kind of obstacle is to commit to the process fully from the beginning. You can make sure that you employ and support the Six Sigma experts on your team to ensure that the new process starts working, rather than just bringing it on to use the terminology.

  These experts, who may work for the company or not, are there to keep the project focused on the areas where they can make the biggest difference. Do not waste your time or the time of your team by using Six Sigma to help with simple changes that will not make that much of a difference. Six Sigma can do some amazing things for your business, but you have to be willing to take on the big tasks, the ones that really need to be changed, rather than the smaller options.

  Poor execution

  Even if you have some expert guidance to help with this process, there are times when the project is not going to go well because it was not executed pro
perly. This poor execution will happen when the improvements are not aligning with the goals of the organization. It can be an issue when the project is reactively solving problems, rather than meeting strategic objectives. Alternatively, it can be when the quality improvement project focuses too much on the outputs of the project rather than focusing on the inputs.

  When companies that use Six Sigma are able to understand that these methodologies are not there to act inside a vacuum but are there to work while aligning to the objectives and goals of the organization, they will find that it is easier to stay on target.

  If you are working on Six Sigma and find that you are not getting the gains in productivity that you were hoping for or the savings financially, then it may be time to look for a reason. The reason is not going to be that the methodology of Six Sigma is ineffective. Instead, it is going to most likely come from a lack of effective leadership and the fact that the project was not managed in the way that it should’ve been.

  When the leadership learns how to be committed and completely on board with the methodology of Six Sigma, they work to assign the top talent to their teams. They put the project through all the right steps, including the formal selection and the review process, and it provides the required resources to all people in the process. The odds of seeing success with Six Sigma are then going to increase quite a bit.

  If Six Sigma is used in the proper manner, you are going to see some amazing results. You will be able to cut out wastes, help your customers out better, and make more profits in the long term. However, there are times when a business will take considerable resources to work on Six Sigma, and they will not see the results they had hoped for. Making sure that these top issues are not a part of our project can increase your chances of seeing success.

  Chapter 12: How to Get Six Sigma Certification

  Six Sigma is a project management methodology that is there to help increase profits, ensure product quality, boost morale, and reduce defects. Many companies use it in order to help them strive to be as close to perfect as possible. Although there is not really a governing body that will dictate the rules of Six Sigma, many organizations are going to offer certification in this methodology. By becoming certified with Six Sigma, you will find that you are someone to take seriously and that could provide more value to the company you are already with. Some of the things that you need to do in order to get Six Sigma certification includes:

  Determining the management philosophy

  Consider what the organization needs: What kind of management style is going to benefit your organization the most? Is it dealing with too much waste or overhead in the supply chain? Are there some issues with staying consistent to get things done? What is the overall culture in the business?

  Decide how you would like to optimize the process: You may be someone who thinks that the best way to make sure quality is there is to ensure that all the processes are consistent with as few variations as possible. Others may want to opt for efficiency or producing a quality product without as much waste as overhead.

  Determine which certification you want to go with. You can go with Lean Six Sigma or Six Sigma. The type of management philosophy you go with will determine the answer to this. Six Sigma is going to define the waste as a variation in the process of the business. If you believe in a consistent process, then you should get this certification.

  Lean Six Sigma is going to be a combination of the Lean method and the Six Sigma method. It is going to define waste as anything that does not end up adding value to your product when it is done. If you would like to be more efficient, then this is the best option to choose.

  Decide the level of certification

  Determine your role in an organization. This can determine how high of a certification you should get. Are you someone who supports the manager or the manager? Does your work involve you just being able to use Six Sigma on a project?

  Consider your goals in the future: Even if you are not a project manager right now, if that is your future goal, then you should consider this when picking out your certification.

  Select the certification: There are four levels that you can choose including Yellow belt, Green belt, Black belt, and Master Black belt: Yellow Belts: These are those who have just a basic understanding of the process. They are more of a supporting role to those with the higher belts. There aren’t many courses for this because it is so basic and most concentrate on being an expert in the field.

  Green Belts: These are the individuals who will work closely with the Black Belts and are mainly responsible for collecting data. These individuals will use Six Sigma, but they often have other responsibilities outside this project, so they still just need a basic understanding.

  Black Belts: These are individuals who are project managers. The other individuals will report to them and they are going to be the ones who are going to dedicate a lot of time to the project.

  Master Black Belts: These will be the experts of the team. They will be the one that the team will turn to if there are any errors or if they need to make some corrections along the way.

  Getting certified

  Find a training program: It is likely that you will have to do some classroom instruction, so look and see if there are some near you to avoid travel. Always make sure that the program is accredited. No, there are no formal standards right now, but there are some accreditation organizations that can make sure you actually learn what you need.

  Enroll in the program: You will attend the right classes and learn the material that you need to get the belt that you choose.

  Take the written test: Once you are doing with the training, the next step is to do the written test. This will check to see if you have learned what you need about Six Sigma. These tests can take some time. The Yellow Belt can be two hours, the Green Belt about three hours, and the Black Belt about four hours.

  Complete the projects: The final phase of being certified will be the process of completing a few projects using the Six Sigma methodology. This is like the “lab” to make sure that you are able to implement what you learn.

  Benefits of being certified

  Employees who are certified in Six Sigma can bring many benefits to a company. You already know how the process works and can be there to help the project go smoothly. It does not matter which belt you end up getting, they all are important to implementing a project and ensuring it is done.

  If your current employer is looking at getting started with Six Sigma, it is definitely worth your time to get a certification. This can ensure that you are put on the project and can really help to further your career, especially if you see success. If your current employer is not getting started with Six Sigma, it is still worth your time. You may be able to use this later on with another company or whenever your current company decides to look as well.

  That is all there is to it. The amount of time that you take to complete the certification is going to vary based on which belt you want to get and how the training centers work in your area. With some time and studying, you can learn how to make Six Sigma work for your business.

  Chapter 13: Tips to Help with Six Sigma

  Six Sigma is a methodology that can do many things for your business. It is there to help reduce some of the wastes that can come up in your business, helping you to provide better service and better products to your customers. However, there are times when you may not know exactly what to do to ensure you get the most out of Six Sigma. Some of the tips that you should follow when you first get started include:

  Make sure that leadership commitment is there. Make sure that the top management of the business is committed by getting them trained. This can talk about the responsibilities of the management as the Champions, tools used, and an introduction of Six Sigma. They need to be completely convinced about the benefits of Six Sigma. In addition, your steering committee should be formed to ensure: The organizational goals of the business align with Six Sigma projects

  The resou
rces are all planned for and all roadblocks are out of the way

  One person needs to be there to lead them all and they will be the Black Belt. Pick someone who would be top of your organization and can do the best job.

  Make sure your leaders are trained. They should be at least Six Sigma Champions. This two-day training session ensures that they are ready to help run the group.

  Elect the right person to train all the belts. There are tons of programs out there that promise to be the best, but most of them are mediocre. You want to pick out one that will actually teach your employees and help them to do well when Six Sigma is implemented.

  Double check to see what the return on training investment is going to be. If it is not at least 20 times, then you are going to be wasting money or you may need to find a new project to work on.

  You should start getting the movement going right from the shop level. You do not want to have just a few Green or Black Belts doing the work all the time. You should train the operators and supervisors of the shop floor to use some of the tools and techniques. They can be trained with the White Belt Program to get it done. This helps them to feel some ownership in the process and like they are doing some of the improvements on their own. You can also reward leaders and team members when they get certification to help encourage them to get on board as well.