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Friday, April 28, 2017

The Phases Of Lean Six Sigma

By Gary Reed


There are many ways to solve problems and improve processes. Many companies, some very prominent, have used Lean Six Sigma very successfully in their quest to make their companies and organizations leaner and more efficient. It can take time to undergo, but in the long run it is certainly worth putting the time and effort in.

There are 5 steps in the process. When followed, is is easy to see the progression and what the next steps should involve. Involving people from throughout the organization can be beneficial as there will be many different views about how to tackle the issue. The 5 phases in the process are Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and, finally, Control, and they are better known by their acronym, DMAIC.

In the first step, Define, the issue is brought to light and a statement about the problem is developed. Next, a goal statement, or defining what the outcome will be is decided upon. How the process currently is done should be mapped out to include all of the steps and challenges that are involved. It is also important to identify who will benefit from the improvements and what their expectations are, so that the project moves toward a common goal.

Phase two is measure. This is where a plan to collect data is developed. A data collection plan must be outlined to ensure that the data being collected is relevant and reliable. Baseline data is gathered and charted, and may require help from others within the organization to ensure that enough data is collected to support the project and really identify where problems and inefficiencies lie . It may be a good time to add people to the team and enlist their help in what data should be collected and how that data should be obtained.

The data that has been collected is then analyzed in the Analyze phase. Current processes are carefully studied. Data that has already been collected must be placed into charts using a number of different tools. Discussions should take place within the team about the problem and what some of the underlying causes could be.

Gather the team now to brainstorm potential solutions to the issue in the Improve phase. Map what the new process might look like and implement it to test the validity of the solution. Plan to collect more data to ensure that it will actually improve the process. Make sure that the data that is collected is in line with the data collected during the measure phase to ensure it is relevant and accurate.

Finally, in the control phase, it is important to come up with steps that will be out in place to ensure that the new processes are followed. The outcome should be shared with the rest of the organization as it may be useful in other process improvements. Celebrating the successes of the team involved is important.

Many organizations in North Carolina area have adopted these processes and found it helped make improvements. When issues are tackled and processes are streamlined, it is a win for the organization and for the customers they serve and it certainly worth putting in the time and effort to reap the rewards.




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