Define:
This phase of six sigma improvement process essentially answers one critical question; “What problem would you like to fix?” In this case the primary business objective is to predict the stresses and warp of the specimen with varying factor levels. Also the primary objective is to make use of computer simulations to predict the stress as this would lower the cost of actual production cost. The team uses design and analysis of computer experiments (DACE) to predict the stress caused by the laser welding process.
The Define phase well-articulated in Identifying the business objectives. In this phase, the team had clearly listed down all the problems. The team had identified that their failure to understand the voice of customer is a major issue.
Suggestions/Critique: -
• The Define phase failed to give details on the magnitude or the impact of the problem statement. It should focus on the Critical-to-Quality [CTQ] expectations.
• They failed to identify the Target Customers & there are no Benchmarks used to compare their target goals & measures. The team can use SIPOC Table [Suppliers, Input, Process, Output, and Customer].
• Though this phase had identified that there is some disconnect between the project team and the champion it failed to list down the key stakeholders and their involvement in the project. This phase should clearly develop a high level project plan to show the highlighted completion date with the list of team members.
• The Define phase didn’t
Effective communication within the project team and between the project manager, team members, and all external stakeholders is essential” (PMBOK, 2013, p.515). The communication between the project manager and stakeholders was quite effective. However, the communication between the project manager and project team was infrequent and inconsistent. I attributed the fractured communication to gaps during the planning stage. For example, certain procedures include steps that weren’t validated and based upon assumptions. These gaps highlight the second interpersonal skill:
This phase definition which comprise of demonstration and commitment phase helped Medtronic to be more focus in what needed to be done in each phase to ensure the quality decisions were made. Once projects enter the commitment phase, Medtronic expect 100% of them to be technically and commercially successful.
This paper will examine the origin of Six Sigma and it?s evolution into the foremost accepted quality improvement processes across many disciplines. In addition, an examination will be done on the application of Six Sigma in the healthcare industry including all variables and their operational definitions. Clarification will be given on how the theory evolved into the foremost accepted process improvement methodology in the world. Finally, testing of the model will be conducted by applying the theory to a work setting within the healthcare environment. From the testing
Six Sigma tools and techniques have been standard Quality Engineering practices for many decades but these tools and techniques were rallied under an implementation banner called Six Sigma by Motorola in the 1980s. Under the banner of Six Sigma, these quality tools were given a sequential roadmap for successful implementation. When Lean and Six Sigma are combined, they offer a powerful combined toolbox of skills that we call Lean Six Sigma (LSS). LSS can create organizational breakthroughs in speed, quality and customer satisfaction. This new toolkit is used to solve one difficult problem at a time in a business by the LSS students who
There are certain goals to be defined in the define phase which are as follows:
Evaluation phase: This phase allows the customer to evaluate the output of the project to date before the project continues to the next spiral.
The project demonstrates a medium-strength application of Six Sigma tools. The project started with the organization surveying the internal organization to gather VOC information. The Likert scale was applied to identify the levels for the survey. The COPIS chart was used to map the processes of all service steps. A variety of tools to narrow the focus and statistically validate which factors contribute most to the level of process variation. Graphs and charts
Six Sigma is a set of highly effective techniques and tools which aim to improve the quality of the output of a process by identifying and increasing stability and reducing the reasons for defects in manufacturing and business processes. It is becoming a popular strategy of the worldwide enterprise who is pursuing excellent management. This critique essay aims to analyze an article named a Six Sigma Case Study – Tutorial for IT Call Center, by David L. Hallowell, according to 10 criteria (Thomas and Arne, 2016) which are often used to evaluate Six Sigma projects.
This project demonstrates a high application of Six Sigma tools. The team used a fishbone diagram for cause-and-effect analysis to understand the various factors involved in the relationship between labor and production. They used root cause analysis to identify the most significant causes for high labor costs through contract labor hiring. A process map was used to determine under what circumstances they needed extra workers that hiring casual labor was necessary and to show the amount of manpower needed to execute product order receipts. Furthermore, statistical analysis was used, specifically hypothesis testing through a two-tailed t-test, to see if there was a significant difference after improvements were implemented to determine if the changes had any impact. The project
In this consistently changing technological world, there are new features emerging in every new model of a new Sneakers. This project shows the views of the consumers on their perception of their current smart sneakers and their likeliness of adapting a new smart sneakers.
However, the first step of the define process is to define CTQ parameters which the team failed to describe. There was no proper depiction of the frequency and magnitude of
The IT industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the present world. The high competition leads to leads to a increased availability of service providers. This affects the proportion of service providers; therefore, due to the effect of the higher suppliers, there is an effect of price elasticity on supply seen in the IT industry. The price elasticity of supply has resulted in the lowered price of the service provided, compared to the other competing companies in the given market domain. The effect of “Price Elasticity on Supply (PES)” even propagates to the quality of the service provided, i.e., the company has to offer the best services at the lower prices, when compared to contemporary companies. This pushes the companies into a corner, where they have to put up their best performance in the least time and financial cost, while ensuring better customer satisfaction.
Bill Smith, a senior engineer and scientist was given credit for unveiling the Six Sigma perception. Six Sigma was an idea that was introduced to regulate the manner in which defects are calculated. Six Sigma allowed Motorola the opportunity to focus on the valuable concerns within the organizations, starting with manufacturing to office support performances. Motorola utilized Six Sigma to bring progression to the negative features within the organization. Bill Smith intended for the establishment of Six Sigma create a positive environment for organizations. Six Sigma is regard as excellence management control; in fact employees are expected to remain current with their certification. General Electric denoted that, “Six Sigma is not a secret society, a slogan or a cliché” (GE Company).
In my perspective, the criticisms of the Six Sigma approach are unfounded. First, the writer of the article in Fortune Magazine, Lee Clifford argued that the Six Sigma concept can be mind-numbingly vague. This argument seems baseless because Six Sigma is a clear concept and if an approach introduces a systematic implementation of producing error-free products and services, such initiative should be regarded as a step in the right direction not only for the manufacturing industry but for the consumer population in general. Another criticism is that more companies are applying the Six Sigma while producing products that the consumers do not want. Understandably, the approach does not
The project team must comply with their project managers (and the timeline) or else there can be delays leading to the issues mentioned above.