ONE GOOD IDEA

BY EMMA DANIELSSON

Structure With Speed

Risk maps simplify Green Belt projects
SIX SIGMA TRAINERS tend to teach

long. While clarifying this idea, the team

Green Belts (GB) the most advanced

wrote down all the steps on a reposition-

tools in the Six Sigma toolbox and end up

able note (see Figure 2).

Steps / FIGURE 2
Tool too soft

with unfinished projects and exhausted

GBs. The secret is to fulfill the need for

Prioritization

structure in a project without drowning in

The project team will put the idea in the

details.

risk map based on the team members

the ideas have been placed in the map,

show which inputs are most likely to affect

the team will verify and improve them

the project goal. Each input is then clari-

one at a time, starting from the upper

fied and prioritized in a risk map.

right corner.
Risk maps are not rocket science

Clarification

most GBs grasp the tool quickly and

Often, there are a number of possible

adjust it to fit their project needs. This

ideas about how each input can affect the

should be encouraged, since a custom-

project goal and each idea can include

made map makes it easier for the team to

several steps. The project team will agree

agree on where to place each idea.

Consider, for example, a team analyzing

How often does

it happen?

In the example related to length variation, a custom-made map was created

reasons for length variation. Tool hardness

(see Figure 3), and the team could simply

was one of the inputs graded high in the

ask themselves the question on each axis

cause and effect matrix (see Figure 1).

and place the repositionable notede-

The team discussed the ways tool hard-

pending on the ratingswhere judged

ness can affect the length. One of their

most appropriate on the scales.

ideas was that sometimes the tool is too

Length variation
map / FIGURE 3
Every hour

the effect when it does happen. When all

risk map. The cause and effect matrix will

Every day

and effect matrix in combination with a

on one idea at a time and write it down.

Length too long

estimation of how often it happens and

For the tool too soft idea, the team es-

Every week

One way to do this is to use the cause

Increased tool wear

How large is
length deviation
each time?
1 m

10 m

100 m

ing potential failure mode and effects

analysis (pFMEA) in GB projects with the

soft, making it wear down too fast, which

timated that one product ended up being

simplified risk map, the average number

leads to the machined part becoming too

10 m too long every hour because of a

of ideas analyzed decreased from 22 to

Cause and effect

matrix / FIGURE 1

Key process outputs

Process step

10

Length

Cost

Process input
Tool hardness

eight. Due to the fast analysis process,

wear. Hence, the

the project goals could be reached in a

note was placed in

shorter period of time.

the orange section.

Six Sigma cause and effect matrix

Rating of importance to customer

soft tools premature

no sales pitch is neededthey embrace it

additional ideas to

because it matches the complexity of their

the map and, in the

projects. QP

next step, decided to

Total

When introducing the risk map to GBs,

The team added five

start with tests and

105

actions for the two

Machine settings

45

ideas in the orange

Tool placing

35

and red sections.

Cooling temperature

15

When replac-

EMMA DANIELSSON is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt at SKF in Gteborg,
Sweden. She has a masters degree in
production and operations management
from Chalmers University of Technology
in Gteborg. Danielsson holds a Green
Belt, Black Belt and Master Black Belt
from SKFs Six Sigma program.

May 2015 QP 63