Professional Documents
Culture Documents
In 6 Sigma, CTQ is an acronym that stands for Critical-To- Quality. Customer requirements, which are identified
as CTQs, are actually a handful of elements that are considered critical to the executive team in determining the
success of the project/product/process. CTQ trees were originally developed as a part of the Six Sigma approach.
However; you can use them in a variety of situations, including when you are developing products, processes, and
services for your internal customers.
CTQs are the internal critical quality parameters that relate to the wants and needs of the customer. The
(internal and external) customer requirements get translated into Critical-To-Quality (CTQ) features. These CTQs
define the criteria to evaluate what good looks like i.e., how well the project scope and deliverables meet
requirements. CTQ is a simple, yet powerful tool that translates customer needs into a Meaningful, Measurable,
and Actionable metrics for people or group of people.
CTQs answer this question: How does my work relate to the customer requirements, and how do I know when I
have fulfilled them? CTQ helps you to understand the customer’s general requirements in more specific
terms. CTQs serve as a bridge between the internal process, its deliverables and customer satisfaction.
Need – What customer need are you fulfilling with your product or service?
Drivers – What elements or characteristics will your customers mostly likely consider when judging the quality of
your product or service?
Requirements – What process or product requirements are needed to make those drivers meet customer standards?
Project Charter refers to a statement of objectives in a project. This statement also sets out detailed project goals,
roles and responsibilities, identifies the main stakeholders, and the level of authority of a project manager.
It acts as a guideline for future projects as well as an important material in the organization's knowledge
management system.
The project charter is a short document that would consist of new offering request or a request for proposal. This
document is a part of the project management process, which is required by Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD)
and Customer Relationship Management (CRM).
Since project charter is a project planning tool, which is aimed at resolving an issue or an opportunity, the below
elements are essential for a good charter project.
For an effective charter project, it needs to address these key elements:
Identity of the project.
Time: the start date and the deadline for the project.
People involved in the project.
Outlined objectives and set targets.
The reason for a project charter to be carried out, often referred to as 'business case'.
Detailed description of a problem or an opportunity.
The return expected from the project.
Results that could be expected in terms of performance.
The expected date that the objectives is to be achieved.
Clearly defined roles and responsibilities of the participants involved.
Requirement of resources that will be needed for the objectives to be achieved.
Barriers and the risks involved with the project.
Informed and effective communication plan.
Out of all above elements, there are three most important and essential elements that need further elaboration.
Business Case
This outlines the need for a project charter to take place. A business case should set out the benefits gained from
carrying out a project charter. Benefits need not only be in terms of finance such as revenue, cost reduction, etc.,
but also the benefit that the customer receives.
Following are the characteristics of a good business case:
The reasons of undertaking the project.
The benefits gained from undertaking the project now.
The consequences of not doing the project.
The factors that would conclude that it fits the business goals.
Project Scope
As the name denotes, it refers to the scope that the project will give the business if they undertake the project.
Before doing a project, the following concerns need to be addressed:
The within scope and out of scope needs to be considered.
The process that each team will focus upon.
The start and end points for a process.
Availability of resources.
Constraints under which the team will work.
Time limitations .
The impact on the normal workload if the project is to be undertaken.
The need for a good communication plan is at its utmost necessity when it comes to planning a project. Project
managers need to work on building a good communication plan which will help in meeting the overall objectives
of a Project Charter.
When creating a communication plan, the project manager needs to take the following into consideration:
Who - responsibility of each individuals participating in the project.
What - the motive and the reason for communication plan.
Where - location where the receiver could find information.
When - the duration and the frequency of the communication plan.
How - the mechanism which is used to facilitate the communication.
Whom - The receivers of the communication.
PARETO DIAGRAM:
Pareto charts are used for identifying a set of priorities. You can chart any number of issues/variables related to a
specific concern and record the number of occurrences.
This way you can figure out the parameters that have the highest impact on the specific concern. This helps you
to work on the propriety issues in order to get the condition under control.
When do we use it (3.20)
Pareto analysis can be used in a wide range of situations where one need to priorities problems based on
its relative importance.
It can be used as a risk assessment technique from activity level to system level.
Breaks big problem into smaller pieces.
Identifies most significant factors.
Shows where to focus efforts
Allow better use of limited resources.
FLOW CHARTS:
This is one of the basic quality tools that can
be used for analyzing a sequence of events.
The tool maps out a sequence of events that take place sequentially or in parallel. The flow chart can be used to
understand a complex process in order to find the relationships and dependencies between events.
You can also get a brief idea about the critical
path of the process and the events involved in
the critical path.
Flow charts can be used for any field and to
illustrate events involving processes of any
complexity.
There are specific software tools developed for
drawing flow charts, such as MS Vision.
HISTOGRAM:
Histogram is used for illustrating the frequency and the extent in the context of two variables. Histogram is a chart
with columns. This represents the distribution by mean. If the histogram is normal, the graph takes the shape of a
bell curve.
If it is not normal, it may take different shapes based on the condition of the distribution. Histogram can be used
to measure something against another thing. Always, it should be two variables.
Consider the following example:
Histogram is used:
To Summarize large data sets
graphically
• Compare measurements to
specifications
• Communicate information to
the team
• Assist in decision making
SCATTER DIAGRAM:
When it comes to the values of two variables, scatter diagrams are
the best way to present. Scatter diagrams present the relationship
between two variables and illustrate the results on a Cartesian
plane.
Then, further analysis, such as trend analysis can be performed on
the values.
In these diagrams, one variable denotes one axis and another
variable denotes the other axis.
CONTROL CHARTS:
Control chart is the best tool for monitoring the performance of a
process. These types of charts can be used for monitoring any
processes related to function of the organization. These charts allow you to identify the following conditions related
to the process that has been monitored.
Stability of the process
Predictability of the process
Identification of common cause of variation
Special conditions where the monitoring party needs to react
A process map is a planning and management tool that visually describes the flow of work. Using process mapping
software, process maps show a series of events that produce an end result. A process map is also called a flowchart,
process flowchart, process chart, functional process chart, functional flowchart, process model, workflow diagram,
business flow diagram or process flow diagram. It shows who and what is involved in a process and can be used
in any business or organization and can reveal areas where a process should be improved.
Regression analysis is used in stats to find trends in data. For example, you might guess that there’s a connection
between how much you eat and how much you weigh; regression analysis can help you quantify that.
Regression analysis will provide you with an equation for a graph so that you can make predictions about your
data. For example, if you’ve been putting on weight over the last few years, it can predict how much you’ll weigh
in ten years time if you continue to put on weight at the same rate. It will also give you a slew of statistics (including
a p-value and a correlation coefficient) to tell you how accurate your model is. Most elementary stats courses cover
very basic techniques, like making scatter plots and performing linear regression. However, you may come across
more advanced techniques like multiple regression.
Multiple regression analysis is used to see if there is a statistically significant relationship between sets of variables.
It’s used to find trends in those sets of data.
Multiple regression analysis is almost the same as simple linear regression. The only difference between simple
linear regression and multiple regression is in the number of predictors (“x” variables) used in the regression.
Simple regression analysis uses a single x variable for each dependent “y” variable. For example: (x1, Y1).
Multiple regression uses multiple “x” variables for each independent variable: (x1)1, (x2)1, (x3)1, Y1).
In one-variable linear regression, you would input one dependent variable (i.e. “sales”) against an independent
variable (i.e. “profit”). But you might be interested in how different types of sales effect the regression. You could
set your X1 as one type of sales, your X2 as another type of sales and so on.
What Is SWOT Analysis?
SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis is a framework used to evaluate a company's
competitive position and to develop strategic planning. SWOT analysis assesses internal and external factors, as
well as current and future potential.
A SWOT analysis is designed to facilitate a realistic, fact-based, data-driven look at the strengths and weaknesses
of an organization, its initiatives, or an industry. The organization needs to keep the analysis accurate by avoiding
pre-conceived beliefs or gray areas and instead focusing on real-life contexts. Companies should use it as a guide
and not necessarily as a prescription
Is your market growing and are there trends that will encourage people to buy more of what you are selling?
Are there upcoming events that your company may be able to take advantage of to grow the business?
Are there upcoming changes to regulations that might impact your company positively?
If your business is up and running, do customers think highly of you?
Threats
Threats are external factors that you have no control over. You may want to consider putting in place contingency
plans for dealing them if they occur.
A PESTEL analysis or PESTLE analysis (formerly known as PEST analysis) is a framework or tool used to
analyse and monitor the macro-environmental factors that may have a profound impact on an organisation’s
performance. This tool is especially useful when starting a new business or entering a foreign market. It is often
used in collaboration with other analytical business tools such as the SWOT analysis and Porter’s Five Forces to
give a clear understanding of a situation and related internal and external factors. PESTEL is an acronym that stand
for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors. However, throughout the years
people have expanded the framework with factors such as Demographics, Intercultural, Ethical and Ecological
resulting in variants such as STEEPLED, DESTEP and SLEPIT. In this article, we will stick simply to PESTEL
since it encompasses the most relevant factors in general business. Each factor will be elaborated on below:
Political Factors:
These factors are all about how and to what degree a government intervenes in the economy or a certain
industry. Basically all the influences that a government has on your business could be classified here. This can
include government policy, political stability or instability, corruption, foreign trade policy, tax policy, labour law,
environmental law and trade restrictions. Furthermore, the government may have a profound impact on a nation’s
education system, infrastructure and health regulations. These are all factors that need to be taken into account
when assessing the attractiveness of a potential market.
Economic Factors:
Economic factors are determinants of a certain economy’s performance. Factors include economic growth,
exchange rates, inflation rates, interest rates, disposable income of consumers and unemployment rates. These
factors may have a direct or indirect long term impact on a company, since it affects the purchasing power of
consumers and could possibly change demand/supply models in the economy. Consequently it also affects the way
companies price their products and services.
Social Factors:
This dimension of the general environment represents the demographic characteristics, norms, customs and values
of the population within which the organization operates. This inlcudes population trends such as the population
growth rate, age distribution, income distribution, career attitudes, safety emphasis, health consciousness, lifestyle
attitudes and cultural barriers. These factors are especially important for marketers when targeting certain
customers. In addition, it also says something about the local workforce and its willingness to work under certain
conditions.
Technological Factors:
These factors pertain to innovations in technology that may affect the operations of the industry and the market
favorably or unfavorably. This refers to technology incentives, the level of innovation, automation, research and
development (R&D) activity, technological change and the amount of technological awareness that a market
possesses. These factors may influence decisions to enter or not enter certain industries, to launch or not launch
certain products or to outsource production activities abroad. By knowing what is going on technology-wise, you
may be able to prevent your company from spending a lot of money on developing a technology that would become
obsolete very soon due to disruptive technological changes elsewhere.
Environmental Factors:
Environmental factors have come to the forefront only relatively recently. They have become important due to the
increasing scarcity of raw materials, polution targets and carbon footprint targets set by governments. These factors
include ecological and environmental aspects such as weather, climate, environmental offsets and climate
change which may especially affect industries such as tourism, farming, agriculture and insurance. Furthermore,
growing awareness of the potential impacts of climate change is affecting how companies operate and the products
they offer. This has led to many companies getting more and more involved in practices such as corprate social
responsibility (CSR) and sustainability.
Legal Factors:
Although these factors may have some overlap with the political factors, they include more specific laws such as
discrimination laws, antitrust laws, employment laws, consumer protection laws, copyright and patent laws, and
health and safety laws. It is clear that companies need to know what is and what is not legal in order to trade
successfully and ethically. If an organisation trades globally this becomes especially tricky since each country has
its own set of rules and regulations. In addition, you want to be aware of any potential changes in legislation and
the impact it may have on your business in the future. Recommended is to have a legal advisor or attorney to help
you with these kind of things.
5 Whys technique
Sakichi Toyoda, the Japanese industrialist, inventor, and founder of Toyota Industries, developed the 5 Whys
technique in the 1930s. It became popular in the 1970s, and Toyota still uses it to solve problems today.
Toyota has a "go and see" philosophy. This means that its decision making is based on an in-depth understanding
of what's actually happening on the shop floor , rather than on what someone in a boardroom thinks might be
happening.
The 5 Whys technique is true to this tradition, and it is most effective when the answers come from people who
have hands-on experience of the process or problem in question.
The method is remarkably simple: when a problem occurs, you drill down to its root cause by asking "Why?" five
times. Then, when a counter-measure becomes apparent, you follow it through to prevent the issue from recurring.
1. Assemble a Team
Gather together people who are familiar with the specifics of the problem, and with the process that you're trying
to fix. Include someone to act as a facilitator , who can keep the team focused on identifying effective counter-
measures.
2. Define the Problem
If you can, observe the problem in action. Discuss it with your team and write a brief, clear problem statement that
you all agree on. For example, "Team A isn't meeting its response time targets" or "Software release B resulted in
too many rollback failures."
Then, write your statement on a whiteboard or sticky note, leaving enough space around it to add your answers to
the repeated question, "Why?"
3. Ask the First "Why?"
Ask your team why the problem is occurring. (For example, "Why isn't Team A meeting its response time
targets?") Asking "Why?" sounds simple, but answering it requires serious thought. Search for answers that are
grounded in fact: they must be accounts of things that have actually happened, not guesses at what might have
happened.
4. Ask "Why?" Four More Times
For each of the answers that you generated in Step 3, ask four further "whys" in succession. Each time, frame the
question in response to the answer you've just recorded.
Step 5. Know When to Stop
You'll know that you've revealed the root cause of the problem when asking "why" produces no more useful
responses, and you can go no further. An appropriate counter-measure or process change should then become
evident.
6. Address the Root Cause(s)
Now that you've identified at least one root cause, you need to discuss and agree on the counter-measures that will
prevent the problem from recurring.
7. Monitor Your Measures
Keep a close watch on how effectively your counter-measures eliminate or minimize the initial problem. You may
need to amend them, or replace them entirely. If this happens, it's a good idea to repeat the 5 Whys process to
ensure that you've identified the correct root cause.
Inter-relationship Diagram:
The purpose of relations diagram is to generate a visual representation of the relations between an effect and its
causes as well as the interrelationship between the causes in complex problems.
The steps in the preparation of a relations diagram are:
1. Decide the ‘effect’ or the problem for which causes are to be found. Write is in the centre of the flip chart or a
board and enclose it in a dark bordered rectangle. Discuss the subject and confirm the ‘effect’.
2. Brainstorm to identify the immediate causes for the effect first. Enter these in rectangles around the central dark
rectangle. Take care to place causes likely to be related to one another in adjacent positions. It is quite possible
that the locations of the causes may have to be changed as one progresses. Hence a white board is preferable to a
flip chart for this exercise. If a flip chart is used, the causes may be written on post-it pads and stuck on the chart
so that their location can be changed easily.
3. Connect these immediate causes to the effect by connecting the rectangles of the causes to that of the effect with
a line with an arrow pointing towards the effect. Explore the cause and effect relationship among the immediate
causes and connect them, keeping in mind that the arrow always points to an effect.
4. Taking each of these immediate causes as an effect, brainstorm to find causes for them one by one. The key
question for identifying causes is “why?”. Keep asking the question till the root causes are identified for the
immediate, secondary and tertiary causes.
5. Explore the relationship between all the causes and connect the rectangles as in step-3. Show as many relations
among different causes as possible. A large number of routes leading to the same root causes provides an indication
that the root cause may be an important
contributor to the problem.
6. Brainstorm to find the more important root
causes and more prominent links leading to
the effect. Mark these by making the
rectangles and the connecting lines darker.
7. If necessary, rearrange the rectangles in
such a way that the connecting lines are short
and the diagram compact.
8. Provide a suitable title to the diagram.
OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) is the gold standard for measuring manufacturing productivity. Simply
put – it identifies the percentage of manufacturing time that is truly productive. An OEE score of 100% means you
are manufacturing only Good Parts, as fast as possible, with no Stop Time. In the language of OEE that means
100% Quality (only Good Parts), 100% Performance (as fast as possible), and 100% Availability (no Stop Time).
Measuring OEE is a manufacturing best practice. By measuring OEE and the underlying losses, you will gain
important insights on how to systematically improve your manufacturing process. OEE is the single best metric
for identifying losses, benchmarking progress, and improving the productivity of manufacturing equipment (i.e.,
eliminating waste).
The simplest way to calculate OEE is as the ratio of Fully Productive Time to Planned Production Time. Fully
Productive Time is just another way of saying manufacturing only Good Parts as fast as possible (Ideal Cycle
Time) with no Stop Time. Hence the calculation is:
Although this is an entirely valid calculation of OEE, it does not provide information about the three loss-related
factors: Availability, Performance, and Quality. For that – we use the preferred calculation.
OEE is calculated by multiplying the three OEE factors: Availability, Performance, and Quality.
Availability
Availability takes into account all events that stop planned production long enough where it makes sense to track
a reason for being down (typically several minutes).
Availability is calculated as the ratio of Run Time to Planned Production Time:
Run Time is simply Planned Production Time less Stop Time, where Stop Time is defined as all time where the
manufacturing process was intended to be running but was not due to Unplanned Stops (e.g., Breakdowns)
or Planned Stops (e.g., Changeovers).
Performance
Performance takes into account anything that causes the manufacturing process to run at less than the maximum
possible speed when it is running (including both Slow Cycles and Small Stops).
Performance is the ratio of Net Run Time to Run Time. It is calculated as:
Ideal Cycle Time is the fastest cycle time that your process can achieve in optimal circumstances. Therefore, when
it is multiplied by Total Count the result is Net Run Time (the fastest possible time to manufacture the parts).
Since rate is the reciprocal of time, Performance can also be calculated as:
Performance should never be greater than 100%. If it is, that usually indicates that Ideal Cycle Time is set
incorrectly (it is too high).
Quality
Quality takes into account manufactured parts that do not meet quality standards, including parts that need rework.
Remember, OEE Quality is similar to First Pass Yield, in that it defines Good Parts as parts that successfully pass
through the manufacturing process the first time without needing any rework.
Quality is calculated as:
This is the same as taking the ratio of Fully Productive Time (only Good Parts manufactured as fast as possible
with no Stop Time) to Net Run Time (all parts manufactured as fast as possible with no stop time).
OEE
OEE takes into account all losses, resulting in a measure of truly productive manufacturing time. It is calculated
as:
If the equations for Availability, Performance, and Quality are substituted in the above and reduced to their
simplest terms the result is:
This is the “simplest” OEE calculation described earlier. And, as described earlier, multiplying Good
Count by Ideal Cycle Time results in Fully Productive Time (manufacturing only Good Parts, as fast as possible,
with no Stop Time).
Now let’s work through a complete example using the preferred OEE calculation. Here is data recorded for the
first shift:
Item Data
Downtime 47 minutes
Run Time
The next step is to calculate the amount of time that production was actually running (was not stopped). Remember
that Stop Time should include both Unplanned Stops (e.g., Breakdowns) or Planned Stops (e.g., Changeovers).
Both provide opportunities for improvement.
Good Count
If you do not directly track Good Count, it also needs to be calculated.
Availability
Availability is the first of the three OEE factors to be calculated. It accounts for when the process is not running
(both Unplanned Stops and Planned Stops).
Performance
Performance is the second of the three OEE factors to be calculated. It accounts for when the process is running
slower than its theoretical top speed (both Small Stops and Slow Cycles).
Formula: (Ideal Cycle Time × Total Count) / Run Time
Example: (1.0 seconds × 19,271 widgets) / (373 minutes × 60 seconds) = 0.8611 (86.11%)
Performance can also be calculated based on Ideal Run Rate. The equivalent Ideal Run Rate in our example is 60
parts per minute.
Quality
Quality is the third of the three OEE factors to be calculated. It accounts for manufactured parts that do not meet
quality standards.
OEE
Finally, OEE is calculated by multiplying the three OEE factors.
The result is the same in both cases. The OEE for this shift is 74.79%.
TRIZ
TRIZ is the Russian acronym for the "Theory of Inventive Problem Solving," an international system of creativity
developed in the U.S.S.R. between 1946 and 1985, by engineer and scientist Genrich S. Altshuller and his
colleagues.
According to TRIZ, universal principles of creativity form the basis of innovation. TRIZ identifies and codifies
these principles, and uses them to make the creative process more predictable.
In other words, whatever problem you're facing, somebody, somewhere, has already solved it (or one very like it).
Creative problem solving involves finding that solution and adapting it to your problem.
TRIZ is most useful in roles such as product development, design engineering, and process management. For
example, Six Sigma quality improvement processes often make use of TRIZ.
Here, you take the specific problem that you face and generalize it to one of the TRIZ general problems. From the
TRIZ general problems, you identify the general TRIZ solution you need, and then consider how you can apply it
to your specific problem.
The TRIZ databases are actually a collection of "open source" resources compiled by users and aficionados of the
system (such as the 40 Principles and 76 Standard Solutions, which we look at, below).
2. Eliminating Contradictions
Another fundamental TRIZ concept is that there are fundamental contradictions at the root of most problems. In
many cases, a reliable way to solve a problem is to eliminate these contradictions.
TRIZ recognizes two categories of contradictions:
Technical contradictions. These are classical engineering "trade-offs," where you can't reach the desired state
because something else in the system prevents it. In other words, when something gets better, something else
automatically gets worse.
For example:The product gets stronger (good), but the weight increases (bad). Service is customized to each
customer (good), but the service delivery system gets complicated (bad). Training is comprehensive (good), but it
keeps employees away from their assignments (bad).
The key technical contradictions are summarized in the TRIZ Contradiction Matrix. As with all TRIZ resources,
it takes time and study to become familiar with the Contradiction Matrix. Physical (or "inherent") contradictions.
These are situations in which an object or system suffers contradictory, opposite requirements.
Everyday examples include: Software should be complex (to have many features), but simple (to be easy to learn).
Coffee should be hot (to be enjoyed), but cool (to avoid burning the drinker).
An umbrella should be large (to keep the rain off), but small (to be maneuverable in a crowd).
You can solve physical contradictions with the TRIZ Separation Principles. These separate your requirements
according to basic categories of Space, Time and Scale.
AFFINITY DIAGRAM
The purpose of an affinity diagram is to provide a visual representation of grouping of a large number of ideas or
factors or requirements into logical sets of related items to help one organise action plans in a systematic manner.
The steps in the procedure for preparing an affinity diagram are :
1. Decide the subject or the topic
2. Generate a large number of ideas through brainstorming
3. Decide the number of groups and their titles. Create a card for each group. Enter the title of the group at the top
of the card.
4. Distribute all the ideas among the cards. If necessary, create new cards for additional groups.
5. Arrange the cards according to the relationship between the groups.
6. Give a name to the affinity diagram.
Nominal group
technique (NGT) is
defined as a structured
method for
group brainstorming that encourages contributions from everyone and facilitates quick agreement on the relative
importance of issues, problems, or solutions. Team members begin by writing down their ideas, then selecting
which idea they feel is best. Once team members are ready, everyone presents their favorite idea, and the
suggestions are then discussed and prioritized by the entire group using a point system. NGT combines the
importance ratings of individual group members into the final weighted priorities of the group.
Use NGT when:
1. State the problem, question, or issue that is the subject of the brainstorming and ensure that everyone
understands.
2. Each team member silently thinks of solutions or ideas that come to mind when considering the problem and
writes down as many as possible in a set period of time (5 to 10 minutes).
3. Each member states aloud one idea. The facilitator records it on the flipchart.
o No discussion is allowed, not even questions for clarification.
o Ideas given do not need to be from the team members' written lists. Indeed, as time goes on, many ideas will
not be found on their original lists.
o A member may "pass" his or her turn and may then add an idea on a subsequent turn.
o Continue around the group until all members pass or until an agreed-upon length of time.
4. Discuss each idea in turn. Wording may be changed only when the idea’s originator agrees. Ideas may be stricken
from the list only by unanimous agreement or when there are duplicates. Discussion may clarify meaning,
explain logic or analysis, raise and answer questions, or state agreement or disagreement. The group may also
combine ideas into categories.
5. Prioritize the recorded ideas in relation to the original question using multivoting or list reduction. Typically,
the solution with the highest total ranking is selected as the final decision. Other variations include estimating
the amount of work required to implement each solution by assigning it a point value; the higher the point value,
the more work involved.
For example, Table 1 lists possible user requirements for a library card system. Three team members have
assigned each user requirement a points value based on the estimated work involved.
The primary purpose of the discussion is clarification, not to resolve differences of opinion.
Discussion should be equally balanced among all ideas.
Keep all ideas visible. When ideas overflow to additional flipchart pages, post previous pages around the room so
all ideas are still visible to everyone.
See brainstorming for other suggestions to use with this tool.
SMED stands for Single-Minute Exchange of Die. SMED was developed by Shigeo Shingo, a Japanese industrial
engineer who was extraordinarily successful in helping companies dramatically reduce their changeover times.
His pioneering work led to documented reductions in changeover times averaging 94% (e.g. from 90 minutes to
less than 5 minutes) across a wide range of companies.
The SMED system is a theory and set of techniques that make it possible to perform equipment setup and
changeover operations in fewer than 10 minutes – in other words, in the single-minute range. SMED principles
can be used and applied in almost any operation or process. It was developed to improve die and machine tool
setups.
SMED’s goal is to reduce the setup time to within minutes. Depending on the process, setup within minutes may
be very difficult, but in most cases, if the SMED principles are followed, drastic reductions in setup time can be
obtained.
The basic principles of SMED are:
Identify internal versus external changeover tasks.
Analyze each task’s real purpose and function.
Focus on no/low cost solutions.
Aim to eliminate changeover time.
BENEFITS IN IMPLEMENTING 5S
Work place becomes proud place to work
Results in good image and- generates business
Operations become easier and safer in work place
Disciplined people
Improve productivity' and morality
Better quality awareness
More usable space
Less Material handling time
Less production cost
Preventive maintenance
High employee involvement
Less accidents
More time to improvement.
Mistake Proofing is about adding techniques to prevent defects and detect defects as soon as possible, if one does
occur.
Poka-Yoke is often used as a synonymous term but its meaning is to eliminate product defects by preventing
human errors (that are unintentional). The concept was first put to widespread use by Shigeo Shingo within the
Toyota Production System (TPS).
When an error can not practically be 100% prevented or detected, then the next best option is to try to reduce the
severity of the error and defect.
Objective:
PREVENT a defect from occurring and when this is not possible, DETECT the defect every time one occurs.
There are various levels, effort, and costs of error proofing.
The team needs to identify the optimal states and examine feasibility of implementation in the new product or
process KPIV's.
The goal is in this priority:
1.To prevent the errors that lead to the defects
2.To detect defects (not all errors can be 100% preventable)
3.To reduce the severity of the defect
If practical and necessary, try to implement all three or a combination of the three options.
Sometimes technology isn’t available to prevent and/or detect errors so the next best solution is to reduce the
severity of the defect.
Tools such as the 5-WHY are used to get to root causes of the errors. When thinking about mistake-proofing it is
crucial to get to the sources and root causes.
Value stream mapping (VSM) or lean process mapping is defined as a lean tool that employs
a flowchart documenting every step in the process. Many lean practitioners see VSM as a fundamental tool to
identify waste, reduce process cycle times, and implement process improvement.
VSM is a workplace efficiency tool designed to combine material processing steps with information flow, along
with other important related data. VSM is an essential lean tool for an organization wanting to plan, implement,
and improve while on its lean journey. VSM helps users create a solid implementation plan that will maximize
their available resources and help ensure that materials and time are used efficiently.
A value stream map allows you to see a top-down overview of your business processes. Then, you can analyze the
process or workflow, identifying wastes and inefficiencies. Typically, here’s a couple of things you’d want to be
on the lookout for:
Delays that hold up the process
Restraints that limit the process
Excess inventory that ties up resources unproductively
Sowing
Transplanting
Growing
Grading
Shipping
Transport doesn’t add value to your final product – unless you’re in the transport business! See if you can reduce
steps involving transport of materials or information that don’t add value.
Inventory of inputs and finished products costs you money which could have been earning income elsewhere.
The lower your inventory levels can be without stonewalling production, the better it will be.
Motion costs time and time is money. As an example, our nursery worker has to move her transplanted seedling
10 feet from the potting table to the tractor wagon. That’s wasted time.
Waiting because there’s a bottleneck in a previous process or sub-process is another clear waste of valuable
resources.
Over-processing can be hard to gauge, but if an item can move from one process to another in an acceptable
condition with less input, it should do so.
Overproduction is an additional pitfall to avoid. Even if your product isn’t perishable, storing it and monitoring
it until such time as a customer buys it is clearly a waste.
Defects mean reworking or scrapping and are clear money-eaters. How can you reduce defects in each step of the
process you’ve mapped?
Step #7: Create the Ideal Value Stream Map
You know how things are if you maintain the status quo, but how would you like them to look? Use your team to
help you map out an ideal value stream map that eliminates, or at least reduces, all the wastes you spotted when
analyzing the results of your value stream mapping exercise.
Force Field Analysis was created by Kurt Lewin in the 1940s. Lewin originally used it in his work as a social
psychologist. Today, however, it is also used in business, for making and communicating go/no-go decisions.
The idea behind Force Field Analysis is that situations are maintained by an equilibrium between forces that drive
change and others that resist change, as shown in figure 1, below. For change to happen, the driving forces must
be strengthened or the resisting forces weakened. The tool is useful for making decisions by analyzing the forces
for and against a change, and for communicating the reasoning behind your decision.
Gantt chart?
Many people have never heard of a Gantt. Simply put, a Gantt chart is a visual view of tasks scheduled over
time. Gantt charts are used for planning projects of all sizes and they are a useful way of showing what work is
scheduled to be done on a Gantt chart you can easily see:
The start date of the project
What the project tasks are
Who is working on each task?
When tasks start and finish
How long each task will take
How tasks group together, overlap and link with each other
The finish date of the project day. They also help you view the start and end dates of a project in one simple view.
An Activity Network diagram is a 7M tool that graphically depicts your project timeline. You can gather great
information on how to manage your project by mapping out tasks in order of occurrence and labeling each with
the best, worst, and average case times it takes to complete them by incorporating PERT and CPM techniques into
a flowchart.
An Activity Network diagram helps you: The primary intent of creating an Activity Network Diagram is to
create a flow chart showing the necessary tasks for a project in sequence order (including parallel and serial paths).
An Activity Network diagram is a 7M tool that graphically depicts your project timeline. You can gather great
information on how to manage your project by mapping out tasks in order of occurrence and labeling each with
the best, worst, and average case times it takes to complete them by incorporating PERT and CPM techniques into
a flowchart.
The primary intent of creating an Activity Network Diagram is to create a flow chart showing the necessary tasks
for a project in sequence order (including parallel and serial paths).
Activity network Diagram helps manage the development of projects – especially for organizations that have list
activities performed at a particular time.
Step 1: List all of the tasks in the project
The first thing that you have to do is to gather the list of the complete tasks of the organization that are required to
complete the proposed project
Step 2: Put in Chronological order
Have them arranged in chronological order- that is according to the order of the execution of each task.
If a task is dependent on another, be sure that that task is further down the timeline than the one needed. In other
words, if Task A needs tasks B and C to complete before it can be performed, put B and C in front of task A.
Most-likely time. The time that you will likely need to complete the project.
Most optimistic time. The shortest amount of time to complete the task.
Most pessimistic time. The longest amount of time to complete the task.
The Critical Path is the longest time through the entire project executing tasks in necessary order. This is important
because the project will never complete quicker than the critical path.
Look for ways to shorten your critical path. Re-evaluate the task dependencies. Is there any way you can move
tasks around to complete the project faster? Where are your bottlenecks? Can any tasks be sub-divided? Are there
any more ways tasks can be completed in parallel?.
Suppose you were asked to rank your favorite beer on 8 aspects (Sourness, Bitterness, Sweetness, Saltiness, Yeast,
Hop, Malt and Special Grain) and then show them graphically, you might use a Column Chart for it.
But when there are a large number of variables (8 in this case), the Column Chart might look cluttered. In such
scenarios, try the Radar Chart instead!
A Radar Chart, also called as Spider Chart, Radial Chart or Web Chart, is a graphical method of displaying
multivariate data in the form of a two-dimensional chart of three or more quantitative variables represented on
axes starting from the same point.
The milestone chart template as a simpler way to illustrate, schedule and report your project. A milestone chart
will provide a snapshot of your project for important presentations and communications with management or
customers.
Milestone charts can be used to illustrate the key events, objectives and targets of any project or plan. This makes
the milestone template an excellent tool for planning projects or managing programs where visualizing the key
components need to be displayed in chronological order on a time schedule. The free milestone chart should be
used for top level reviews. It was made for reporting to management and clients, or any audiences who should not
be overwhelmed with the detailed minutia of the plan or project.
Earned Value Management (EVM) helps project managers to measure project performance. It is a systematic
project management process used to find variances in projects based on the comparison of worked performed and
work planned. EVM is used on the cost and schedule control and can be very useful in project forecasting.
Earned value management does introduce a few new terms. Contractors’ internal systems must be able to provide:
o Budgeted cost for work scheduled (BCWS), sometimes called the planned value.
o Budgeted cost for work performed (BCWP) or earned value.
o Actual cost of work performed (ACWP).
o Budget at completion (BAC).
o Estimate at completion (EAC) which is comprised of the cumulative to date actual cost of work
performed plus the estimate to complete the remaining work.
o Cost variance (CV) which is calculated as BCWP minus ACWP. A result greater than 0 is favorable
(an underrun), a result less than 0 is unfavorable (an overrun).
o Schedule variance (SV) which is calculated as BCWP minus BCWS. A result greater than 0 is
favorable (ahead of schedule), a result less than 0 is unfavorable (behind schedule).
o Variance at completion (VAC) which is calculated as BAC minus EAC. A result greater than 0 is
favorable, a result less than 0 is unfavorable.
Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, Deming cycle, Shewhart cycle. Understand the evolution of these variations.
The Plan-do-check-act cycle (Figure 1) is a four-step model for carrying out change. Just as a circle has no end,
the PDCA cycle should be repeated again and again for continuous improvement. The PDCA cycle is considered
a project planning tool.
The DMADV approach is widely used to implement new products or processes. It’s especially beneficial for
supply chain operations due to its basis in data and comprehensive analysis, and the ability it provides to determine
success early on. The five phases of a Design for Six Sigma project are as follows:
Define. This initial phase determines everything from the project’s purpose, schedule, and budget to how the
results will be communicated. It also details any risks associated and establishes quantifiable goals.
Measure. During this phase, customer expectations and needs are translated into quantifiable design requirements.
Methods such as surveys, site visits, and consumer focus groups are utilized to obtain customer information.
Analyze. Once the design requirements are established, multiple designs are created. Assessment tools evaluate
how well each concept meets customer needs and its potential for success.
Design. The best design is selected, and detailed production work begins. The technology required, materials,
manufacturing process and location, risks, and packaging are all evaluated through analysis tools and computer
simulation. This phase is finished once a final design has been decided upon and a validation plan is developed.
Verify. Validation testing is conducted to assess whether the design does actually meet performance and customer
requirements. Often, a prototype or pilot build is created before the actual product launch. Whether the design is
successful or not, project documentation is completed and results are shared.
When is it best to use DFSS instead of DMAIC? First, consider whether the product has already been implemented,
or if it is going to be introduced for the first time. DMAIC should be used for processes that a company already
has in effect. For example, DMAIC can help a company that makes phones evaluate the types of updates its newest
version requires in order to stay competitive in the cellphone market.
The DMADV approach should be used for products and services that are not currently in existence. It is also ideal
to use DMADV if you would like to create a product that fully meets customer expectations, want to initially
provide a product of high quality, or are interested in being more likely to achieve success on the first attempt. A
company that is introducing its first cellphone can utilize DMADV to develop a phone that meets customer’s needs
right off the bat. DMADV is widely used in other variations, including DMADOV, which contains the additional
step “Optimization,” and IDOV, which is Identify, Design, Optimize, Verify.
Design For Six Sigma also integrates fundamental Six Sigma tools such as Design of Experiments (DOE), Failure
Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Design for Reliability (DFR) and Design for Testability (DFT).
Businesses practicing Design For Six Sigma can benefit in a number of areas:
Identifying the Critical to Quality (CTQ) attributes most important to customers.
Enhanced process capability – determining what the process can deliver.
Reduction of variations to a minimum in final product fabrication.
Stable operations – ensuring reliable, predictable processes and improving the customer experience.
Designing superior performance– to meet customer expectations and process proficiency.
In addition, the DFSS toolbox utilizes a number of proven Six Sigma elements, including:
Project Charter – An important first step in the design process is where the project team identifies the business
need, clarifies objectives, deliverables, schedule, budget and roles. Parameters for project success are also
identified in this step.
Voice of the Customer (VOC) – Understanding what the customer wants can be accomplished by analyzing
existing customer feedback and polling potential customers through surveys, focus groups and questionnaires.
Quality Function Deployment (QFD) – A variety of mediums are used to make design decisions for new products
or services. Customer needs are translated into Critical To Quality (CTQ) characteristics of the product and
process.
Design for Reliability (DFR) and Design for Testability (DFT) – These tools can help with fine-tuning the
design for the lifecycle of the product to minimize costs and maintain reliability.
Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA) – Identify potential failures in the product design and manufacturing
process and develop controls to minimize or correct them.
Design of Elements (DOE) – Optimize parameter values and reduce variation to create a robust design.
Design For Six Sigma also integrates fundamental Six Sigma tools such as Design of Experiments (DOE), Failure
Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Design for Reliability (DFR) and Design for Testability (DFT).
Businesses practicing Design For Six Sigma can benefit in a number of areas:
Identifying the Critical to Quality (CTQ) attributes most important to customers.
Enhanced process capability – determining what the process can deliver.
Reduction of variations to a minimum in final product fabrication.
Stable operations – ensuring reliable, predictable processes and improving the customer experience.
Designing superior performance– to meet customer expectations and process proficiency.
In addition, the DFSS toolbox utilizes a number of proven Six Sigma elements, including:
Project Charter – An important first step in the design process is where the project team identifies the business
need, clarifies objectives, deliverables, schedule, budget and roles. Parameters for project success are also
identified in this step.
Voice of the Customer (VOC) – Understanding what the customer wants can be accomplished by analyzing
existing customer feedback and polling potential customers through surveys, focus groups and questionnaires.
Quality Function Deployment (QFD) – A variety of mediums are used to make design decisions for new products
or services. Customer needs are translated into Critical To Quality (CTQ) characteristics of the product and
process.
Design for Reliability (DFR) and Design for Testability (DFT) – These tools can help with fine-tuning the
design for the lifecycle of the product to minimize costs and maintain reliability.
Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA) – Identify potential failures in the product design and manufacturing
process and develop controls to minimize or correct them.
Design of Elements (DOE) – Optimize parameter values and reduce variation to create a robust design.
FAILURE MODE AND EFFECTS ANALYSIS: (FMEA)
Is an analytical technique that combines the technology and experience of people in identifying foreseeable failure
modes of a product or process and planning for its elimination.
Failure mode and effect analysis also known as risk analysis is a preventive measure to systematically display the
causes, effects, and possible actions regarding observed failures.
OBJECTIVES OF FMEA:
1. The objective of FMEA is to anticipate failures and prevent them from occurring. FMEA prioritizes failures and
attempts to eliminate their causes.
2. FMEA is an engineering technique is used to define, identify and eliminate known and or potential failures,
problems, errors which occur in the system, design, process and service before they reach the customer.
3. FMEA is a before the event action and is done when existing systems products processes are changed or
redesigned.
4. FMEA is a never ending process improvement tool.
TYPES OF FMEA:
1. System FMEA – anaylse components, substystem and main system in early stage of design.
2. Design FMEA – Analyses the products/ parts before they are released to manufacturing.
3. Process FMEA – Focus on manufacturing and assembly process.
4. Service FMEA – Analyses service industry process before they are released to impact the customer.
5. Equipment FMEA
6. Maintenance FMEA
7. Concept FMEA
8. Environment FMEA
BENEFITS OF FMEA:
1. Improve product/process reliability and quality.
2. Increase customer satisfaction.
3. Early identification and elimination of potential product/process failure modes.
4. Prioritize product or process deficiencies
5. Capture engineering/organization knowledge
6. Document and track the actions taken to reduce risk
7. Provide focus for improved testing and development.
8. Minimize late changes and associated cost.
9. Act as catalyst for teamwork and idea exchange between functions.
STAGES OF FMEA:
1. Specifying possibilities
a. functions
b. possible failure modes
c. root causes
d. effects
e. detection/prevention
2. Quantifying risk
a. probability of cause
b. severity of effect
c. effectiveness of control to prevent cause.
d. risk priority number.
3. Correcting high risk causes
a. prioritizing work
b. detailing action
c. assigning action responsibility.
d. checks points on completion.
4. Re-evaluation of risk
a..Recalculation of risk priority number
Leadership plays a key role in Six Sigma. This is because the entire success of a Six Sigma project lies in the
support and interest of Top management. Top Management has a huge responsibility in driving the Six Sigma
culture in an organization.
Leadership should recognize Six Sigma as a management strategy, rather than using it as a tool. When a company
adopts Six Sigma as a management strategy, the entire organization and all its departments will be channelized
towards identifying and improving its processes.
Investing in Six Sigma Training and Resources: For successful implementation of Six sigma methodology the
first step should be to hire trained and experienced Six Sigma resources (Probably Six Sigma Master Black belts
& Black belts), and then train different levels of management in Six Sigma methodology. Top management should
ensure there are adequate staffs in Six Sigma roles to drive Six Sigma.
Include Six Sigma Cost Saving in Management Goals & Review: Along with other goals fixed for each
department, Six Sigma cost saving should also be a management goal, which top management should review in
each meeting. Thus, the employees will also start to see Six Sigma methodology as a part of their responsibility
and start identifying project opportunities.
Communicate the Importance of Six Sigma: Top management should let the employees know that Six Sigma is
an important goal, and that the leadership views it as an important parameter in its business. Posters, email
communications, addressing employees about their concerns related to Six Sigma adoption, and providing clarity
on each one’s role in Six Sigma journey are some ways to communicate the message strongly to employees.
Drive Six Sigma Projects: Management should create Six Sigma champions, who will identify projects and
allocate resources for the projects. There should be intervention from the leadership when there are bottlenecks in
the progress of projects. Also, leadership should conduct periodical reviews on the progress of projects.
Recognize and support Employee Participation: The KPIs and responsibilities of the employees should include
contribution towards Six Sigma journey. Apart from this, leadership should identify ways and means to identify
extraordinary participation by employees and reward them accordingly. This will motivate other employees to
work towards the Six Sigma initiatives.
Review and Support: As the organization progresses in the path of Six Sigma strategy, the policies and rules
framed at the beginning of the journey may need reviewing and modification. Leadership should identify these
changes and ensure that the journey is in the right path and at right pace.
Getting buy-in from Stakeholders - CAP depends on Leading Change, Creating a Shared Need, Shaping a
Vision, Mobilizing Commitment
Leading Change - Making the Change Last and Monitoring Progress. All implementation projects require a
Champion who sponsors the change if they are to be successful
Creating a Shared Need - The reason to change, whether driven by threat or opportunity, is instilled within the
organization and widely shared through data, demonstration, demand, or diagnosis. The need for change must
exceed the resistance to change
Shaping a Vision - The desired outcome of change is clear, legitimate, widely understood, and shared
Mobilizing Commitment - There is a strong commitment from key constituents to invest in the change, make it
work, and demand and receive management attention
Making the Change Last - Once change is started, it endures and flourishes and learnings are transferred
throughout the organization
Monitoring Progress - Progress is real; benchmarks are set and realized; indicators are established to guarantee
accountability
Changing Systems and Structures - Management practices are used to complement and reinforce change
ARMI (Approver, Resource, Member, Interested Party):
ARMI model is a CAP tool used to assess each person’s role in the project during various phases of the project.
ARMI is an acronym of
A - Approval of team decisions
R - Resource of the team, one whose expertise/ skills may be needed
M - Member of team, with the authorities and boundaries of the charter
I - Interested Party, one who will need to keep informed on direction and findings
ARMI helps in defining the role of each individual within the project team. It helps in clarifying any ambiguity
related to the roles and responsibilities of these individuals. Let’s look at an example of ARMI:
Project Acceptability:
Project Acceptability is based on the below equation:
Effectiveness of a solution = Quality of a solution * Acceptability of the solution.