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[Q8]Quality Management Six Sigma

by Tony Jacowski, Ton

Let's admit it that the 21st century is witnessing cutthroat competition with respect to emerging and new businesses. To gain an edge over business competitors, companies are applying every trick in the book including strategies such as reducing operational expenses, lessening the overall time taken for production and offering the best quality products to their customers with a view to generating more business revenue.

Therefore, to gain an advantage over other businesses, many organizations are devising strategies like Total Quality Control and Six Sigma, and implementing them in all processes and departments.

Although strategies like Total Quality Control and Total Quality Management do give some of the desired results, one of the best known and most used methodologies is Six Sigma.

Why Project Management Needs Six Sigma

Although Six Sigma has been creating quite a buzz in the business world, it is equally important for a company to follow some essential rules before and during the implementation process of the methodology. Six Sigma is used to eliminate any defects in the company's products, ensuring that the company supplies the best quality products to its customers.

However, companies shouldn't forget that they have to follow a process that is in line with the implementation of the Six Sigma strategy. They have to maintain some level of caution when it comes to the entire aspect of Project Management. That's simply because if any area is overlooked or if someone commits the slightest error, the whole Project Management process is in jeopardy. The only way to avoid this is by consolidating Six Sigma and Project Management into a single process.

With respect to following a standard guideline, it is important that businesses use the DMAIC process, which is an acronym for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. On adopting the DMAIC process along with Six Sigma, the probability of any errors leading to total failure of the project is reduced to near zero.

What the DMAIC Process Does

The DMAIC process capitalizes on the simple fact that it uses a scientific ideology in order to facilitate easy changes in a particular process with the help of various statistics and other forms of data, which helps in eliminating any possibility with respect to human errors. Some of examples of the data required for facilitating this process would include the Design of Experiments (DOE), the fishbone diagram, process flow diagrams, etc.

Thanks to the introduction of Six Sigma, the business environment is much more competitive, and companies are able to offer better quality products to their customers. However, in order to gain optimum advantage, it is important that Project Management be integrated with Six Sigma, so that businesses re assured of bigger and better productivity.

The methodology is both rigorous and meticulous. It requires a careful examination of the process in question within the context of an organization's high-level objectives. Then, the team members are tasked with the collection and review of process-related data. Solutions are created in order to eliminate inefficiencies and the resulting data is studied to identify success (or lack thereof) as well as any deviations from expected outcomes.

Having said that, a successful deployment requires effective management that begins at an organization's executive leadership level. Success is also dependent upon project leaders who can provide the right blend of guidance and mentoring to the Six Sigma team members. Below, I'll explain how the initiative is managed from the top down.

The Role Of Executive Leadership

A company's key stakeholders must first accept the initiative as a high priority. The reason is because they must communicate to all employees throughout the organization that the effort has their full support. If the executive leadership fails to do this, the project members' authority will be undermined. As a result, successfully carrying out their tasks will be far more difficult.

For example, an initiative will require the contribution of people within other departments. If department heads have not been informed that key stakeholders fully support the effort, they may show resistance. After all, resources are being pulled from them. The executive leadership must make it clear that the project members have the authority to pull those resources as needed.

Another role that top-level executives play is choosing Six Sigma team leaders. This selection is a critical step in the successful management of the assignment. This person is typically a Master Black Belt who interacts closely with each member in order to keep their activities on track with the effort's objectives.

How The Master Black Belt Makes A Mark

The Six Sigma Master Black Belt also serves as the primary change agent within the organization. That person is responsible for helping to ensure the organization's employees and managers embrace the initiative. In effect, he or she is tasked with infusing the project and its goals into the culture of a company. In doing so, their constant communication prevents departmental resistance and lays the groundwork for achieving significant results.

To maximize the likelihood of the project's success, Master Black Belts should have experience in participating in past Six Sigma efforts. They should understand the interaction of the team's members as well as how to assign specific tasks. However, the ability to lead is not enough. The Black Belt must also be able to mentor Green Belts.

The Importance Of Mentoring

The project team will include members who have just received their Six Sigma training. While their classroom coursework explained the methodology, they will have limited experience in applying its principles. Master Black Belts must play a mentoring role to new members. They must provide the right balance of leadership and guidance in order to ensure that Black and Green Belts learn through practical application, but at a pace that supports the current initiative. Not only does this help the Six Sigma project team maintain a high level of productivity, but prepares Green Belts for future assignments.

As noted, the success of a Six Sigma effort is dependent upon its effective management. It begins at the top levels of executive leadership within an organization. From there, the responsibilities of managing the project are placed on the shoulders of a trained and experienced Master Black Belt. That individual leads the team toward process improvement results.

Article Source : Pg. 16

About Author

Both Tony Jacowski & Ryan J Bell are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Tony Jacowski has sinced written about articles on various topics from University, Six Sigma and Information Technology. Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online and certification classes for six sigma pro. Tony Jacowski's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.

Ryan J Bell has sinced written about articles on various topics from Customer Service, Free Credit Report Score and Asthma. This information on six sigma and lean processes is provided by BMGI, a leading education and consulting firm in the field.. Ryan J Bell's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.