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Lecture 15

How to develop a Six Sigma culture

The effect of Six Sigma culture

Six Sigma needs to be more than metrics and statistical improvements to the existing processes. To achieve Six Sigma success, a company must create a “culture” in which innovation occurs continuously within the company’s services and products.

The key to achieving
Six Sigma culture

Any organization that hopes to remain globally competitive and achieve success in Six Sigma must encourage the following in their employees:

1. Creativity

2. Invention

3. Innovation

Creativity
Invention
Innovation

F

What is “Creativity”?

  • Creativity is a personal trait defined as the ability to envision association between ideas and/or objects that others do not see.
  • Creativity consists of three components: expertise, imaginative thinking, and motivation.
  • Expertise serves as a basic foundation of creativity.
  • Knowledge provides stimulus to the mind.
  • Imaginative thinking is very critical to creativity.
  • Motivation promotes and influences the create acts of individuals.
  • Creative individuals are intelligent, imaginative, and motivated.

What is the connection between Creativity and Six Sigma?

  • Creativity helps in the Six Sigma problem solving and process improvement ideas.
  • Creativity is a solo event and new ideas come one at a time.
  • Six Sigma projects can play a critical role in nurturing creativity and basic research.
  • It is the combination of creativity and knowledge creation which can provide unique solutions for Six Sigma projects.

Indicators of whether creativity is being nurtured in the organization

  • Is there free research time being contributed to company-related projects?
  • Is there time being spent with current and potential customers soliciting ideas from them?
  • Do professional staff members spend time mentoring junior professionals?
  • Do professionals spend time keeping current in their area of expertise?

Creativity
Invention
Innovation

F

What is “Invention”?

  • One measure of whether or not someone has invented something is whether it can be patented.
  • To qualify for a patent, an invention must be “new, useful and non-obvious”.
  • The process which leads to invention is to “gain knowledge or understanding to meet specific recognized need”.

What is the connection between invention and Six Sigma?

  • Six Sigma projects focuses on customer needs, which can also lead to invention of new products or processes.
  • Six Sigma project encourages the prototypes for customers, which can also be lead to patents.
  • Six Sigma program brings out talented people in the organization, which can be nurtured into inventive culture and behavior.

Indicators of whether invention is being nurtured in the organization

  • Is the company regularly applying for patents?
  • Are the employees given time to do some basic research on customer needs?
  • Does the company recognizes & rewards inventive behavior?
  • Do employees publish journal articles and attend conferences?

Creativity
Invention
Innovation

F

What is “Innovation”?

  • Innovation is a creation of useful prototypes.
  • It is the systematic use of the knowledge or understanding gained from basic and applied research directed towards the production of useful materials, devices, systems, and methods.
  • Innovation involves the translation of ideas into tangible products and services.

What is the connection between innovation and Six Sigma?

  • Six Sigma and innovation have a common link: “technology”
  • During Six Sigma projects, innovation and technology begins to surface.
  • In Six Sigma projects, Black Belts develop prototypes based on the thoughts and visions of what the tangible product or service should “look like”.

Indicators of whether innovation is being nurtured in the organization

  • Is there money in the capital budget to acquire prototype media and methods for product development.
  • Are there significant numbers of prototypes evaluated by the customers before the release of engineering design to production.
  • Do engineers spend time supervising the building of prototypes.
  • Do the product development staff make site visits to prototype building facilities.

What can effect the culture of creativity, invention and innovation?

  • Lack of freedom
  • Red tape and bureaucracy
  • Insufficient resources
  • Poor communication
  • Poor rewards
  • Time pressure
  • Critical and unrealistic evaluations

How to prepare for Six Sigma organization

Learn the goals and objectives of Six Sigma effort

Prepare for some confusion

Begin looking at your work from a SIPOC point of view

Take advantage of learning opportunities

Avoid paranoia

Expect changes and challenges to come

Take responsibility for your own learning

Volunteer, be patient, and don’t get discouraged

Be ready for a long haul

Learn the goals and objectives
of Six Sigma effort

  • Each company has a different perspective on why Six Sigma is needed.
  • Each company evaluates the resources differently to meet its Six Sigma needs.
  • Listen for communications about Six Sigma initiatives.
  • Look for any plans for teams, training, scale, time frame, roles and responsibilities.

Prepare for some confusion

  • Implementing Six Sigma is never perfect.
  • You can expect plans to change, roles to evolve, and projects launched or abandoned.
  • It is all a part of messy job of organizing for Six Sigma.
  • You should not let it discourage you from benefiting from the good part of the change.

Begin looking at your work from a SIPOC point of view

  • SIPOC = Suppliers, Input, Process, Output, and Customer.
  • You can get a head start on practicing the process of Six Sigma and understanding the concept of SIPOC.
  • Try to understand what your customer really need and how well are you meeting their needs.
  • It will give you a chance to see how Six Sigma can make your job more productive.

Take advantage of learning opportunities

  • Six Sigma training can be challenging, but it can provide you with growth potential.
  • Six Sigma techniques can give a sense to apply systematic thinking.
  • If you get a chance to be involved in awareness training or Green Belt courses, or even to become a Black Belt, take advantage of it.
  • Expect to work hard and gain a lot from Six Sigma opportunities.

Avoid paranoia

  • One of the biggest hindrances to success in Six Sigma for an individual comes from fear and worry.
  • Sometimes, it’s just fear of change or the worry that you will be blamed for problems being analyzed can lead to paranoia.
  • Very rarely is anyone reprimanded, demoted, or fired for issues that arise from Six Sigma projects or from providing honest and constructive feedback.

Expect changes & challenges to come

  • Six Sigma program will create some disruption and challenges.
  • Participating in a Six Sigma projects require some sacrifices.
  • Adopting new procedures and adopting new processes is difficult, especially if you have become comfortable with old ways.
  • Six Sigma program may involve people being reassigned or given new roles.

Take responsibility for your own learning

  • Be proactive in finding out what you need to learn.
  • To improve your learning process, do the following:

1. Read books and articles on Six Sigma.

2. Talk to people who are involved in Six Sigma.

3. Attend informational meetings.

4. Use web sites on Six Sigma.

Volunteer, be patient, and don’t get discouraged

  • If you feel eager, ready and enthusiastic about getting involved in Six Sigma efforts, let your manager and key people know.
  • If you have project ideas, send them along to upper management or Six Sigma leader.
  • Also remember, your effort may not lead to immediate assignment in Six Sigma teams, hang in there.
  • Even the most aggressive Six Sigma program can’t get everyone involved right away.

Be ready for a long haul

  • Many companies start various initiatives and let it dwindle away.
  • However Six Sigma is really different, because Six Sigma is not just in projects, but it improves the way we think about processes and manage the business.
  • Six Sigma is certain to evolve, based on the results and impact it achieves in the organization.

What skills should you develop to be successful in Six Sigma program?

The ability to see the “big picture”.

The ability to gather data.

The ability to break through old assumptions.

The ability to work collaboratively.

The ability to thrive on change.