Category Archives: Lean Six Sigma

Diagrams, frameworks and concepts from Lean Six Sigma to ensure operational excellence, continuous improvement, total quality management, elimination of waste and end-to-end business process management. Diagrams explaining how to manage company’s operations

Lean Six Sigma Approach How Start Process Improvement

Improve: Correct and prevent defects using process optimization. Control: Continuously check whether the implemented improvements are having the desired effects and check for new optimization opportunities. Without a doubt, practicing Lean Six Sigma process improvement with employees in a complementary way can give you satisfactory results.

One of the core techniques behind any process improvement, particularly in Six Sigma, is DMAIC. This handy approach, pronounced duh-may-ik, is the key to employing Six Sigma and beginning your journey to being a process hero.

Some more basics of Lean Process Improvement: 1 Define – This is where you determine your goal. 2 Measure – This is where you are specific about the data you will look at 3 Analyze – Here you look at root causes to solve problems and meet your goal. 4 Generate – Look here at solutions. 5 Implement – Take action with your solution. More …

FIFO First in first out explained

How First In, First Out (FIFO) Works The FIFO method is used for cost flow assumption purposes. In manufacturing, as items progress to later development stages and as finished inventory items are sold, the associated costs with that product must be recognized as an expense.

First-In, First-Out (FIFO) is one of the methods commonly used to estimate the value of inventory on hand at the end of an accounting period and the cost of goods sold during the period. This method assumes that inventory purchased or manufactured first is sold first and newer inventory remains unsold.

First-In, First-Out Inventory Method First-In, First-Out (FIFO) is one of the methods commonly used to estimate the value of inventory on hand at the end of an accounting period and the cost of goods sold during the period. This method assumes that inventory purchased or manufactured first is sold first and newer inventory remains unsold.

Problem analysis diagram

Root Cause Analysis diagram is used to analyze the root causes of factors that influence the problem. It helps to identify the root causes for a factor and then propose possible corrective actions. A diagram is constructed separately for each high priority factor.

Finding Solutions. A problem tree analysis is a pictorial representation of a problem, its causes and its consequences. This analysis tool helps the project team get a quick glance of how a range of complex issues contribute toward a problem and how this problem branches out into a set of consequences.

Problem Analysis. Funded projects are usually proposed to address and/or solve identified problems. Problem analysis therefore involves identifying the overriding problem and establishing the causes and effects related to that problem.

Lean Six Sigma Project Types Diagram

It’s important to know what kind of Lean Six Sigma project you’re considering. These are 5 classic project types to help you decide. If you’re looking to conduct a Green Belt or a Black Belt project, then you should be working on a Process Improvement Project.

The focus here is on four kinds of “trees” or hierarchical diagrams that become part of many Six Sigma projects: Cause-and-effect diagrams Y-to-x flowdown diagrams Functional analysis diagrams Abstraction diagrams (KJ or affinity)

The focus here is on four kinds of “trees” or hierarchical diagrams that become part of many Six Sigma projects: Each of these trees has a specific thrust and strength that can be surprisingly challenging to capture when a project team tries to build one or more of them.

Waste Iceberg Diagram

Loading… The Free Iceberg PowerPoint Diagram is a concept diagram slide for the success theory of achieving objectives. The template contains the iceberg illustration to present the performance and progress of an individual or the company.

The Iceberg PowerPoint template includes: 10 iceberg diagrams over various background layer stripes. We designed also a lighter version of outline iceberg that is more subtle illustration, in case you want your slides to be less eyecatching. This format is also better if you want to print the presentation.

Another case where the iceberg diagram can be used is product cost illustration. Manufacturing cost takes 15% of all expenditures, whilst project, research, tests and transport cost – another 85%. Another area where iceberg hidden levels of metaphor can be used is system thinking.

Kaizen Continuous Improvement Approach

What is Kaizen? Kaizen is an approach to creating continuous improvement based on the idea that small, ongoing positive changes can reap significant improvements. Typically, it is based on cooperation and commitment and stands in contrast to approaches that use radical or topdown changes to achieve transformation.

What is Continuous Improvement (Kaizen)? Kaizen is a Lean manufacturing tool that improves quality, productivity, safety, and workplace culture. Kaizen focuses on applying small, daily changes that result in major improvements over time. Kaizen first surfaced during the effort to rebuild Japan after World War II.

In all, the process suggests a humanized approach to workers and to increasing productivity: “The idea is to nurture the company’s people as much as it is to praise and encourage participation in kaizen activities.” Successful implementation requires “the participation of workers in the improvement.”

Seven Forms of Waste

When a facility produces too much of a product, it is a form of waste. Even if the product does eventually sell, it causes certain types of waste. For example, if you have too much of a product, it needs to be stored in a warehouse, which is wasting space.

When speaking about waste, lean experts usually refer to seven specifically. These include: transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, over processing, overproduction, and defects. Elimination of these seven kinds of waste can help companies reduce costs, increase employee engagement and customer happiness, and increase profits.

The waste of inventory involves storing products or materials that are not needed at this time. Excess inventory results in a waste of space, and it wastes the cost associated with the physical inventory. Although it is a significant concern in manufacturing, it occurs in other sectors as well.

Kaizen Design Principles

Please try again later. There are 5 Fundamental KAIZEN™ Principles that are embedded in every KAIZEN™ tool and in every KAIZEN™ behavior. The 5 principles are: Know your Customer, Let it Flow, Go to Gemba, Empower People and Be Transparent.

The kaizen methodology works at constant improvements through the elimination of waste. It’s been around in Japan since after World War II, though influenced by quality management ideas from the United States. It’s part of The Toyota Way, which is a set of principles that support the company’s management approach to production.

When used in the business sense and applied to the workplace, kaizen refers to activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees from the CEO to the assembly line workers. It also applies to processes, such as purchasing and logistics, that cross organisational boundaries into the supply chain.

Process Management –DMAIC Approach –- Define Measure Analyze Improve Control

The DMAIC improvement cycle is the core tool used to drive Six Sigma projects. However, DMAIC is not exclusive to Six Sigma and can be used as the framework for other improvement applications. DMAIC is an abbreviation of the five improvement steps it comprises: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control.

The DMAIC methodology has its roots in the PDSA (“plan, do, study, act”) cycle developed by statistician Walter A. Shewhart at Bell Laboratories in the 1930s. But the technique as we know it today has been shaped by some of the largest organizations in the world such as Toyota, Motorola, GE, and Ford Motor Company.

Here are 4 key guidelines: Make sure there is potential to reduce lead time or defects while resulting in cost savings or improved productivity Once you’ve selected a good project, you and your improvement team can apply DMAIC to dig into process issues and deliver quantifiable, sustainable results. Now, on to the DMAIC process!