adictoaloshombres: Sigma

Showing posts with label Sigma. Show all posts

Finding Six Sigma Job Opportunities

Six sigma career opportunities are on the rise within the organization and outside as well. Read on to learn how you can benefit from six sigma concept and get the right job you deserve.

Keywords:

job, job search, job listings, job openings, job opportunities, part time job, job fair, job bank, online job, new job, resume writing, career, career search

Article Body:

Most of the reputed companies are laying emphasis on quality and managing costs with the improvement of processes kept as an underlying foundation. “Six sigma” is becoming very prominent because of its application in a business environment. All these factors have created a greater demand for six sigma professionals. Six sigma career opportunities are on the rise within the organization and outside the organization. It is especially beneficial for people who have excelled in their previous jobs, brilliant people are finding fulfilling and new career due to the six sigma methodology adopted by companies. To become a part of the six sigma implementation, the person should have great experience in various managerial positions and at least mastering one of them.

Growth opportunities within the organization:

Career enhancement is possible within the organization by getting a black belt or a green belt in six sigma methodology with an appropriate training in it. Companies which have decided to implement six sigma often hire a professional as a consultant initially although they will not be making any decisions in the strategy planning. Upper management normally would like to give opportunities to its existing employees beginning with a green belt at the execution level, a black belt professional for problem solving level and a master black belt at the uppermost position.

Opportunities outside the organization:

Job search portals will give a better idea of the need of six sigma professionals who are either fresh or experienced professionals with a black belt. Black belt professionals are higher in demand than the green belt professions due to their problem solving capabilities with solid experience.

Requisites and aptitude to become a six sigma professional:

Both the green belt and black belt candidates should have an open mind and strong analytical capabilities. They should be in a position to question everything with a view to make core contribution to the organization. Above all, high level of motivation and self confidence is very important and necessary. Black belt professionals have to focus on analytical and problem solving aspect while dedicating all their time in the process of implementing it. Green belts have to focus on routine responsibilities and may not be able to dedicate all the time. They are expected to be studious, flexible enough, understand statistical tools and have good interpersonal skills.

Six sigma training:

Six sigma training methodology is not standardized and are not universal. Hence organizations should research and recognize the right institute for training professionals. Many corporations have their own training facilities and are provided to people who will be working for them for quite sometime.

Design Of Experiments For Six Sigma

Keywords:

Design,Experiments,Six,Sigma,identifying,statistical,testing,methodology,variation,quality,process,

Article Body:

One of the valuable tools in the Six Sigma toolbox is Design of Experiments. Design of Experiment (DOE) is a structured technique that helps to uncover relationships often hidden inside mountains of data. Within the structure of a Six Sigma project, Design of Experiments is a structured approach to identifying the factors within a process that contribute to particular effects, then creating meaningful tests that verify possible improvement ideas or theories.

Most of us are familiar with the concept of experimentation within the fields of science and medicine. Experiments can be designed and conducted for any process in any field not just testing physics equations or new drugs or medical procedures. Design of Experiments is a formal statistical methods required to ensure that the testing or piloting of any new improvement ideas maximize the informational potential of the trial and ultimately the return to the business. The basic principles of cause and effect and interaction of factors operate everywhere, including manufacturing and service organizations. Design of Experiments is an organized method for determining the relationships between factors that affect a process and the variable outputs of that process. It also serves to verify if a cause and effect relationship really does exist and to identify the vital few causes of variation.

In short, Design of Experiments within Six Sigma is a performance improvement methodology that uses sophisticated statistical techniques to understand and control variation, thus improving predictability of business processes. Experimental methods are used to quantify previously undefined factors and interactions between factors. This is accomplished through crafting planned experiments where controlled changes of factors will determine which factors have the largest impact on quality characteristics. Though the systematic observance of the experiments and statistical measurements of the results, useful data can be assembled and analyzed to understand the relative importance of different factors to overall process variability.

The basic concepts of Design of Experiments are factors, levels, and responses. A factor is an independent variable. In a planned experiment, the factors are deliberately varied in a predetermined manner. A level is a state of the factor that is deliberately varied. Levels can be discrete (present/absent) or numeric. Experimentation is typically done at two, or occasionally three levels for every factor; each separate level constituting an experimental run. The responses, literally the results of the experimental runs, are measured at each run of each factor-level combination. The response can also be discrete or numerical values.

An efficient experimental design varies the multiple factors in an intelligent and controlled sequence. Response data can then be collected in an intelligible way.

Combining all factors and their levels can become too large and expensive of a task, so informed deductions must be made as to which factors will generate the most pertinent data that will provide enough information for confident results. The sequence of runs in the experiment must be randomized. Randomization is crucial to give all external factors an equal chance to affect every run of the experiment. A non-randomized experiment stands a great risk of external factors acting in a systematic manner, adding noise to the response. Multiple sets of experimental runs, called replication, will provide more data and greater confidence in evaluating the results. If the budget allows, conducting more replications is desirable.

Successfully designed experiments will show the relationship between the change in level of each of the factors and the change in response. Once these relationships are understood, they can be used to find "what's best" solutions to process improvement and variation reduction. Design of Experiments is a crucial part of the Six Sigma methodology. It will allow you to see into the heart of the process and what really drives it.

Company Politics And Six Sigma

Keywords:

Company,Politics,Managing,Six,Sigma,organization,issues,personal,inflexible,methods,affect,business,

Article Body:

No grouping of human beings is without some amount of politics. Managing deployment of Six Sigma in your organization will unavoidably run into some personal issues and conflict. However, with deft handling of the personal and political issues that come up, along with patience and perseverance, your Six Sigma deployment will not get derailed.

Political factors that can affect a Six Sigma project include personal resistance to change, inflexible company policies, and incompatibility with existing organizational methods and goals. Not surprisingly, all of these factors also affect business processes of any kind. They are not unique to Six Sigma. This is one of Six Sigma's strengths: realistically acknowledging the way politics work in an organization. Six Sigma is not just number crunching. It understands the importance of and encourages the involvement of people throughout and at all levels of the organization working together toward a common goal. Six Sigma encourages planning, communication, and openness about processes, procedures, and information.

Many people see change, any change, as loss—a loss of their power or a loss of the security of the old way of doing things. Thus, people are prone to defend the old way, out of habit and out of unease. They wonder how change will affect them and what exactly happens behind the scenes and if they don't know, become apprehensive. This is a problem that can be overcome through communication. Six Sigma successes require clear and open communication at all levels. Any change in an organization will meet some resistance, either intentional or just from inertia. When management can effectively communicate that it is behind that change and can communicate the positive aspects of the change, resistance and “turf” politics can be countered and overcome.

Another problem is people who disregard the value and power of Six Sigma and consequently, they are reluctant to support Six Sigma projects. To the uninitiated, Six Sigma may appear similar to or simply an evolution of other quality programs. There have been so many quality improvement fads over the years. It is not surprising that people are now a little jaded. Others may see Six Sigma as solely another cost-cutting or productivity enhancement fad. This is a short-sighted view. Six Sigma is neither a fad nor just another quality initiative. It is a “way of life.” It is a multi-level, cyclical movement toward continual process improvement. The quality improvement fads sell themselves as cheap and easy quick fixes. The reality is that there are no quick fixes to significant process improvement. Six Sigma understands that; it is not a simple quick process. However, the right Six Sigma training and information will help people to understand that Six Sigma is significantly different; it is a robust continuous improvement strategy and process.

Once projects are begun, Six Sigma projects can become a battle of wills for control over which strategy, approach, or tool is used. Team meetings can devolve into arguments over which measurement to use, how it will be calculated, which charts will be generated, whether to use DMAIC or DMADV, etc. Six Sigma is not about making things more difficult. It is about using common sense to make things easier. It is certainly about recognizing that there is more than one road to improvement and more than one right answer to a problem.

In overcoming political problems, the leadership of senior management is critical. Successful Six Sigma programs are built on a solid organizational foundation. The organizational structure and system needs to be clearly identified and communicated to the entire organization to successfully implement Six Sigma Quality. Becoming a Six Sigma organization doesn't just happen. Planning and training goes into setting up a successful Six Sigma organization. Employee roles and responsibilities must be established and clearly communicated to all. For many companies successful in Six Sigma, the key factor has been the direct involvement of their top leaders.

Six Sigma is about getting everyone involved. A Six Sigma project forms a team of people who work together to identify problems and develop solutions. Such teams are not isolated teams rearranging the world for everyone else to live in. These teams are serving the organization by employing the skills and tools they have learned to increase quality and reduce defects. Instilling the team concept along with expert training will go a long way toward solving potential political troubles in your organization.

Communication In Six Sigma

Keywords:

Communication,Six,Sigma,Deploying,organization,Productivity,stresses,work,commitment,departmental

Article Body:

Deploying Six Sigma means entering a period of significant change in your organization. Productivity and morale almost always suffers in times of great change. The requirements of change and adaptation and the very human fear of the unknown add to stresses of the work environment. In these times, communication becomes more important than ever.

Communication throughout a Six Sigma project is very important because the power and scope of Six Sigma demands a significant commitment from everyone in the organization. Six Sigma successes require clear and open communication at all levels to transcend departmental barriers that would otherwise cause confusion. In addition, any change in an organization will meet some resistance, either intentional or just because of inertia. When management can effectively communicate that it is behind that change and can communicate the positive aspects of the change, resistance can be countered and overcome.

Company leadership must be willing to give Six Sigma teams all of the tools and information necessary to apply Six Sigma concepts to their day-to-day activities. It is crucial in Six Sigma projects to clarify the rationale, expectations, goals, and sequence of steps in the process. Six Sigma teams with clear, written goals accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than teams without them could ever imagine. This is true everywhere and under all circumstances. Documentation of the Six Sigma process is the opportunity to resolve any misunderstandings of the deployment. A schedule is developed that outlines the strategy to take the process from its current state to one that is within statistical control and in line with the company's Six Sigma goals. Roles need to be clearly defined in how individuals contribute to the schedule and strategy. Employees assess how they can contribute to the organization through the information they receive. A team's quality goals should be set to tie in with the overall company quality improvement goals. This happens only when the team has the knowledge they need.

Lack of clarity in communicating business information is probably more responsible for frustration and underachievement than any other single factor. It is unfortunately way too easy to not realize that communication is falling short of your organization's needs. Often senior managers sincerely believe they are adequately communicating with employees. However, managers can easily underestimate the number of issues on which employees need information and how much information they need.

How do you know what is important to employees and what to tell them? You need to put yourself in the position of the employees. If you were that person, what would be important for you to know to do your job? What would you be worried about in the current situation? What information would help you deal with change? How would you want to be told? You can't answer those questions yourself. You need input from the very people you are trying to understand. Communication is a two-way street—listening as well as talking. Asking a few individuals what is being said, what people are worrying and wondering about.

Also be aware that the way a person receives news can dramatically affect how he or she feels about it, so you need to choose the medium very carefully. E-mail can be perceived as cold and unfeeling, although it is useful for routine updates that don't have emotional overtones. Many messages are better delivered in person, either to individuals or to the team as a whole.

Communication skills take practice. Always be sure the message remains honest, clear and compassionate. Have integrity and build trust. Don't say what you don't mean. Don't promise anything that you cannot or will not fulfill. Above all, follow through on your commitments and promises. Nothing turns employees off more than feeling betrayed. Sincere, caring, and constant communication will form the basis for building employee engagement throughout Six Sigma deployment.

Design For Six Sigma

...

Keywords:

Design,Six,Sigma,principles,manufacturing,product,research,improve,customer,DMAIC,DFSS,organizations

Article Body:

Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) is the application of Six Sigma principles to the design of products and their manufacturing and support processes. Whereas Six Sigma by definition focuses on the production phase of a product, DFSS focuses on research, design, and development phases. DFSS combines many of the tools that are used to improve existing products or services and integrates the voice of the customer and simulation methods to predict new process and product performance.

DFSS can be compared to DMAIC (Design, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) and often the acronym DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify) is used to describe the strategy of DFSS. The precise phases or steps of a DFSS methodology are not universally defined. Most organizations will implement DFSS to suit their business, industry, and culture. DFSS methodology, instead of the DMAIC methodology, should be used when:

* A product or process is not in existence at your company and one needs to be developed
* The existing product or process exists and has been optimized (using either DMAIC or not) and still doesn't meet the level of customer specification or six sigma level
DFSS is a way to implement the Six Sigma methodology as early in the product or service life cycle as possible. It is a strategy toward extraordinary ROI by designing to meet customer needs and process capability. DFSS can produce the same order of magnitude in financial benefits as DMAIC. But it also greatly helps an organization innovate, exceed customer expectations, and become a market leader.

DFSS is the Six Sigma approach to product design—namely, designing products that are resistant to variation in the manufacturing process. Using DFSS means designing quality into the product from the start. You are preventing wasteful variation before it happens, thus being able to identify and correct problems early when the solution costs are less. A successful DFSS implementation requires the same ingredients as any other Six Sigma project: a significant commitment and leadership from the top, planning that identifies and establishes measurable program goals and timeline, and the training and involvement of everyone.

Planning for DFSS requires collecting the necessary information that will allow for error free production of defect-free products and processes that satisfy the customer profitably. DFSS attempts to predict how the designs under consideration will behave and to correct for variation prior to it occurring. That means understanding the real needs of your customers and translating those needs into vital technical characteristics of the product and ultimately into critical to quality (CTQ) characteristics of the product and process. You can then use design of experiments (DOE) to develop a robust design that optimizes efficiency and reduces defects.

Valid and reliable metrics to monitor the progress of the project are established early in the project, during the Measure phase if using DMADV. Key inputs are prioritized to establish a short list to study in more detail. With a prioritized list of inputs in hand, the DFSS team will determine the potential ways the process could go wrong and take preemptive action to mitigate or prevent those failures. Through analysis, the DFSS team can determine the causes of the problem that needs improvement and how to eliminate the gap between existing performance and the desired level of performance. This involves discovering why defects are generated by identifying the key variables that are most likely to create process variation. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) and Anticipatory Failure Determination (AFD) can be used for both the design of the product and the design of the process.

DFSS provides a structured way to constructively use the information learned from these analyses. Armed with real data produced by the DFSS process, you can develop competent manufacturing processes and choose processes that are capable of meeting the design requirements. Further analysis can verify and validate that the product design will meet the quality targets. This can be accomplished through peer reviews, design reviews, simulation and analysis, qualification testing, or production validation testing.

The benefits of DFSS are more difficult to quantify and are more long-term. It can take over six months after the launch of the new product before you will begin to see the true measure of the project improvements. However, the eventual return on investment can be profound. This is especially true when the organization can use the DFSS project as a template for fundamental changes in the way it develops new products and processes across the organization.

Handling Statistical Variation In Six Sigma

Keywords:

analysis,measures,eliminate,quality,quantity,relationships,improved,performance, Handling,Statistics

Article Body:

Six-Sigma provides a methodical, disciplined, quantitative approach to continuous process improvement. Through applying statistical thinking, Six Sigma uncovers the nature of business variation and its affect on waste, operating cost, cycle time, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

The term “six sigma” is defined as a statistical measure of quality, specifically, a level of 3.4 defects per million or 99.99966% high-quality. To put into practice the Six Sigma management philosophy and achieve this high level of quality, an organization implements the Six Sigma methodology. The fundamental objective of the Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction through the application of Six Sigma improvement projects. Projects are selected that support the company's overall quality improvement goals.

A Six Sigma project begins with the proper metrics. Six Sigma produces a flood of data about your process. These measurements are critical to your success. If you don't measure it, you can't manage it. Through those measurements and all of that data, you begin to understand your process and develop methodologies to identify and implement the right solutions to improve your process. Six Sigma’s clear strength is a data-driven analysis and decision-making process—not someone's opinion or gut feeling.

Metrics lie at the heart of Six Sigma. Critical measures that are necessary to evaluate the success of the project are identified and determined. The initial capability and stability of the project is determined in order to establish a statistical baseline. Valid and reliable metrics monitor the progress of the project. Six Sigma discipline begins by clarifying what measures are key to gauging business performance, then it applies data and analysis to build an understanding of key variables and optimize results. Fact driven decisions and solutions are driven by two essential questions: What data/information do I really need? How do we use that data/information to maximize benefit?

Six Sigma metrics are more than a collection of statistics. The intent is to make targeted measurements of performance in an existing process, compare it with statistically valid ideals, and learn how to eliminate any variation. Improving and maintaining product quality requires an understanding of the relationships between critical variables. Better understanding of the underlying relationships in a process often leads to improved performance.

To achieve a consistent understanding of the process, potential key characteristics are identified; the use of control charts may be incorporated to monitor these input variables. Statistical evaluation of the data identifies key areas to focus process improvement efforts on, which can have an adverse effect on product quality if not controlled. Advanced statistical software such as Minitab or Statgraphics, are very useful if not essential for gathering, categorizing, evaluating, and analyzing the data collected throughout a Six Sigma project. Special cause variation can also be documented and analyzed. When examining quality problems, it is useful to determine which of the many types of defects occur most frequently in order to concentrate one's efforts where potential for improvement is the greatest. A classic method for determining the "vital few" is through a Pareto chart.

Many statistical procedures assume that the data being analyzed come from a bell-shaped normal distribution. When the data to be analyzed does not fit into a normal bell-shaped distribution, the results can be misleading and difficult to discern. When such data distribution is encountered, other statistical techniques can be used to assess whether an observed process can reasonably be modeled by a normal data distribution. In such cases, either a different type of distribution must be selected or the data must be transformed to a metric in which it is normally distributed. In many cases, the data sample can be transformed so that it is approximately normal. For example, square roots, logarithms, and reciprocals often take a positively skewed distribution and convert it to something close to a bell-shaped curve. This process will uncover significant statistical variation, separating the important data from meaningless data “noise.”

Once the data is crunched and a problem’s root causes are determined, the project team works together to find creative new improvement solutions. The data is used and relied upon—it is the measurements of the realities you face! Yet it is smart measurement and smart analysis of the data—and above all the smart creation of new improvement solutions and their implementation—that create real change. The Six Sigma statistical tools are only the means to an end and should not be construed as the end itself. Using tools properly is critical to getting the desired result. Through a successful use of statistics in uncovering significant data, Six Sigma will drive an organization toward achieving higher levels of customer satisfaction and reducing operational costs.