Author: Chris Anderson
Source: isnare.com
Part 4 of a Four-Part Series
Part,, quality control, quality control, One: http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/02-08-05_Process_Improvement.html?src=ART83
Part Two: http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/02-14-05_Core_Processes, quality control, .html?src=ART84
Part Three: http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/02-16-05_Process_Mapping.html?src=ART85
Aim for perfection.
That's a pretty lofty concept. It's definitely not easy - especially when speaking of core business processes. Moving toward perfection requires measurement, analysis and documentation. And if you really want perfection, then you need more sophisticated, quality control, tools. But is driving toward that ideal of perfection worth the effort?
If you want to increase quality and dramatically save costs in production, then, yes, the road to perfection is definitely worth the driving time.
Forward Steps, Quality and Processes
Last time, we discussed process mapping, quality control, to increase communication and understanding within an organization and to effectively develop a system of procedures. Now, let's take a forward step, and look at how, quality control, Six Sigma tools can decrease variability and increase, quality control, quality in your processes.
Six Sigma, Pyramids and Systems
The Six Sigma methodology is an advanced set of tools designed for problem-solving and quality improvement. A 'sigma' refers to the standard deviation from the mean of a population. Standard deviation indicates the likelihood that your next data point will deviate from the mean of the, quality control, data set.
At the bottom of the Six Sigma pyramid begins a system's current process capability, quality control, . Usually at 1 or 2 Sigma levels is "tribal" knowledge based, quality control, on first-time experiences. An organization moves up the pyramid to 3 Sigma as systems are put in place., quality control, To hit 4 Sigma, statistics and modeling tools are used for significant process improvement. And, finally, to aim for that near perfection, organizations apply DFSS, or Design for Six Sigma.
Why?
Measurement, Analysis and Documentation
Why do (and should) organizations, quality control, use these concepts to move up the pyramid and toward quality improvement? Why is it necessary to measure, analyze and document processes - and, if needed, make those desired, quality control, changes? Why drive toward perfection, and what does it mean in real terms?
If your current process capability runs at 1 Sigma, then that effectively means you have two defects (unusable products) out of every 3 parts. That means 67% of your costs simply become waste, with no return on your investment. At 2 Sigma, quality improves with 1 out of 3 parts as defects. But that still has an error rate of 33%. Not until 3 and then 4 Sigma levels will you see dramatic improvements. Put in these terms, you quickly see how such errors keep you from realizing a greater potential.
Transactions, Multiple Steps and Tolerance
Organizations most effectively utilize Six Sigma methodology in two situations. One, if a business works with a very high volume of transactions per year, then they can not tolerate low sigma levels. For example, a 99% effective rate for 1 billion transactions per year still yields 10 million defects. In any industry, that is not acceptable.
Another situation that calls for Six Sigma methodology is when an organization (i.e. manufacturing) has processes with multiple steps. Here total error rate is critical. For example, the effective rate is 99% for each step; however, that does NOT give the total error rate as 1%, quality control, . You must take the 99% for the first step and multiply it by 99% for the second step, the third step, and so on. With a great number of steps, your total effective rate could significantly decrease. So, to avoid high volatility, this organization can not tolerate low sigma levels.
Organizations can also determine error rate by effectively reversing the typical process of Six Sigma. You can calculate the mean and variance in your process to define the error, quality control, rate. This tells you where you are currently on the Six Sigma curve. For example, if your calculation tells you that you're on a 1 or 2 sigma level, then this is an area, quality control, in need of improvement. This gives you an opportunity to look at the data more carefully, take the mean and variance of each step of the process, and determine in which step the process is having problems. Or it could tell if you there are many steps causing the problems and, thus, the cumulative increase in error rate.
Processes, Procedures and Control
Organizations use the Six Sigma methodology, because you can't get any higher than 2 Sigma ("tribal" or basic knowledge), quality control, without putting strong processes and procedures in place. And without strong processes and procedures, you can not move toward higher quality and system optimization - toward perfection. Are you really satisfied with 67% of your product lost as waste? Are you, quality control, satisfied with such high variability in your system?
Problems, Resources and Results
If needed, you can change your process to reduce or eliminate this variability or error. Six Sigma methodology tells you when to take action to solve a problem. It moves an organization, quality control, to consistently meet the requirements and minimize the resources used in its management system. And it creates the desired results for which the system, quality control, was designed.
Systems, Control and Perfection
Remember, though, you can only get to 3 or 4 sigma by developing a system of policies and procedures of measurement, analysis and documentation. And with this you will easily see that reducing your error rate and moving toward perfection with Six Sigma tools is well worth the driving time - and, more, crucial to your system's control.
Showing posts with label six sigma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label six sigma. Show all posts
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
What is 6 Sigma?
Author: Craig Setter
Source: articleage.com
You may have noticed the increase of discussion and publication about a topic called 6 Sigma. However, what isn't as obvious is what 6 Sigma actually is. First created, quality control, by Motorola, 6 Sigma is an intensive, highly focused, and greatly effective quality control strategy. Its primary goal is to maintain the performance of an organization virtually error-free.
When measuring the performance of a company, its Sigma level is given. Traditionally operated businesses, quality control, will usually be found running at a 3 or 4 Sigma performance level, even though their rate of problems per opportunity usually falls between 6,200 and 67,000 per one million.
On the, quality control, other hand, an organization running at 6 Sigma will instead see an average of only 3.4 problems per million opportunities. This tremendous difference can make the, quality control, difference between success and failure in a market where the expectations of customers rise as quickly as the complexity of today's products and processes.
Surprisingly enough, however, 6 Sigma - though considered an entirely new and innovative strategy - does not involve any new technologies, theories, or techniques. Instead, its foundation is methods that have existed for a long time and have proven their efficacy time and time again. In fact, 6 Sigma disregards a large amount of the density of traditional Total Quality Management (TQM) in favor of a much more direct, common sense-based, and practical mindset.
Unfortunately, though, after lifetimes of learning, training, and thinking in traditional ways, the more reality-based 6 Sigma does not come naturally to many people. To, quality control, compensate for this issue, specially trained, proven individuals, known as 6 Sigma Black Belts, have become available to assist organizations using their proficiency in the application of the 6 Sigma strategy.
Of course, all this is not to say that everything about 6 Sigma is obvious and simple. In fact, some of the techniques utilized by the Black Belts are quite advanced, and require state-of-the-art computer technologies.
Fortunately, these tools can be applied to quite an easy performance improvement, quality control, model, frequently referred to by 6 Sigma Black Belts as the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control Model, so that any business can apply 6 Sigma to its own processes.
Now that you know what 6 Sigma is, it's time to find out how you can improve the function of your own business and maximize your potential through practical and realistic quality control. The strategy has worked wonders for Motorola, and is currently growing its successes with organizations around the globe.
Craig, quality control, Setter is a certified Master Black Belt for Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online. Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for 6 sigma black belt, green belt, yellow belt, lean and DFSS courses. They have an extensive customer list including such companies as Pfizer, Microsoft, UPS, Bank of America, and State/Federal Governments. For additional information in regards to Six, quality control, Sigma, quality control, or to see how Aveta Solutions Six Sigma Online can help you, please visit us at http://www.sixsigmaonline.org
Source: articleage.com
You may have noticed the increase of discussion and publication about a topic called 6 Sigma. However, what isn't as obvious is what 6 Sigma actually is. First created, quality control, by Motorola, 6 Sigma is an intensive, highly focused, and greatly effective quality control strategy. Its primary goal is to maintain the performance of an organization virtually error-free.
When measuring the performance of a company, its Sigma level is given. Traditionally operated businesses, quality control, will usually be found running at a 3 or 4 Sigma performance level, even though their rate of problems per opportunity usually falls between 6,200 and 67,000 per one million.
On the, quality control, other hand, an organization running at 6 Sigma will instead see an average of only 3.4 problems per million opportunities. This tremendous difference can make the, quality control, difference between success and failure in a market where the expectations of customers rise as quickly as the complexity of today's products and processes.
Surprisingly enough, however, 6 Sigma - though considered an entirely new and innovative strategy - does not involve any new technologies, theories, or techniques. Instead, its foundation is methods that have existed for a long time and have proven their efficacy time and time again. In fact, 6 Sigma disregards a large amount of the density of traditional Total Quality Management (TQM) in favor of a much more direct, common sense-based, and practical mindset.
Unfortunately, though, after lifetimes of learning, training, and thinking in traditional ways, the more reality-based 6 Sigma does not come naturally to many people. To, quality control, compensate for this issue, specially trained, proven individuals, known as 6 Sigma Black Belts, have become available to assist organizations using their proficiency in the application of the 6 Sigma strategy.
Of course, all this is not to say that everything about 6 Sigma is obvious and simple. In fact, some of the techniques utilized by the Black Belts are quite advanced, and require state-of-the-art computer technologies.
Fortunately, these tools can be applied to quite an easy performance improvement, quality control, model, frequently referred to by 6 Sigma Black Belts as the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control Model, so that any business can apply 6 Sigma to its own processes.
Now that you know what 6 Sigma is, it's time to find out how you can improve the function of your own business and maximize your potential through practical and realistic quality control. The strategy has worked wonders for Motorola, and is currently growing its successes with organizations around the globe.
Craig, quality control, Setter is a certified Master Black Belt for Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online. Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for 6 sigma black belt, green belt, yellow belt, lean and DFSS courses. They have an extensive customer list including such companies as Pfizer, Microsoft, UPS, Bank of America, and State/Federal Governments. For additional information in regards to Six, quality control, Sigma, quality control, or to see how Aveta Solutions Six Sigma Online can help you, please visit us at http://www.sixsigmaonline.org
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