In the 1980s Philip Crosby popularized the concept of Zero Defect as a guideline for quality control. This approach sets the goal of 100 percent error-free results. Crosby argues that setting an "acceptable" level of defects tends to cause that level (or a higher one) to become a fulfilled prophecy; If employees know that it is "okay" to work within a certain level of errors, they will come to see that level as the "norm." It is clear that this "norm" is suboptimal. Crosby argues that people were set much looser performance standards in their jobs than they were in their personal lives. “They expected to do things right, when it came to holding a baby,to pay the bills or go back to the right house early. On the other hand, businesses were set "acceptable quality levels", variation margins and deviations.
The idea of an “acceptable error rate” (sometimes called an “acceptable quality level”) is a curious holdover from the era of quality “control”. In those days, ways could be found to statistically justify natural human failings, holding that no one could possibly be perfect. So if 100% is unattainable, why not settle for 99%, and even 95%? So if we hit 96.642%, we could throw a party and celebrate being over targets. The point is that 96.642% means that out of 100,000 transactions made by a service, 3,358 would be unfavorable. Like the failures of one in a thousand paratroopers. Dissatisfied customers, those who would have been out of the perfect transaction rate, would never return.
Now, Tom Parker points out that: “67,000 Americans go through an operating room every day. A 99% surgical success rate would mean that 66,330 people would emerge from anesthesia with no other difficulty than trying to operate the remote control of the hospital television set. But what about the unfortunate few who did not fall into the category of "acceptable error"? Every day 670 of our friends, neighbors, relatives and loved ones would experience complications, or die, as a result of acceptable surgical failures. ”So a 99% performance would be a high average, but not very impressive as a percentage of surgical successes.
What if we deviated from that quality standard and set an ambitious goal of 99.9%? Would it be acceptable? In a special report on quality, published in 1991 in Training magazine, Natalie Gabel applied this standard to a number of activities. The figures he obtained were surprising. If 99.9% were the true performance standard achieved in some current activities: (data corresponding to USA)
- Hospital nurseries would deliver 12 babies a day to mismatched parents. Financial institutions would deduct 22,000 checks from wrong bank accounts…. Every 60 minutes. Telecommunications services would transmit 1,314 wrong calls….. every 60 minutes. Film producers would use 811,000 defective film rolls for shooting scenes.
In the next 12 months:
- 268,500 defective tires would be manufactured 103,260 defective revenue taxes would be improperly processed 517,200 soda crates would contain non-fizzy drinks 20,000 incorrect medical prescriptions would be issued $ 761,900 would be spent on unplayable tapes and compact discs
Fortunately, things are working better than expected, so real reports show that of the 67,000 surgical patients mentioned above, only 25 would not be able to get out of the trance today. This means 0.000037, or 0.037%, which is equivalent to an average success rate of 99.963% (15 times better than the 99.9% norm). In the case of airlines, if accidents are considered as defects, their current level would be 6.5 Sigma. But in baggage handling, the level is barely 3.5 Sigma.
Patent dramas and triple external pressure have been needed to convince management about the need to adopt new paradigms in the management of companies to make their continuity and growth possible. When Hewlett-Packard examined 300,000 semiconductors from three companies in the United States and three in Japan, it found that the failure rate for North American chips was greater than 0.1%, while the failure rate for Japanese chips in the same period it was zero.
As in the semiconductor industry, others such as textiles, iron and steel, machine tools, electronics, the automotive industry, among many others, have seen a loss of competitiveness, market and profits day by day for having been anchored to paradigms that no longer they were valid within the new world scheme.
Among the three external pressures referred to above, the first and most obvious is that of unbridled competition in a more interconnected and interdependent world. The second of the pressures is related to technological speed and, in particular, the acceleration of IT renewal, the dissemination of information in all organizations and the increasing capacity to access it by an increasingly important number of people.. The third external pressure that leads the economic establishment to totally review its organizational rules is the clash of changing mentalities.
The company of the late eighties seems to have found its new creed: that of total quality. Companies that were limited to ex post control of their only quality filed for bankruptcy one after another. Today's businesses, if they are to survive, must work for their customers more than for themselves.
There are seven reasons, of which each one alone justifies, the adoption of total quality as a management project.
First reason: it is the arrival of a globalized economy. The emergence of new competitors in the global economic game makes non-competitive companies expire, and forces all those that want to survive to support their activity from now on on a meticulous, attentive and permanent surveillance of the market to always better adjust quality of the response that is requested.
The second reason on which the inevitability of total quality is based is the sudden reversal in the industrialized countries of the relationship of forces between a less growing demand and a multiple supply, since the mid-1970s, due to the explosion of Japan and of the newly industrialized countries. Behold, consumers and customers in the face of multiple offers become more demanding and always demand better quality at always lower prices.
The fourth reason is that we have changed. In the West, a lower commitment of workers to the company has been observed. A change of attitude is necessary if we want to preserve jobs in the face of cultures with a much more committed and disciplined workforce.
The fifth reason is given by the inability of the Taylor company to reduce non-quality costs. Fractionated into large self-centered functions, generator of the phantom company, more concerned with "doing more" than "doing better", in controlling and correcting than in preventing, this company, overloaded with useless costs and resources occupied in "making nothing", quickly loses ground in economic competition and is sentenced to death in the short term. Total quality is your only lifeline.
Sixth reason: it also refers to the Taylorist organization and the waste of intelligence that the company has been able to allow itself to tolerate, while the relationship between supply and demand was the inverse of today. From now on, it is no longer possible to leave all these intelligences lying fallow at all levels and, particularly, at the levels of execution, at the level of workers and employees. The battle of quality is too difficult to keep all this intelligence out of combat.
And the seventh reason is that since there is a total quality process and that certain economies have adopted it, all those that have not have seen an abyss open up in their competitiveness at full speed. And what is true for economies is also true of the company. For this, it is necessary to take into account that the cost of non-quality in Western economies is in the order of 20% of its turnover, while in the Japanese economy it is 12%. Failure to quickly reduce this gap and in the face of economic growth in countries such as China, Thailand, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries, they foretell inevitable defeats.
Given the circumstances described, North American companies have seen the urgent need to make a total change in the way they manage companies, giving rise to the Six Sigma methodology.
In the eighties TQM (Total Quality Management) was very popular, but it suffered a process of wear and tear and in many companies of agony. It was necessary to generate a method that will motivate leadership for quality. This occurred with Six Sigma based on three characteristics:
- Six Sigma is customer-focused. Six Sigma projects produce great returns on investment. In an article in the Harvard Business Review, Sasser and Reichheld point out that companies can increase their profits by almost 100% if they retain only 5% more of their customers through achieving a high degree of quality. Six Sigma changes the way they address operates. Six Sigma is much more than improvement projects. Management and supervisors learn new approaches to solving problems and making decisions.
Just as in Japan companies such as Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Fujitsu, Cannon and NEC among others were the basis for the development of Just in Time and Kaizen, in the case of Six Sigma companies such as Motorola, General Electric, Honeywell, Sears Roebuck, American Express, Johnson & Johnson, Federal Express, and Ford Motor have served as its research and development platform.
- The seven metamorphoses
The new philosopher's stone of total quality allows the company to always satisfy the customer better and always cheaper. It is shown that quality does not cost more expensive; on the contrary, it pays because it allows you to sell. What costs dearly is non-quality, that is, failure, useless costs, delays; All of this is the product of a bad organization that is billed as a fine to the customer and that surprises, displeases, and finally diverts them to other providers, because from now on they have the dilemma of choosing.
In this process aimed at achieving zero defect (Six Sigma implies 3.4 defects per million opportunities) companies focus on seven changes or metamorphoses.
The first metamorphosis implies that the company is more interested in its market than in itself, in its customers than in its machines, in its ends than in its means, and that its leaders replace the logic of the engineer or the accountant, centered on an inordinate confidence in the ability of his technique, by the logic of the commercial entrepreneur, who recognizes the uselessness of a superb product that has not been able to sell.
The second metamorphosis is the establishment of customer-supplier relationships within the company itself; every department, every service, every function, every worker must strive to better specify what they want from their source and to better respond to the demands of their consumer. The atomized organization gives way to an organization by flows. The walls that defended the functional territories fell to give rise to a development of integral processes in which everyone takes part in a harmonious way.
The third metamorphosis consists of stopping "producing more" to move on to "producing better from the start." The infernal rhythms produce nothing but mediocre quality products and bitter, tired and less and less competent employees. Total quality pursues self-control and collective actions, producing well the first time, fixing the defect when it occurs.
The fourth metamorphosis involves replacing the mechanistic model of an organization that assigns each individual an instrumental position of performer, with a biological model where the responsible teams take on missions, collectively uniting their talent to do so. The pyramidal company is replaced by the multicellular company.
The fifth metamorphosis involves moving from an isolated and intransigent company vis-à-vis its suppliers and subcontractors, into one that is involved in deep relationships of trust.
The sixth metamorphosis involves the substitution of prevention for control. An increase in prevention costs results in a decrease in the total cost of quality by significantly reducing costs due to internal and external failures, and reducing evaluation needs.
The seventh metamorphosis implies the elimination of all waste and waste, not only those related to the production process, but also those related to administrative-bureaucratic activities.
Achieving these changes allows reaching the "Six Zeros": zero defects, zero stocks, zero breakdowns, zero deadlines, zero papers and zero accidents.
- What is Six Sigma?
Six Sigma involves both a statistical system and a management philosophy.
Six Sigma is a smarter way to run a business or department. Six Sigma puts the customer first and uses milestones and data to drive better results. Six Sigma's efforts target three main areas:
- Improve customer satisfaction Reduce cycle time Reduce defects
Improvements in these areas represent significant cost savings, opportunities to retain customers, capture new markets, and build a reputation as a company of excellence.
We can define Six Sigma as:
- A statistical measure of the level of performance of a process or product A goal of achieving near perfection through performance improvement A management system for enduring business leadership and world-class performance globally.
The lowercase Greek letter sigma is used as a symbol for standard deviation, which is a statistical way of describing how much variation exists in a data set.
The sigma measurement was developed to help us:
- Focus measures on customers who pay for goods and services. Many measures only focus on costs, working hours, and sales volumes, these being measures that are not directly related to customer needs. Provide a consistent way to measure and compare different processes.
The first step in calculating the sigma level or understanding its meaning is understanding what your customers expect. In Six Sigma terminology, customer requirements and expectations are called CTQs (Critical to Quality).
The sigma measurement is used to observe how well or poorly the processes operate and give everyone a common way of expressing this measurement.
PERFORMANCE LEVELS IN SIGMA
| Sigma level | Defects per million opportunities |
| 6 | 3.40 |
| 5 | 233.00 |
| 4 | 6,210.00 |
| 3 | 66,807.00 |
| two | 308,537.00 |
| one | 690,000.00 |
When a company violates important customer requirements, it generates defects, complaints and costs. The greater the number of defects that occur, the greater the cost of correcting them, as well as the risk of losing the customer.
The goal of Six Sigma is to help people and processes aspire to deliver defect-free products and services. While Six Sigma recognizes that there is room for defects as they are relevant to the processes themselves, a correct performance level of 99.9997 percent implies a goal where defects in many processes and products are practically non-existent.
The Six Sigma goal is especially ambitious when you consider that before starting a Six Sigma initiative, many processes operate at 1, 2 and 3 sigma levels, especially in service and administrative areas.
We must bear in mind that a dissatisfied customer will tell about his unfortunate experience to between nine and ten people, or even more if the problem is serious. And on the other hand, the same client will only tell three people if the product or service has satisfied them. This implies that a high level of failures and errors are an easy route to the loss of current and potential customers.
As a management system, Six Sigma is not owned by top management beyond the critical role it plays, nor is it driven by middle management (despite their key involvement). The ideas, solutions, process discoveries and improvements that emerge from Six Sigma are putting more responsibility, through empowerment and participation, in the hands of people who are on the production lines and / or who work directly with customers.
"Six Sigma is therefore a system that combines strong leadership with the commitment and energy of the grassroots."
- The Six Principles of Six Sigma
Principle 1: Genuine Customer Focus
The main focus is putting the customer first. Six Sigma improvements are evaluated by the increase in the levels of satisfaction and creation of value for the client.
Principle 2: Direction based on data and facts
The Six Sigma process begins by establishing which are the key measures to be measured, then moving on to data collection for subsequent analysis. In this way, problems can be defined, analyzed and resolved in a more effective and permanent way, attacking the root or fundamental causes that originate them, and not their symptoms.
Principle 3: Processes are where the action is
Six Sigma focuses on processes, so mastering these will achieve significant competitive advantages for the company.
Principle 4: Proactive Management
This means adopting habits such as setting ambitious goals and reviewing them frequently, setting clear priorities, focusing on preventing problems, and questioning why things are done the way they are.
Principle 5: Collaboration without barriers
Special attention should be paid to breaking down the barriers that prevent teamwork among the members of the organization. Achieving in such a way better communication and a better flow in the work.
Principle 6: Seek perfection
Companies that apply Six Sigma aim to achieve more perfect quality every day, being willing to accept and handle occasional setbacks.
- How is the Sigma level determined?
First of all we must define and clarify terms and concepts:
Sigma (s) is a statistical parameter of dispersion that expresses the variability of a set of values with respect to its mean value, so that the lower the sigma, the lower the number of defects. Sigma quantifies the dispersion of these values with respect to the mean value and, therefore, set some limits of specification by the client, upper and lower, with respect to the target central value, the lower the sigma, the lower the number of out-of-specification values and hence the number of defects.
In such a way, the Six Sigma quality scale measures the number of sigmas that fit within the interval defined by the specification limits, so that the greater the number of sigmas that fit within the specification limits, the smaller will be the value of sigma and therefore the number of defects is lower.
The difference between the Upper Tolerance (TS) and the Lower Tolerance (TI) divided by the standard deviation gives us the amount (or level) of sigmas (z).
At a 6 sigma level, a total of 12 sigmas enter the space between the Upper Tolerance (TS) and the Lower Tolerance (TI).
As long as the measurement is within the TS-TI interval, we will say that the product or service is compliant or of quality. In this case, the ideas of Crosby are followed, who considers quality to be synonymous with meeting specifications.
Thus, the closer the measurement values are to the Central Optimal Value, the smaller the sigma value will be, and thus, the greater numbers of sigmas will fall within the tolerance limits.
Thus we have, starting from the coordinate axes located in the upper left corner, a curve with a negative slope, corresponding to the relationship between the standard deviation (sigma) and the number of sigmas (z). The higher the value of sigma, the lower the value of z (number of sigmas), and conversely, as the value of sigma decreases, the number of sigmas that fall within the tolerance limits increases.
In the coordinate axes of the upper right corner we have a curve with a positive slope, which indicates that increasing the level of z increases the performance of the process (%).
In the lower right corner we have a curve with a negative slope, which indicates that with increasing performance the number of defects per million opportunities (DPMO) decreases.
In the lower left corner, the curve has a positive slope and indicates that as the amount of DPMO increases, the value of sigma increases, while if the level of DPMO decreases, the value of sigma also decreases.
DPMO Sigma Level
Calculating the sigma level for most processes is fairly easy. Given a certain product or service, the critical quality factors (FCC) are determined, then these are multiplied by the quantity of articles produced, obtaining the total of feasible defects (opportunities for failures). If we divide the detected failures (with the different measurement systems depending on the type of good or service) by the total of feasible defects (TDF) and then multiply it by one million, we obtain the defects per million opportunities (DPMO). Then reviewing the sigma table we have the sigma levels.
Critical quality factors can be determined by both internal and external customers, and will be applied to the different stages of the various processes.
Regarding the measurement methodology, it will be carried out by internal sampling (measurements) or by requisition (questionnaire) for all or part of the consumers.
Thus, if 12 critical quality factors (FCC) have been determined for a product and a total of 250,000 items have been produced, taking a sample of 1,500, the total of feasible defects is (1,500 x 12) 18,000. If the total number of errors or failures detected amounts to 278, they imply that we have 15,444.44 DPMO (resulting from dividing 278 by 18,000 and multiplying them by 1,000,000). For this level of DPMO the number of sigmas is 3.67 (which implies a yield between 99.80 and 99.87 percent).
- Conversion table: sigma level from DPMOs
| Performance (%) | LEVEL IN SIGMA | DPMO |
| 6.68 | 0.00 | 933200 |
| 8,455 | 0.13 | 915450 |
| 10.56 | 0.25 | 894400 |
| 13.03 | 0.38 | 869700 |
| 15.87 | 0.50 | 841300 |
| 19.08 | 0.63 | 809200 |
| 22.66 | 0.75 | 773400 |
| 26,595 | 0.88 | 734050 |
| 30.85 | 1.00 | 691500 |
| 35,435 | 1.13 | 645650 |
| 40.13 | 1.25 | 598700 |
| 45,025 | 1.38 | 549750 |
| fifty | 1.50 | 500000 |
| 54,975 | 1.63 | 450 250 |
| 59.87 | 1.75 | 401300 |
| 64,565 | 1.88 | 354350 |
| 69.15 | 2.00 | 308500 |
| 73,405 | 2.13 | 265950 |
| 77.34 | 2.25 | 226600 |
| 80.92 | 2.38 | 190800 |
| 84.13 | 2.50 | 158700 |
| 86.97 | 2.63 | 130300 |
| 89.44 | 2.75 | 105600 |
| 91,545 | 2.88 | 84550 |
| 93.32 | 3.00 | 66800 |
| 94.79 | 3.13 | 52100 |
| 95.99 | 3.25 | 40100 |
| 96.96 | 3.38 | 30400 |
| 97.73 | 3.50 | 22700 |
| 98.32 | 3.63 | 16800 |
| 98.78 | 3.75 | 12200 |
| 99.12 | 3.88 | 8800 |
| 99.38 | 4.00 | 6200 |
| 99,565 | 4.13 | 4350 |
| 99.7 | 4.25 | 3000 |
| 99,795 | 4.38 | 2050 |
| 99.87 | 4.50 | 1300 |
| 99.91 | 4.63 | 900 |
| 99.94 | 4.75 | 600 |
| 99.96 | 4.88 | 400 |
| 99,977 | 5.00 | 230 |
| 99,982 | 5.13 | 180 |
| 99,987 | 5.25 | 130 |
| 99,992 | 5.38 | 80 |
| 99,997 | 5.50 | 30 |
| 99.99767 | 5.63 | 23.35 |
| 99.99833 | 5.75 | 16.7 |
| 99,999 | 5.88 | 10.05 |
| 99.99966 | 6.00 | 3.4 |
- Problem Solving Method
The DMAMC method (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) has been developed as a system for solving problems.
This method is carried out by groups specially trained in order to solve the various problems or objectives of the company.
The keys of the DMAMC are in:
- Measure the problem. It is always necessary to have a clear notion of the defects that are occurring in quantities and also expressed in monetary values. Focus on the customer. The needs and requirements of the client are fundamental, and this must always be duly taken into account Verify the root cause. It is necessary to get to the fundamental or root reason, avoiding staying only in the symptoms. Breaking bad habits. Real change requires creative solutions. Manage risks. Testing and refining solutions is an essential part of the Six Sigma discipline. Measuring results. Monitoring any solution is verifying its real impact Sustaining the change. The final key is to make the change last.
Define the problem
It must be clearly defined on what problem to work on? Why is working on that particular problem? Who is the client? What are the client's requirements? How is the work currently being carried out? the benefits of making an improvement ?.
It should always be borne in mind that correctly defining a problem implies having 50% of its solution. A poorly defined problem will lead to developing solutions for false problems.
To size
Measuring pursues two fundamental objectives:
- Collect data to validate and quantify the problem or opportunity. This is critical information to refine and complete the development of the improvement plan, allowing and facilitating us to identify the real causes of the problem.
Knowledge of statistics becomes essential. "Quality is not improved, unless you measure it."
Analyze
Analysis allows us to discover the root cause. For this, the different quality management tools will be used. They are the classic seven statistical tools and the new seven tools. Analysis tools should be used to determine where we are, not to justify mistakes.
In this regard, it should be noted that the Pareto Diagram is for the purpose of giving priority to the factors that are most important in the generation of failures or errors, but it should not mean neglecting the other causes. In this regard, Crosby points out that “the numerous but trivial don't even pay attention to them; They let them poison the product or service for the consumer. They consider that it is not worth spending time to fix them. In contrast, for a true zero-defect approach, all elements are important. "
To get better
At this stage, the participation of all the participants in the process assumes a fundamental preponderance, as well as the creative capacity, among which are the use of new tools such as Lateral Thinking and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).
The improvement phase involves both design and implementation. In this design phase, the benchmarking activity is very important in order to detect in other units of the same company or in other companies (competitors or not) more effective ways of carrying out a process.
Control
It is necessary to confirm the results of the improvements made. Therefore, indicators must be clearly defined that allow visualizing the evolution of the project. Indicators are necessary because we cannot base our decisions on simple intuition. The indicators will show us the trouble spots in our business and help us characterize, understand and confirm our processes. Through the control of results we will be able to know if we are meeting the needs and expectations of our clients.
It is also essential to verify the stability of the processes through control. Different indicators linked to Six Sigma can and should be articulated in the Dashboards or Balanced Scorecards in order to allow constant monitoring of their evolution by the different officials and those responsible for the production and improvement processes.
Among the indicators to monitor we have:
- Indicators related to the cost, it includes costs corresponding to operations, raw materials, waste and recycling, marketing, product development. Indicators related to the time of: cycles (productive, commercial, response) and compliance with the stages of the improvement implementation processes Indicators related to benefits, such as market share, share price, company image, levels of customer and consumer satisfaction, and employee participation (Suggestion amounts by time period and subsequent savings or benefit levels).
As a summary, we can say that the problem is defined first, evaluating or subsequently measuring the point at which the company is. Third, the root cause of the problem is studied, proceeding to design and implement the respective improvements. Ultimately proceeding to control the results obtained to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the changes made.
- Six Sigma Process Improvement Tools
The Six Sigma system is much more than teamwork, it involves the use of refined analysis systems related to design, production and procurement.
In terms of Design, tools such as: Design of Experiments (DDE), Robust Design and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) are used.
As for Production, the basic tools of quality control are used, among which are: histograms, the Pareto Diagram, the Ishikawa Diagram, AMFE, SPC (Statistical Process Control) and DDE.
The SPC and the DDE corresponding to the suppliers are applicable to the Procurement activities and processes.
- Six Sigma Improvement Team
It goes through six phases, these being the following:
- Identification and selection of projects. The management considers the various improvement projects presented, selecting the most promising based on the possibilities of implementation and the results obtainable. The project must have a benefit for both the business and the clients. The use of the Pareto Diagram is a beneficial tool for such selection. Teams are formed, among which is the Group Leader (Black Belt), for which those individuals who, according to the Inventory, will be involved. Permanent HR. (see annex) have the necessary qualities to join the project in question. Development of the project framework document. The framework document is key as an element around which the wills of the group are added, serving as a guide to avoid deviations and contradictions. It must be clear, clearly set limits on resources and deadlines, and above all else the supreme objective to be achieved. Training of team members. They are trained, if they do not already have knowledge and / or experience in Six Sigma in statistics and probabilities, management tools, problem solving and decision-making system, creativity, lateral thinking, creativity methods, NLP, planning and process analysis. Execution of the DMAMC and implementation of solutions.Teams must develop project plans, training other staff members, procedures for solutions, and are responsible for both putting them into practice and making sure they work (measuring and controlling results) for a significant time. Transfer of the solution. After fulfilling the objectives for which the teams were created, they dissolve and their members return to their regular jobs or become part of teams corresponding to other projects.After fulfilling the objectives for which the teams were created, they dissolve and their members return to their regular jobs or become part of teams corresponding to other projects.After fulfilling the objectives for which the teams were created, they dissolve and their members return to their regular jobs or become part of teams corresponding to other projects.
- Belts and Leaders
As a way to identify certain staff members who fulfill specific functions in the Six Sigma process, and inspired by martial arts as a philosophy of continuous improvement and high discipline, various levels of belts have been conferred for those members of the organization who lead and help lead improvement projects.
Thus, with the Black Belt, we have those people who dedicate themselves full time to detecting opportunities for critical changes and getting them to achieve results. The Black Belt is responsible for leading, inspiring, directing, delegating, training and caring for its team members. She must have firm knowledge both in quality matters and in matters related to statistics, problem solving and decision making.
The Green Belt is formed in the Six Sigma methodology, serving as a team member, supporting the tasks of the Black Belt. Its fundamental functions consist of applying the new concepts and tools of Six Sigma to the day-to-day activities of the organization.
The First Dan (Master Black Belt or Master Black Belt) serves as a coach, mentor and consultant for the Black Belts working on the various projects. You must have a lot of experience in the field of action both in Six Sigma and in manufacturing, administrative and service operations.
Champion is an executive or manager who initiates and sponsors a Blach Belt or a project team. A kind of patron. He is part of the Leadership Committee, and his responsibilities are: to ensure that the projects are aligned with the general objectives of the business and to provide direction when that does not happen, to keep the other members of the Leadership Committee informed about the progress of the project, to provide or persuade third parties to contribute the necessary resources to the team, such as time, money, and the help of others. Conduct periodic review meetings and negotiate conflicts and liaise with other Six Sigma projects.
Implementation Leader
Generally in charge of the CEO or another top figure close to that maximum level, he is responsible for the implementation of the Six Sigma system and the results that it produces for the organization, being the fundamental strategist of the system.
- Establishment of techniques that avoid mistakes
In many organizations, making mistakes and then correcting them is part of their daily operations. Employees enter information incorrectly, misuse tools, provide the wrong information, ignore steps in a process, make measurement errors, and so on. Errors are a sign that the processes are not well understood and that the necessary information is not available to employees. Changes can and should be introduced to help employees understand that errors do not have to be part of operations, using various techniques, among which we can describe:
- Reminders. Reminders include checklists, manuals, charts, special forms - anything that helps employees remember what to do. Aviation pilots always use a written checklist of steps to take before taking off and landing, no matter how many times they have done it. Using reminders ensures that no step in an important activity or process will be ignored. Eliminate confusing similarities. When there are similarities between two items - for example, shapes, colors, locations, or part numbers - there is the potential for employees to make mistakes. To avoid this type of mistakes, supervisors and employees should review, first, the type of errors that occur; then they can make changes in shapes, colors,locations or any features that are causing confusion. In this way, the possibility of similarity errors can be considerably reduced. Let's think about the errors that usually take place in hospitals with oxygen tubes or other types of medical supplies. Colors that clearly identify their content can avoid very serious consequences. Establish restrictions. Another technique to reduce the possibility of errors is the development of constraints. Restraints are physical obstacles that prevent people from misperforming a task. For example, a restriction can prevent someone from following the steps of a process in the wrong order. Consider using restraints to prevent employees from doing things wrong.If the tools used in an operating room occupy a clearly identified place, once the same tool has been used it must occupy that place, if it remains empty it is because it may be inside the patient. Think about how many needles and other items are left inside for not taking this practice into account. Use the ability to perform. The ability to perform is an environment or circumstance that makes it easier to do a job properly. The ability to perform is the opposite of restrictions. Questionnaire or Preventive Analysis Matrix. For each operation or process, line employees and supervisors and other hierarchical personnel must ask themselves what could go wrong (using the Brainstorming, for example) and then analyze how to prevent this from happening.Thus, if a power outage can cause files to be lost, as well as damage computer systems, a preventive measure is to use batteries that allow programs to be closed and equipment turned off with enough time and even if the capacity allows it to continue carrying out work while it is missing current energy. Guide tips. Identify missing holes in the parts (if the part does not fit the tips, not all the holes are there) To indicate the proper location, the existence of holes and attachments, and the presence or absence of parts. Stop switches. To stop the equipment when a machine detects an error condition. Accountants (monitors). To ensure that all parts have been used or all actions have been completed.As well as damaging the computer systems, a preventive measure is to use batteries that allow closing the programs and turning off the equipment with enough time and even if the capacity allows it to continue carrying out tasks while the current power is lacking. Guide tips. Identify missing holes in the parts (if the part does not fit the tips, not all the holes are there) To indicate the proper location, the existence of holes and attachments, and the presence or absence of parts. Stop switches. To stop the equipment when a machine detects an error condition. Accountants (monitors). To ensure that all parts have been used or all actions have been completed.As well as damaging the computer systems, a preventive measure is to use batteries that allow closing the programs and turning off the equipment with enough time and even if the capacity allows it to continue carrying out tasks while the current power is lacking. Guide tips. Identify missing holes in the parts (if the part does not fit the tips, not all the holes are there) To indicate the proper location, the existence of holes and attachments, and the presence or absence of parts. Stop switches. To stop the equipment when a machine detects an error condition. Accountants (monitors). To ensure that all parts have been used or all actions have been completed.
These mechanical and memory devices, and many more, help employees prevent errors from occurring while running processes.
- Consistent design
One reason products fail is that designs are too complex and parts are left out of service when subjected to extreme or out-of-control circumstances. To address this, product developers have a goal to present consistent designs, which are plans that reduce the potential for product failure and optimize product reliability. Consistent designs prioritize simplicity over complexity, without sacrificing the functionality that customers seek; reducing the opportunities for defects to occur in production processes and increasing the possibility that a product will operate as it is supposed to in a wide variety of uses and environmental conditions.Consistent design is an example of preventive control that can help eliminate many problems later in the production process.
- Six Sigma implementation strategy
A successful Six Sigma plan comprises four fundamental stages, each of which is made up of sub-stages (which can be developed in parallel)
1st Change Decision
2nd Deployment of Objectives
Implementation strategy
3rd Project Development
4th Evaluation of Benefits
Change decision
It is necessary and essential to convince and demonstrate to the managers of the company about the imperative need for change, this will be better achieved if the evolution of the markets in general and of the specific industry in particular is shown, both globally and nationally and regional. Second, what is happening with the company must be clearly shown, describing its evolution and comparing it with that of current and future competitors. It should be made clear where the company will be in five or ten years of not making changes and where the companies that do make such changes will be.
Having demonstrated the need to establish a process of continuous improvement, and reengineering if necessary to quickly cover performance gaps, the next step is to demonstrate the characteristics and qualities of Six Sigma, also showing its differences in relation to other quality systems. and continuous improvement.
If the company is already applying some other system or method of continuous improvement, it is necessary to evaluate the results that they are providing, for which a good method is to evaluate the level of sigma that its processes currently have and compare them (benchmarking) with the global competitors.
The next stage consists of the paradigm shift of the managers and senior staff of the company. They need to get rid of their minds that mistakes are permissible and inherent to production.
It is planned strategically, clearly defining the values, mission and vision of the company, to later set objectives to be achieved to make longer-term objectives feasible. Based on this, a shared vision must be achieved with which enough energy is achieved to achieve teamwork that allows achieving optimal results in the implementation of Six Sigma. Depending on the plans, budget items are assigned for the purposes of their start-up and operation.
Leaders and Belts are selected, based on their knowledge, capabilities, and current positions.
Training and training of the various levels of belts and leaderships, as well as the rest of the personnel, must be carried out. This training will include different aspects depending on the functions and levels covered by said personnel. Aspects related to the meaning and operation of Six Sigma, problem solving and decision-making methods, teamwork, leadership and motivation, creativity, statistical process control, design of experiments, management tools, FMEA, statistics will be included. and probabilities, sampling, consumer satisfaction, quality and productivity, cost of quality, information systems, use of statistical software, supervision and project design, among others.
Target deployment
The information, training and supervision systems appropriate to the new improvement system are established.
The objectives, indicators and inducers related to Six Sigma are included in the information and control systems (Balanced Scorecards). If there is no Balanced Scorecard, a Six Sigma Scorecard is prepared.
The first working groups are formed based on the selected projects.
The projects are selected based on the benefits both for the company, but fundamentally for the increase in customer and consumer satisfaction.
It is convenient to start with pilot projects to test the techniques and knowledge learned, and also demonstrate to the rest of the organization about the achievements in the implementation of the system.
Project development
It is essential first of all to define the requirements of external and internal customers, and the way in which the achievement of these specifications will be measured.
Quality circles or Six Sigma work teams (ETSS) proceed to apply the DMAMC methodology (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control).
Managers are kept informed about the progress of the different projects.
Benefit evaluation
The improvements produced after the implementation of the changes resulting from the development of the various projects are determined. This is manifested both in levels of returns, as in levels of sigma, DPMO and savings obtained.
It is convenient to constantly monitor the satisfaction levels of both internal and external customers.
14.- Annex. Permanent Inventory of Human Resources
One of the great wastes that occur in organizations is not fully utilizing the capabilities of staff, ignoring their skills, experiences, knowledge and achievements.
A database that allows knowing the experiences, knowledge, and skills of the staff will allow the company to avoid having to resort to external personnel when it has the capabilities within, motivate staff by recognizing and allowing them to fully use their qualities, and finally plan based on the confrontation between the critical needs of the company and the existing human resources, the needs to be covered, either by training staff or covering with new staff those skills, knowledge and experiences necessary for the normal development of the organization and the achievement of established objectives.
- Bibliography
- Barba, Enric - Boix, Francesc - Cuatrecasas, Lluís - Six Sigma - Management 2000 - 2000 Chowdhury, Subir - The Power of Six Sigma - Prentice Hall - 2001 Saderra i Jorba, Lluís - The secret of Japanese quality - Marcombo - 1993 Crosby, Philip B - Let's talk about quality - McGraw Hill - 1989Plotkin, Hal - Six Sigma. What it is and how to use it - Harvard Business Review / Management Herald - May / 2003 Castro, Cecilia de - Six Sigma, the last cry of quality - Diario Clarín - 08/31/03 Harry, Mikel - The vision of Six Sigma, case studies and applications - Sigma Publishing Company - 2000Hoerl, Roger - Six Sigma and the future of the quality profession - IEEE Engineering Management Review - 1998Agut, Joaquim - La qualitat Sis Sigma - Revista de Qualitat - 2000Serieyx, Herve - Le Zero Mepris - Inter. Éditions - 1989Brue,Greg - Six Sigma for Directors - McGraw Hill - 2002
