Kam Chap Chap

The Six Sigma continuous improvement methodology has been successfully deployed in many organizations on a global basis. This has resulted in significant reductions in cost and increases in revenue as a result of the improvement in operational excellence associated with improved business practices, the removal of variance in systems and processes and the reduction in waste generation and poor product quality. A series of Indicators that determine the level of a Six Sigma deployment and a set of key success factors have been identified within the operational context of a specific deployment undertaken by Lonmin PLC, one of the largest mining houses, which operates within the South African Mining Environment. Two deployment models exist, these being the integration of Six Sigma into the organizational strategy and operational philosophy with the second approach being operating the program as an independent decentralized system which provides Six Sigma technical support, Six Sigma training, coaching and mentoring to the business and its operational departments. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Factor analysis and OLS regression were used to explore the relationship between the factors and the indicators. The empirical result has confirmed that the factors are equally applicable to the South African mining industry and that their absence will impact negatively on the success and sustainability of a deployment. Practical recommendations are made regarding the approach to be followed during a Six Sigma deployment and an integrated model is suggested which integrates the concepts of Six Sigma, Change Management, Balanced Score Card and Strategy into a single deployment plan should an integrated deployment approach be contemplated.

Research institutions in Ghana are facing various challenges. It is the contention that viable research and development institutions are needed for achieving sustainable change in areas of national importance. A key aspect of institutional viability is strong performance management. This implies clear and workable approaches to performance measurement. This paper looks at the initial experiences in a collaborative effort to develop a performance measurement framework for the Food Research Institute (FRI) and the application of the Balanced Score Card (BSC) at institutional level. The process of diagnosing and analysing institutional monitoring and evaluation capacity and systems is described using a mix of diagnostic tools. Stages in applying the BSC approach are documented and the added value of the scorecard perspectives in highlighting focal areas for performance measurement and management within FRI. These are placed in the context of ongoing changes in the external environment posing both threats and opportunities. Changes implied by the introduction of the concept are discussed in the context of current constraints and the way forward is mapped out in terms of enhancing FRIs' impact orientation through the application of improved performance measurement and management.

Firstly this article analyses the factors of SWOT impact for the railway freight business performance; and then we calculate the weight of each factor which is identified by four dimensions in the BSC decomposition and AHP analysis; TOPSIS is used to make the horizontal comparison of different companies with AHP the weight and get the final ranking of enterprise. Research

... are positively related to organizational commitment, job involvement, empowerment and jobsatisfaction and negatively ... have become the need of the hour for improving satisfaction, increasing productivity ... complete balanced scorecard is one of the most common tool in Strategic ...