Lean Six Sigma White Belt: Recap: Understanding Six Sigma

What is Six Sigma?

Six Sigma is a structured and disciplined process designed to deliver perfect products and services on a
consistent basis. It aims at improving the bottom line by finding and eliminating the cause of mistakes
and defects in business process. A wide range of companies have found that when the Six Sigma
philosophy is fully embraced the enterprise thrives.

What is this Six Sigma Philosophy?

Several definitions have been proposed, the threats common to these definitions are: Use of teams that
are assigned well defined projects that have direct impact on the organizations bottom line. Training in
statistical thinking at all levels and providing key people with extensive training in advanced statistics
and Project Management. These key people are designated as Black Belts. Emphasis on the DMAIC
approach to problem solving.

DMAIC stands for: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. A management environment that
supports these initiatives as a business strategy. Opinions on the definition of Six Sigma can differ.

Six Sigma as a Philosophy: The philosophical perspective views all work as processes that can be Defined,
Measured, Analyzed, Improved and Controlled. Processes require inputs and produce outputs. If you
control the inputs you will control the outputs. This is generally expressed as the y = f(x) constant.

Six Sigma as a Set of Tools: Six Sigma as a set of tools includes all the qualitative and quantitative
techniques used by the six sigma expert to drive process improvement. A few such tools include the
seven basic tools of quality. There is probably little agreement among six sigma professionals as to what
constitutes the tool set.

Six Sigma as a Methodology: This view of Six Sigma recognizes the underlying and rigorous approach
known as DMAIC. DMAIC defines the steps a Six Sigma practitioner is expected to follow. Starting with
identifying the problem and ending with the implementation of long lasting solutions. While DMAIC is
not the only Six Sigma methodology in use it is certainly the most widely adopted and recognized.
Six Sigma as a Metric: In simple terms, Six Sigma quality performance means 3.4 defects per million
opportunities.

Summary: In this chapter, you learnt Six Sigma is a structured and disciplined process designed to deliver
perfect products and services on a consistent basis. Several definitions of the Six Sigma philosophy. We
also understood the opinions on Six Sigma as a philosophy, set of tools, methodology and metrics.

Typical Six Sigma Roles

A Six Sigma project is always a team effort. Multiple individuals play different roles in any Six Sigma
project.

Champion: The Champion is typically an upper level manager. His responsibilities include:

Allocation of resources for projects

Determine project selection criteria

Interact with Senior Management

Remove barriers hindering the success of the project

Approve completed projects

Implement change
Master Black Belt: Master Black Belts are individuals trained in Six Sigma Methodologies, Statistical
Tools, Basic Financial Tools, Change Management, Risk Assessment, Project Management, Executive
Communication and well experienced in teaching, coaching and mentoring black belts and green belts.
This is always a full-time position.

Black Belt: Black Belts are individuals trained in Six Sigma Methodologies, Statistical Tools, Basic financial
Tools, Change Management, Risk Assessment, Project Management and well-experienced in managing
Black Belt projects. This is also always a full-time position.

Green Belt: Green Belt are individuals trained in Six Sigma Methodologies; Basic Statistical Tools and
Process Improvement Techniques. This is typically a full-time position. However, some organizations
make this part of an existing job responsibility.

White Belt: White Belts are selected by either the Black Belt or the Green Belt and have an
understanding of the Six Sigma methodology. They are trained on the Seven basic tools of quality and
process improvement techniques. Their primary responsibilities include:

Support and contribute to Six Sigma projects

Participate in charter and scope definition

Provide inputs during project meeting, brainstorm ideas

Help collect data where responsible

Follow DMAIC process, applying appropriate tools

Review the approach periodically with the Green Belt and experienced Black Belt
Provide inputs to Green Belt and Black Belts and Process owners during project

Summary: In this chapter, you learnt: The various roles in a Six Sigma project including Champion,
Master Black Belt, Black Belt, Green Belt and the White Belt. We also learnt the various responsibilities
of a Six Sigma White Belt.

The Six Sigma DMAIC Model

The acronym DMAIC stands for: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. It is very similar to the
Plan-Do-Study-Act or Plan-Do-Check-Act model. Everyone in the organization will be asked, to get
involved with the Six Sigma model to look for continual improvement opportunities in their work areas.

Basically, you will do the following in each step:

Define: Identify the issue causing decreased customer satisfaction

Measure: Collect data from the process

Analyze: Study the process and data for clues to what is going on

Improve: Act on the data to change the process for improvement

Control: Monitor the system to sustain the gains.

A key factor in each step is for the management to allow the time and resources. This helps to
accomplish each of the phases. This also helps to strive for continual improvement.
Now you may ask, what is continual improvement? And how is it different from continuous
improvement?

Continuous improvement is an improvement where the organization continues to improve consistently.

The good thing about it is that the organization is on track for a very fast growth. However, the
disadvantage is that the organization doesn't spend much time to stabilize its processes. This can lead to
the downfall of the organization in the long run.

On the other hand continual improvement is that improvement in which the organization grows for a
certain period of time and then stabilizes itself on that growth. That is for continues to grow for some
more time then stabilize again, then grows again and and stabilizes again. This is a recurring process. The
benefit of continual improvement is that the organization under goes steady and streamlined growth
pattern. It helps them sustain very well in this constantly changing marketplace. Thus, continual
improvement is one of the driving forces that makes Six Sigma different from other quality improvement
program. The other driving forces include:

Getting everyone in the organization involved

Getting the information technology group to assist in supplying data more quickly for everyone and

Getting financial data in the form of cost of quality analysis

Summary: In this chapter, you learnt: DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control.
The difference between Continuous and Continual improvement. The driving forces that makes Six
Sigma different from other quality improvement programs.
Lean Six Sigma White Belt: Recap: SIPOC, Check Sheet & Histogram

SEVEN BASIC TOOLS OF QUALITY

The seven basic tools of quality are those tools that help organizations understand their
processes to improve them. These tools are:

 Process Maps
 Check Sheets
 Histogram
 Pareto Charts
 Fishbone Diagram
 5 Why Analysis and
 Run Charts

These tools are easy to use. All White Belt certified professionals are required to
understand how these tools can be used in their respective work areas. Let us now
understand each of the seven basic tools of Quality.

PROCESS MAPS

What is a process?

A process is a set of activities and tasks that transform inputs into products and services
delivered to customers. A process map therefore, is a diagram depicting activities and
tasks, people, systems, inputs, outputs, and decisions made in a process.

What do we hope to accomplish by mapping our processes?

It's all about understanding and articulating how we deliver our services and product. By
visualizing our process, they can answer questions like:

 How long does the process actually take?

 What steps consume the most time?
 Where are we seen defects and Why?
 How can we change the process to improve it?

Process mapping also supports standard operating procedures, training and meeting
regulatory requirements.

We will cover one type of process maps in this module called as SIPOC. SIPOC is a high
level map depicting the process on one page.
What is a SIPOC?

SIPOC is our highest level map containing the dimensions Suppliers, Inputs, Process,
Outputs and Customers related to the process. SIPOC stands for:

 Suppliers: Who are the internal or external providers of inputs to the process

 Inputs: What materials, knowledge or data are provided by the suppliers and
needed to execute the process?
 Process: What are the 5 to 7 high level steps in the process?
 Outputs: What products or services are created as a result of the process?
 Customers: Who are the internal or external customers of the process?

Why is a SIPOC so important?

SIPOC helps us in defining the boundaries for the process and provides a structured way
to discuss the process and obtain stakeholder consensus on how the process operates
today. It helps to answer questions like:

 What are the major steps in the process?

 Where does the process begin and end?
 What are the primary inputs and outputs?
 What are the key customers and suppliers?
 When is the SIPOC needed?

SIPOC is the first tool we should consider using when we are working with a
process. Use SIPOC to:

 Provide a one page overview to facilitate a quick understanding of the high level
process as it today
 Better understand your customers requirements
 Understand who your suppliers are and what inputs they provide
 Define the exact scope of a process improvement

Top tips for building a SIPOC:

 Remember, as we begin our project activities we seek to define the current

situation as today
 Be sure your SIPOC depicts what is really happening in the process today
 Identify the suppliers for the inputs required by the process
 Identify all inputs required for the process to function
 Identify 5-7 key high level steps in the process
  Verify the flow of information for the process. Identify the outputs of the process

CHECK SHEETS:

After we have mapped our process we will seek to collect data about the performance
of the process. The check sheet is a simple and effective way to collect data to
understand our process better or facilitate exploration of areas we want to investigate
further.

What is a Check Sheet?

It is structured template used to collect data at the location where the data is generated
in real time. Included in the check sheet are clear and full descriptions of what data is
required including unit of measure and when to collect it. Known as operational
definitions, this ensures data is collected the same way every time.

Why do we use Check Sheets?

Check Sheets is a simple and effective way to collect data to understand our process
better or collect information about areas that we want to investigate further in our
project efforts. For example; Cycle times, Errors, Volumes etc.

When should Check Sheets be used?

Anytime, we need to take observations and to collect the data repeatedly in the same
way every time. Also, when collecting data on the frequency or patterns of events,
problems, defects, defect location, defect causes etc. Check Sheets are valuable tools for
collecting data when it is not available from a system or other pre-existing source.

Top tips for building your own Check Sheets:

 Design the check sheet with the team who are going to use it
 Keep it clear and user friendly
 Include definitions of the terms used, and an example
 Explain to the team the reason for using Check Sheets
 Train everyone involved to ensure the check sheet is clearly understood
 Validate your check sheet and its data to the use of any initial pilot run and make
any necessary improvements
 Do not wait until the end to look at the data
 When collecting data always be sure to communicate, communicate and
communicate
HISTOGRAM

A histogram is a graphical representation of numerical data while it resembles a simple

bar chart. It also helps us see the central tendency and variation in our data. Histograms
can be easily built in Excel.

What is a Histogram?

A histogram is tool used to visually display numeric data relating to our business
process in the form of bars in a chart. Data is showcased sequentially in these bars
where the height of the bars represents the size of each group.

Why is Histogram important?

Histogram is useful for organizing and displaying data graphically. Helping to segregate
data into bars also known as bins and highlighting the category with the highest
number of data points. It also enables us to see the spread or variation in the data at
one glance.

When should Histogram be used?

A fundamental requirement of a Histogram is the analysis of numeric data. Data

measuring processing time, money, weight, height and age are great examples of
variables that can be analyzed using a Histogram. The Histogram is particularly useful
when you have a large data set to analyze. Grouping into bins can help you
communicate the most frequently occurring and variation being experienced. It's also
helpful after implementing process changes when you wish to communicate a summary
of your data before and after improvement.

Top tips for building your own Histogram:

 Collect the data to be analyzed

 Remember a Histogram is only suitable for numeric data
 Numeric variables commonly analyzed are measures of time money temperature
and so on
 Best practice is to have 30 or more data points for an analysis
 Divide the data into regular bands or groups within the range of the data set.
These are known as bins in Excel
 Selecting the appropriate bands or grouping of data is important as it can
drastically affect the appearance of your data
 The majority of data will be in the highest bar of your Histogram
Lean Six Sigma White Belt: Recap: Pareto Chart, Fishbone Diagram & 5Why
Analysis

PARETO CHART

The Pareto Chart is a simple yet powerful chart that presents data in descending order.
A Pareto chart can be built in Excel and will help identifying significant causes from the
trivial many.

What is a Pareto Chart?

It is a simple bar chart that ranks related measures in decreasing order of occurrence.
The Pareto principle is also known as the 80:20 rule, because it states: that a small
number 20% of causes contribute to the majority 80% of the performance issues. A
Pareto Chart contains both bars and the line graph where individual values are
represented in descending order by bars and the cumulative total is represented by the
line.

Why is a Pareto Chart important?

By identifying the most significant potential root-causes of problems. Pareto Charts help
the team to understand where to direct improvement efforts to have the greatest
impact on performance.

When should Pareto Charts be used?

Pareto Charts are useful when analyzing frequency data relating to Problems, Causes or
Categories in a process. For example; count of defects of different categories; counts of
customers from different regions; and the like that might be collected in a Check Sheet.
The Pareto Chart enables prioritization particularly if there are many problems or causes
and you want to focus on the most significant. The Pareto Chart is also a great way to
communicate with others about your data.

Top tips for building your own Pareto Chart:

 Gather your data and summarize for all causes. The Check Sheet is commonly
used for this purpose
 Sort data in descending order based on the respective counts
 Check the cumulative percentage of the issues. Identify the small number (20%)
of causes that are contributing toward the majority (80%) of the issue. Tackle the
 causes that contribute towards the majority (80%) of the problem first as they
have the largest impact when resolved

FISHBONE DIAGRAM

The Fish-bone diagram is a structured brainstorming tool useful to identify and

categorize the possible root-causes for performance issues. Only then can solutions be
identified, developed and implemented.

What is a Fishbone Diagram?

It is a structure brainstorming tool used to draw out possible causes for an effect or
problem. It is known as a Fishbone Diagram because the completed diagram resembles
the skeleton of a fish. However, it is also known as a Cause and Effect or Ishikawa
Diagram. Typically used in team-problem solving. It's also used in conjunction with the 5
Why analysis.

Why is the Fishbone Diagram important?

It is used for associating and representing causes for an effect or problem in one
diagram. It also helps you to structure a brainstorming session by segregating causes for
an effect or problem under predetermined categories. With the Fishbone diagram, you
can avoid overlooking the possible root cause of an effect or problem by visually
distinguishing the vital cause from the identified many.

When should the Fishbone Diagram be used?

After data related to your continuous process improvement action has been collected,
we use this tool identify possible causes for an effect or a problem. We seek to keep the
team focused on the causes of the problem rather than the symptoms and to identify
the root-cause from the underlined reported symptoms.

Top tips for building your own Fishbone Diagram.

 Use a flip chart or a large white board to draw your Fishbone Diagram
 Photograph it to enable sharing and to facilitate entry into the Fishbone diagram
template later
 Use the 5 Whys technique in conjunction with the Fishbone diagram
 Keep asking "why" didn't you to the root-cause
 Use the Fishbone diagram tool to keep the team focused on the causes of the
problem rather than the symptoms
  Encourage each person to participate in the brainstorming activity and to voice
their own opinions
 Make sure to leave enough space between the categories  on the diagram so that
you can continue to drill down to the root-cause
 Hold participants accountable and summarize the event, including actions and
deliverable's to take away

5 WHYS

The 5 Whys is used in conjunction with the Fishbone diagram and helps us to uncover
the root-causes of performance issues.

What is the 5 Whys?

It's an iterative probing technique to get to the root-cause of an effect or a problem.

The answer to the first WHY uncovers another reason and generate another WHY. It
often takes 5 Whys to arrive at the root-cause the problem.

Why is 5 Whys important?

It's a simple yet powerful technique that helps the team to collectively reach root-
causes. It also determines the relationship between the different root-causes of problem
and is one of the simplest tools to use being easy to complete with no statistical analysis
required.

When should the Five Why's be used?

When you want to get to the root-causes of an effect or a problem. We do so by

determining the relationship of possible causes to the effect we are experiencing.

Top tips for building your own Five Why analysis.

 Write down the specific problem. Writing the issue helps you formalize the
problem and describe it completely. It also helps the team to focus on the same
problem
 Assemble a team of subject matter experts to get to the root-causes.
 Keep on asking "why" until the team agrees that  they  have reached the root-
cause, or the answer provided does not have a further "why"
 Do not move into "Fixit" mode too soon, which might mean dealing with a
symptom, leaving the problem unresolved
 Write down any suggestions for future reference
  Avoid intentional or unintentional bias while answering the "Why" questions

Lean Six Sigma White Belt: RECAP: Run Charts

RUN CHART

The Run Chart is a simple chart that can be built in Excel. It helps us see Process
Performance Overtime.

What is a Run Chart?

A Run Chart is a line chart that visually displays data over a period of time. It's also
known as a Trend or Time Series Chart.

Why are Run Charts important?

Run Charts help us to identify process variation or patterns that may exist in the data
and trends over time. They make it easy to identify potential performance issues as well
any impact on the process of solutions from project activities. The result of
improvement efforts and evidence of their sustainability can be easily demonstrated
using Run Charts.

When should Run Charts be used?

You should Run Charts whenever you want to understand how your process has
performed over a certain period of time. Or when you want to see if the changes made
by your project resulted in sustainable improvements.

Top Tips for building your own Run Chart:

 Be sure to validate your data collection process and any calculations used
 Determine the purpose of the Run Chart and the data to be monitored, collected
and analyzed
 Select the time interval: minute, hour, day, month etc which is most appropriate
for the process
 Plot the intervals on the horizontal axis, which is the (X) axis
 Annotate the run chart by labeling when you implement changes to the process.
Investigate any single data-points that are a long way from the overall average or
median line
 These are referred to as outliers
  If you find consecutive points increasing or decreasing in value, they represent a
trend which may warrant investigation

Lean Six Sigma White Belt: RECAP: What is Lean?

WHAT IS LEAN?

Lean is a tool based methodology focused on eliminating waste from a process, so that
all the activities in a process add value from the customer's perspective. Example; Lean is
a philosophy that shortens the timeline between the customer order and the shipment
by eliminating waste.

VALUE ADDED & NON-VALUE ADDED:

Value added: Any activity in a process that adds value from the customer's perspective
is called as a value added activity.

Non-value added: Any activity that does not add market Form or Function or is not
Necessary, these activities should be:

 Eliminated
 Simplified
 Reduced or
 Integrated

KAIZEN

Kaizen is an acronym of two Japanese words KAI and ZEN which means, "Change for the
Better". It is defined as any improvement idea in and around the work place. Continuous
small improvements by everybody in all areas of operations is the most powerful way of
reducing variation and defects due to common causes.