Creating Process Maps: Key Ideas for a Team Facilitator

Posted on28. Apr, 2009 by carolesf.

If your company is planning to start a Six Sigma or Lean project for business process improvement, chances are that some form of process maps will need to be created.  And a crucial variable leading to the success or failure of the team involved in that effort is the effectiveness of the team facilitator.

What if you are the person chosen to facilitate that process mapping team?  If you’re a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, you may well be chosen for this role.  What kind of process do you need to follow to ensure that the process maps your team produces are as accurate and useful as they can possibly be? 

(1) Identify the scope of the process your team will be mapping. 

• This must include identification of: 
  • Customer,
  • Product,
  • Starting Point,
  • Ending Point.

(2) Identify all stakeholders to the process. 

• Make sure that all stakeholders are represented on the project team. 
• The team should include about 6 – 8 people; too few risks leaving out important stakeholders, while too many becomes unwieldy.
• Also ensure that these representatives come from varying levels in the organization, including some working-level members — who know what really goes on in the process.
• Determine what measures should be taken to gain buy-in (and take them).

(3)  Schedule an initial workshop with all the team members.  

• The workshop should be at least 3 hours long. 
• Invitations should be sent with enough lead time to get on people’s calendars.
• Always follow up with team members who didn’t respond to your initial invitation. 

(4)  On the day of the workshop, make sure you do the following:

• As facilitator…
  • Enforce the ground rules!  (This includes timekeeping.) 
  • Also, you must be seen as neutral to the process being studied.  If the team perceives you to have a preexisting agenda for the process (rightly or wrongly), it will be difficult to gain their honest and full participation. 
• Start by stating the ground rules for the workshop: 
  • Safe environment for brainstorming;
  • 5-Minute Rule (contentious topics will get “parked” after 5 minutes);
  • 80/20 Rule (focus on what happens 80% of the time);
  • Keep focused on value to the customer.
• Start by gaining consensus on the scope; modify as the group sees necessary. 
• Have team members write up the process as they see it on sticky notes, one note for each step in the process. 
• Participants then stick the notes on the wall in order.
  • Duplications of a step go underneath each other.
  • Team members should move the steps around until they are satisfied with the order.
• Lead team in discussion of…
  • Decisions points
  • Hand-offs
  • Bottlenecks
  • Gaps
  • Problems
• At the end of the workshop, the team decides if any stakeholders have been left out.  Is there anyone else who should provide input?
• Agree on the next steps your team needs to take.
• Schedule the next meeting.

Process maps

are a crucial tool in business process improvement.  And a good facilitator is key to achieving accurate and insightful process maps.  If you can provide that leadership, your team will benefit — and so will your company.

Welcome back to Lean Six Sigma Source! Thanks for your continued support.

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Six Sigma Master Black Belt: The Expert’s Expert

Posted on24. Apr, 2009 by carolesf.

Have you ever wondered what exactly a Master Black Belt does?  And how that differs from what a regular Six Sigma Black Belt does? 

I’ve got a really simple visual here to help make it clear:

 Think Yoda. 

Master Black Belt vs Master Yoda

The Six Sigma Master Black Belt trains Black Belts.  Often, he or she selects candidates for Black Belt training.  When a problem exceeds the skills and knowledge of regular Black Belts, they turn to the Master BB for guidance and help.  The Master Black Belt must take a broader view, with responsibility for the overall progress of Six Sigma in a given company. 

You have to admit, that’s a lot like what Yoda does for the Jedi Knights.  Well, okay, without the light saber.  (They’ve got some really fabulous spreadsheets and Powerpoint slides, though.)

Kidding aside, Master Black Belts are crucial players in the successful implementation of a company’s Six Sigma program.  They provide the overarching vision for the program.  They recruit, train, lead, and guide the Black Belts who will make an impact on their employer.  They help select and champion high-impact projects.  They are responsible for ensuring the integrity of statistical methods and tollgates. 

In other words, in a medium-to-large company, a successful Six Sigma program could not be implemented without them.  And they provide the leadership and expertise for most small-to-medium Six Sigma consulting and training companies.  

 How can you become a Master BB? 

 For starters, you’ll need to be a certified Six Sigma Black Belt.  Many (if not most) training companies require you to have led a minimum of three successful Six Sigma projects as a certified Black Belt before you may enter their MBB course. 

Why so picky?  Well, before you can be an effective consultant, solving the knottiest problems of other Black Belts, it’s pretty clear that you’ll need to have solved a fair number of problems of your own.  (Think Yoda again.  More experienced than Luke.)

In many large companies, certified Black Belts will work full-time on Six Sigma projects for eighteen months to three years.  Their companies may then sponsor them to pursue training as a Master Black Belt.  It is also possible to pursue Master-level training independently.  However, it is quite expensive; where training companies will even provide their prices on their websites, I couldn’t find any below $4,500.  Also, the on-line training programs, which have so helped to bring the cost within reach for Green Belts and Black Belts, have recently been rolled out at the MBB level through the Pyzdek Institute.

Master-level training involves more advanced statistical techniques than were taught in standard Black Belt training.  Also, additional training in Lean techniques may be provided, as well as in leadership skills and the art of being a successful change agent. 

All in all, the Master Black Belt holds a pretty substantial amount of responsibility in his or her hands.  But if you think you’re up to the challenge, you’ll also have the opportunity to make an equally substantial impact on your company, and on the careers of those you’ll lead.

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Six Sigma Black Belt & Son at Work

Posted on25. Feb, 2009 by Monique.

How NOT to explain what you do at work. . .  FUNNY!

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How to do Multiple Regression Analysis with SigmaXL

Posted on05. Jan, 2009 by Monique.

 Learn how to perform Multiple Regression analysis with SigmaXL. 

Why perform a Multiple Regression Analysis?

Y = f (x₁, x₂, x₃, . . .x_n)

To detemine which input or process variables (Xs) affect your output (Y).  Multiple regression helps find the source of  most of your variation in the process.  If you know the primary sources of variation you can reduce or eliminate the variation.  The demo below shows that Responsiveness to Calls and Ease of Communication account for 90% of the variation.  This tells you that your improvement efforts should center around these factors to have the greatest impact on Overall Satisfaction.

Used in DMAIC Phase(s). . . .

• Analyze

Type of Measure

• Input
• Process
• Output

Type of Data

• Continuous

To learn more about Six Sigma certification or to view a course demo, visit the Six Sigma Training page.

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Generate multiple Pareto charts – It’s EASY with SigmaXL!

Posted on30. Dec, 2008 by Monique.

Why use the Advanced Pareto chart function?

To help prioritize your efforts to reduce/eliminate defects. The Pareto principle indicates that approximately 80% of process defects are caused by 20% of the problems. Separate the vital few from the useful many.   The SigmaXL function helps draw comparisons between similiar categories.

Used in DMAIC Phase(s). . . .

• Measure
• Analyze

Type of Measure

• Input
• Process
• Output

Type of Data

• Discrete

To learn more about Six Sigma certification or to view a course demo, visit the Six Sigma Training page.

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How to Create a Basic Pareto chart using SigmaXL

Posted on30. Dec, 2008 by Monique.

Why use a Pareto chart?

To help prioritize your efforts to reduce/eliminate defects.  The Pareto principle indicates that approximately 80% of process defects are caused by 20% of the problems.  Separate the vital few from the useful many.

Used in DMAIC Phase(s). . . .

• Measure
• Analyze

Type of Measure

• Input
• Process
• Output

Type of Data

• Discrete

To learn more about Six Sigma certification or to view a course demo, visit the Six Sigma Training page.

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Acuity Institute Review [VIDEO]: What Does Acuity Institute Have to Offer?

Posted on26. Dec, 2008 by Monique.

Acuity Institute

is the gold standard for online six sigma certifications. If you are looking for a convenient way to achieve your professional development goals, you will be pleased to find that the Acuity Institute’s Six Sigma Black Belt, Green Belt, and Kaizen Workshop certification courses will exceed your expectations. The drawbacks of many traditional six sigma classes are extensive time commitments, need to travel to the training site, costs in excess of as much as $4,000, and often require the purchase of additional six sigma statistical software. Unfortunately, traditional six sigma certification programs do not meet the needs of the busy professional with family responsibilities and demanding business schedules. Small organizations also may not be able to make such a large financial investment to initiate six sigma program deployment. What is the alternative? Try Acuity Institute!

Quality Online Certifications

The International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) has approved Acuity Institute as an Authorized Provider. Meaning, Acuity Institute is authorized to offer IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for its programs that qualify under the ANSI/IACET Standards. Experienced Six Sigma Black Belts and Master Black Belts, who have over 30 years of experience combined, developed all Acuity Institute Six Sigma courses. The course developers have worked with many Fortune 500 companies. The course modules consist of audiovisual presentations in Macromedia Flash Player to provide you with the opportunity to work at your own pace.

Affordable Six Sigma Classes

The Six Sigma Black Belt Certification Packages starts at $999 and offers 12 CEUs upon successful completion of the course. The Standard & Advanced Packages include the Simulated Project Certification option. No other company offers this in the market today. The project simulation gives the user the opportunity to solve a six sigma problem and present information on each phase of the DMAIC process. You not only learn the six sigma tools, but the appropriate application of each tool. The certification also includes SigmaXL software ($199 value) and six sigma project forms to communicate your project findings to stakeholders, sponsors, and process owners. An e-Book is also included in the purchase price. What more could you want from a six sigma training program? Acuity Institute has it all and more. Including convenient payment plan options available.

I can speak from personal experience and say that this was the ‘BEST’ option available. I am a single mother and I was able to complete the basic certification program in 12 days!! (Note: Not typical results) If I can do it, you can do it.

Learn More About Six Sigma Training Classes

Sign Up for Six Sigma Certification

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