What is Six Sigma?

Basics
A new way of doing business Wise application of statistical tools within a structured methodology Repeated application of strategy to individual projects Projects selected that will have a substantial impact on the bottom line

Six Sigma

A scientific and practical method to achieve improvements in a company

Scientific: Structured approach. Assuming quantitative data. Show me the money

Show me the data

Practical: Emphasis on financial result. Start with the voice of the customer.

Where can Six Sigma be applied?

Service Management
Purchase

Design

Administration

Six Sigma Methods

Production

Quality Depart. HRM

IT

M&S

The Six Sigma Initiative integrates these efforts

Knowledge Management

Six Sigma companies

Companies who have successfully adopted Six Sigma strategies include:

GE Service company - examples

Approving a credit card application Installing a turbine Lending money Servicing an aircraft engine Answering a service call for an appliance Underwriting an insurance policy Developing software for a new CAT product Overhauling a locomotive

General Electric
In 1995 GE mandated each employee to work towards achieving 6 sigma The average process at GE was 3 sigma in 1995 In 1997 the average reached 3.5 sigma GEs goal was to reach 6 sigma by 2001 Investments in 6 sigma training and projects reached 45MUS$ in 1998, profits increased by 1.2BUS$

the most important initiative GE has ever undertaken. Jack Welch

Chief Executive Officer General Electric

MOTOROLA
At Motorola we use statistical methods daily throughout all of our disciplines to synthesize an abundance of data to derive concrete actions. How has the use of statistical methods within Motorola Six Sigma initiative, across disciplines, contributed to our growth? Over the past decade we have reduced in-process defects by over 300 fold, which has resulted in cumulative manufacturing cost savings of over 11 billion dollars*.
Robert W. Galvin Chairman of the Executive Committee Motorola, Inc.
*From the forward to MODERN INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS by Kenett and Zacks, Duxbury, 1998

Positive quotations
If youre an average Black Belt, proponents say
youll find ways to save $1 million each year Raytheon figures it spends 25% of each sales dollar fixing problems when it operates at four sigma, a lower level of efficiency. But if it raises its quality and efficiency to Six Sigma, it would reduce spending on fixes to 1% The plastics business, through rigorous Six Sigma process work , added 300 million pounds of new capacity (equivalent to a free plant), saved $400 million in investment and will save another $400 million by 2000

Negative quotations
Because managers bonuses are tied to Six
Sigma savings, it causes them to fabricate results and savings turn out to be phantom Marketing will always use the number that makes the company look best Promises are made to potential customers around capability statistics that are not anchored in reality Six Sigma will eventually go the way of the other fads

Barriers to implementation
Barrier #1: Engineers and managers are not interested in mathematical statistics
Barrier #2: Statisticians have problems communicating with managers and engineers Barrier #3: Non-statisticians experience statistical anxiety which has to be minimized before learning can take place Barrier # 4: Statistical methods need to be matched to management style and organizational culture

Statisticians
Technical Skills

BB

Master Black Belts

MBB

Black Belts

Quality Improvement Facilitators

Soft Skills

Reality
Six Sigma through the correct application of statistical tools can reap a company enormous rewards that will have a positive effect for years or Six Sigma can be a dismal failure if not used correctly ISRU, CAMT and Sauer Danfoss will ensure the former occurs

Six Sigma
The precise definition of Six Sigma is not important; the content of the program is A disciplined quantitative approach for improvement of defined metrics Can be applied to all business processes, manufacturing, finance and services

Focus of Six Sigma*

Accelerating fast breakthrough performance Significant financial results in 4-8 months Ensuring Six Sigma is an extension of the Corporate culture, not the program of the month Results first, then culture change!
*Adapted from Zinkgraf (1999), Sigma Breakthrough
Technologies Inc., Austin, TX.

Six Sigma: Reasons for Success

The Success at Motorola, GE and AlliedSignal has been attributed to:

Strong leadership (Jack Welch, Larry Bossidy and Bob Galvin personally involved) Initial focus on operations Aggressive project selection (potential savings in cost of poor quality > $50,000/year) Training the right people

The right way!

Plan for quick wins

Find good initial projects - fast wins

Make sure you know where it is Often and continually - blow that trumpet Everyone owns successes

Establish resource structure

Publicise success

Embed the skills

The Six Sigma metric

Consider a 99% quality level

5000 incorrect surgical operations per week! 200,000 wrong drug prescriptions per year! 2 crash landings at most major airports each day! 20,000 lost articles of mail per hour!

Not very satisfactory!

Companies should strive for Six Sigma quality levels A successful Six Sigma programme can measure and improve quality levels across all areas within a company to achieve world class status Six Sigma is a continuous improvement cycle

Scientific method (after Box)

Data Facts
INDUCTION INDUCTION

Theory Hypothesis Conjecture Idea Model

DEDUCTION

DEDUCTION

Plan Act Check Do

Improvement cycle
PDCA cycle Plan Act Check
23

Do

Alternative interpretation
Prioritise (D) Hold gains (C) Measure (M)

Improve (I) Problem (D/M/A) solve

Interpret (D/M/A)

Statistical background
Some Key measure

Target = m

Statistical background
Control limits +/ - 3 s

Target = m

Statistical background
Required Tolerance
LSL USL

+/ - 3 s

Target = m

Statistical background
Tolerance
LSL

+/ - 3 s

USL

Target = m

+/ - 6 s
Six-Sigma

Statistical background
Tolerance
LSL

+/ - 3 s

USL

1350 pp m

1350 pp m

Target = m

+/ - 6 s

Statistical background
Tolerance
LSL

+/ - 3 s

USL

0.001 pp m

1350 pp m

1350 pp m

0.001 pp m

Target = m

+/ - 6 s

Statistical background

Six-Sigma allows for un-foreseen problems and longer term issues when calculating failure error or re-work rates Allows for a process shift

Statistical background
Tolerance
LSL

1. 5 s

USL

0 ppm

3. 4 ppm

66803 ppm

3. 4 ppm

+/ - 6 s

Performance Standards

s
2 3 4 5 6
Process performance

PPM
308537 66807 6210 233 3.4
Defects per million

Yield
69.1% 93.3% 99.38% 99.977% 99.9997%
Long term yield
Current standard

World Class

Performance standards
First Time Yield in multiple stage process Number of processes 1 10 100 500 1000 2000 2955 3 4 5 6

93.32 99.379 99.9767 99.99966 50.09 93.96 99.77 99.9966 0.1 53.64 97.70 99.966 0 4.44 89.02 99.83 0 0.2 79.24 99.66 0 0 62.75 99.32 0 0 50.27 99.0

Financial Aspects Benefits of 6s approach w.r.t. financials

s-level Defect rate Costs of poor quality Status of the (ppm) company 6 3.4 < 10% of turnover World class 5 233 10-15% of turnover 4 6210 15-20% of turnover Current standard 3 66807 20-30% of turnover 2 308537 30-40% of turnover Bankruptcy

Six Sigma and other Quality programmes

Comparing three recent developments in Quality Management

ISO 9000 (-2000)
EFQM Model Quality Improvement and Six Sigma Programs

ISO 9000
Proponents claim that ISO 9000 is a general system for Quality Management In fact the application seems to involve

an excessive emphasis on Quality Assurance, and standardization of already existing systems with little attention to Quality Improvement

It would have been better if improvement efforts had preceded standardization

Critique of ISO 9000

Bureaucratic, large scale Focus on satisfying auditors, not customers Certification is the goal; the job is done when certified Little emphasis on improvement The return on investment is not transparent Main driver is:

We need ISO 9000 to become a certified supplier, Not we need to be the best and most cost effective supplier to win our customers business

Corrupting influence on the quality profession

EFQM Model
A tool for assessment: Can measure where we are and how well we are doing Assessment is a small piece of the bigger scheme of Quality Management: Planning Control Improvement EFQM provides a tool for assessment, but no tools, training, concepts and managerial approaches for improvement and planning

The Success of Change Programs?

Performance improvement efforts have as much impact on operational and financial results as a ceremonial rain dance has on the weather
Schaffer and Thomson, Harvard Business Review (1992)

Change Management: Two Alternative Approaches

Activity Centered Programs
Change Management Result Oriented Programs
Reference: Schaffer and Thomson, HBR, Jan-Feb. 1992

Activity Centered Programs

Activity Centered Programs: The pursuit of activities that sound good, but contribute little to the bottom line Assumption: If we carry out enough of the right activities, performance improvements will follow

This many people have been trained This many companies have been certified

Bias Towards Orthodoxy: Weak or no empirical evidence to assess the relationship between efforts and results

ISO 9000
Data

Deduction Induction

Hypothesis
No Checking with Empirical Evidence, No Learning Process

An Alternative: Result-Driven Improvement Programs

Result-Driven Programs: Focus on achieving specific, measurable, operational improvements within a few months Examples of specific measurable goals:

Increase yield Reduce delivery time Increase inventory turns Improved customer satisfaction Reduce product development time

Result Oriented Programs

Project based
Experimental Guided by empirical evidence Measurable results Easier to assess cause and effect Cascading strategy

Why Transformation Efforts Fail!

John Kotter, Professor, Harvard Business School Leading scholar on Change Management Lists 8 common errors in managing change, two of which are: Not establishing a sense of urgency Not systematically planning for and creating short term wins

Six Sigma Demystified*

Six Sigma is TQM in disguise, but this time the focus is:

Alignment of customers, strategy, process and people Significant measurable business results Large scale deployment of advanced quality and statistical tools Data based, quantitative

*Adapted from Zinkgraf (1999), Sigma Breakthrough Technologies Inc., Austin, TX.

Keys to Success* Set clear expectations for results

Measure the progress (metrics) Manage for results

*Adapted from Zinkgraf (1999), Sigma Breakthrough Technologies Inc., Austin, TX.

Key personnel in successful Six Sigma programmes

Black Belts
Six Sigma practitioners who are employed by the company using the Six Sigma methodology work full time on the implementation of problem
solving & statistical techniques through projects selected on business needs become recognised Black Belts after embarking on Six Sigma training programme and completion of at least two projects which have a significant impact on the bottom-line

Black Belt requirements

Black Belt required resources
-Training in statistical methods. -Time to conduct the project!

-Software to facilitate data analysis.

-Permissions to make required changes!! -Coaching by a champion or external support.

Black Belt role!

In other words the Black Belt is

-Empowered.

-In the sense that it was always meant!

-As the theroists have been saying for years!

Champions or enablers
High-level managers who champion Six Sigma projects they have direct support from an executive management committee orchestrate the work of Six Sigma Black Belts provide Black Belts with the necessary backing at the executive level

Further down the line - after initial Six Sigma implementation package
Master Black Belts
Black Belts who have reached an acquired level of statistical and technical competence Provide expert advice to Black Belts

Green Belts
Provide assistance to Black Belts in Six Sigma projects Undergo only two weeks of statistical and problem solving training

Six Sigma instructors (ISRU)

Aim: Successfully integrate the Six Sigma
methodology into a companys existing culture and working practices

Key traits
Knowledge of statistical techniques Ability to manage projects and reach closure High level of analytical skills Ability to train, facilitate and lead teams to success, soft skills

Six Sigma training package

Aim of training package

To successfully integrate Six Sigma methodology into Sauer Danfoss culture and attain significant improvements in quality, service and operational performance

Six-Sigma - A Roadmap for improvement

Define Measure Analyze Improve
Select a project Prepare for assimilating information Characterise the current situation Optimize the process

Control

Assure the improvements

DMAIC

Example of a Classic Training strategy

Define Measure Throughput time project 4 months (full time)

Analyze Training (1 week) Work on project (3 weeks) Control Review

Improve

ISRU program content

Week 1 - Six Sigma introductory week
(Deployment phase) Weeks 2-5 - Main Black Belt training programme
Week 2 - Measurement phase Week 3 - Analysis phase Week 4 - Improve phase Week 5 - Control phase

Project support for Six Sigma Black Belt candidates Access to ISRUs distance learning facility

Draft training schedule

Jan 2003 Feb 2003 2/9 2/16 2/23 3/2 Mar 2003 Apr 2003 May 2003 Jun 2003 Jul 2003

No.

Black Belt work package tasks

Start

End

Duration
1/5 1/12 1/19 1/26 2/2 3/9 3/16 3/23 3/30 4/6 4/13 4/20 4/27 5/4 5/11 5/18 5/25 6/1 6/8 6/15 6/22 6/29 7/6 7/13 7/20 7/27

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Champions Day Intial 3-day Black belt sessions Administration Day Project support (Workshop 1) Black Belt training (Measurement phase) Project support (Workshop2) Black Belt training (Analysis phase) Project support (Workshop 3) Black Belt training (Improvement phase)

03/02/03 04/02/03 07/02/03 11/02/03 17/02/03 25/03/03 14/04/03 06/05/03 26/05/03 17/06/03 07/07/03 29/07/03

03/02/03 06/02/03 07/02/03 11/02/03 21/02/03 25/03/03 18/04/03 06/05/03 30/05/03 17/06/03 11/07/03 30/07/03

1d 3d 1d 1d 1w 1d 1w 1d 1w 1d 1w 2d

10 Project support (Workshop 4) 11 Black Belt training (Control phase) 12 Project support (Follow up)

Training programme delivery

Lectures supported by appropriate technology
Video case studies Games and simulations Experiments and workshops Exercises Defined projects Delegate presentations Homework!

5 weeks of training
Define

Measure

Analyze

Improve

Control

Deployment (Define) phase

Topics covered include
Team Roles Presentation skills Project management skills Group techniques Quality Pitfalls to Quality Improvement projects Project strategies Minitab introduction

Measurement phase
Topics covered include:
Quality Tools Risk Assessment Measurements Capability & Performance Measurement Systems Analysis Quality Function Deployment FMEA

Example - QFD
A method for meeting customer requirements Uses tools and techniques to set product strategies Displays requirements in matrix diagrams, including House of Quality Produces design initiatives to satisfy customer and beat competitors

House Of Quality
Importance

5. Tradeoff matrix 3. Product characteristics

1. Customer requirements

4. Relationship matrix

2. Competitive assessment

6. Technical assessment and target values

QFD can reduce

Lead-times - the time to market and time to stable production Start-up costs

Engineering changes

Analysis phase
Topics include:
Hypothesis testing Comparing samples Confidence Intervals Multi-Vari analysis ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) Regression

Improvement phase
Topics include:
History of Design of Experiments (DoE) DoE Pre-planning and Factors DoE Practical workshop DoE Analysis Response Surface Methodology (Optimisation) Lean Manufacturing

Example - Design of Experiments

What can it do for you?

Minimum cost Maximum output

What does it involve?

Brainstorming sessions to identify important factors
Conducting a few experimental trials

Recognising significant factors which influence a process Setting these factors to get maximum output

Control phase
Topics include:
Control charts SPC case studies EWMA Poka-Yoke 5S Reliability testing Business impact assessment

Example - SPC (Statistical Process Control)

- reduces variability and keeps the process stable
Disturbed process Natural process
Natural boundary

Temporary upsets

Natural boundary

Results of SPC
An improvement in the process Reduction in variation Better control over process Provides practical experience of collecting useful information for analysis Hopefully some enthusiasm for measurement!

Project support
Initial Black Belt projects will be considered in
Week 1 by Executive management committee, Champions and Black Belt candidates
Projects will be advanced significantly during the training programme via:
continuous application of newly acquired statistical techniques workshops and on-going support from ISRU and CAMT delivery of regular project updates by Black Belt candidates

Project execution

Black Belt
Review Training

ISRU, Champion

ISRU Application

ISRU, Champion

Conducting projects
Traditional
-Project leader is obliged to make an effort. -Set of tools . -Focus on technical knowledge. -Project leader is left to his own devices. -Results are fuzzy. -Safe targets. -Projects conducted on the side.

Six Sigma
-Black Belt is obliged to achieve financial results. -Well-structured method. -Focus on experimentation. -Black Belt is coached by champion. -Results are quantified. -Stretched targets. -Projects are top priority.

The right support + The right projects + The right people + The right tools + The right plan = The right results

Champions Role
Communicate vision and progress Facilitate selecting projects and people Track the progress of Black Belts Breakdown barriers for Black Belts Create supporting systems

Champions Role
Measure and report Business Impact
Lead projects overall Overcome resistance to Change

Encourage others to Follow

Project selection

Define Select: - the project - the process - the Black Belt - the potential savings - time schedule - team

Project selection
Projects may be selected according to:
1. A complete list of requirements of customers.

2. A complete list of costs of poor quality.

3. A complete list of existing problems or targets.

4. Any sensible meaningful criteria

5. Usually improves bottom line - but exceptions

Key Quality Characteristics CTQs

How will you measure them? How often? Who will measure? Is the outcome critical or important to results?

Outcome Examples
Reduce defective parts per million Increased capacity or yield Improved quality Reduced re-work or scrap Faster throughput

Key Questions
Is this a new product - process? Yes - then potential six-sigma

Do you know how best to run a process? No - then potential six-sigma

Key Criteria
Is the potential gain enough - e.g. saving > $50,000 per annum? Can you do this within 3-4 months? Will results be usable? Is this the most important issue at the moment?

Why is ISRU an effective Six Sigma practitioner?

Reasons
Because we are experts in the application of industrial statistics and managing the accompanying change We want to assist companies in improving performance thus helping companies to greater success We will act as mentors to staff embarking on Six Sigma programmes

INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS RESEARCH UNIT

We are based in the School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Mission statement

"To promote the effective and widespread use of statistical methods throughout European industry."

The work we do can be broken down into 3 main categories: Consultancy

Training Major Research Projects
All with the common goal of promoting quality improvement by implementing statistical techniques

Consultancy
We have long term one to one consultancies with large and small companies, e.g. Transco Prescription Pricing Agency Silverlink To name but a few

Training
In-House courses
SPC QFD Design of Experiments Measurement Systems Analysis

On-Site courses
As above, tailored courses to suit the company Six Sigma programmes

European projects
The Unit has provided the statistical input into many major European projects Examples include Use of sensory panels to assess butter quality Using water pressures to detect leaks Assessing steel rail reliability Testing fire-fighters boots for safety

European projects
Eurostat - investigating the multi-dimensional aspects of innovation using the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) II - 17 major European countries involved determining the factors that influence innovation Certified Reference materials for assessing water quality - validating EC Laboratories New project - Effect on food of the taints and odours in packaging materials

Typical local projects

Assessment of environmental risks in chemical and process industries Introduction of statistical process control (SPC) into a micro-electronics company Helping to develop a new catheter for open-heart surgery via designed experiments (DoE) Restaurant of the Year & Pub of the Year competitions!

Benefits
Better monitoring of processes Better involvement of people Staff morale is raised Throughput is increased Profits go up

Examples of past successes

Down time cut by 40% - Villa soft drinks Waste reduced by 50% - Many projects Stock holding levels halved - Many projects Material use optimised saving 150k pa Boots Expensive equipment shown to be unnecessary - Wavin

Examples of past successes

Faster Payment of Bills (cut by 30 days) Scrap rates cut by 80% New orders won (e.g 100,000 for an SME) Cutting stages from a process Reduction in materials use (Paper - Ink)

Distance Learning Facility

Distance Learning

or Flexible training or Open Learning

your time
your place your study pattern your pace

Distance Learning
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/blackboard Clear descriptions Step by step guidelines Case studies Web links, references Self assessment exercises in Microsoft Excel and Minitab Help line and discussion forum Essentially a further learning resource for Six Sigma tools and methodology

Case study

Case study: project selection

Coffee beans
Roast Savings: -Savings on rework and scrap -Water costs less than coffee Potential savings: 500 000 Euros

Cool
Grind

Pack
Sealed coffee

Moisture content

Case study: Measure

1. Select the Critical to Quality (CTQ) characteristic

2. Define performance standards

3. Validate measurement system

Case study: Measure

1. CTQ Moisture contents of roasted coffee 2. Standards - Unit: one batch - Defect: Moisture% > 12.6%

Case study: Measure

3. Measurement reliability Gauge R&R study

Measurement system too unreliable! So fix it!!

Case study: Analyse

Analyse 4. Establish product capability 5. Define performance objectives 6. Identify influence factors

Improvement opportunities
USL

USL

Diagnosis of problem

CTQ

CTQ

CTQ

CTQ

Discovery of causes
Man Machine Material

6. Identify factors

-Brainstorming -Exploratory data analysis

Roasting machines Batch size

Moisture%
Amount of added water Reliability of Quadra Beam Weather conditions

Method

Measurement

Mother Nature

Discovery of causes
Regelkaart voor for moisture% Control chart Vocht%
5.2 1 1

Individual Value

1 3.0SL=4.410 4.2 X=3.900

-3.0SL=3.390 3.2 0 10 20 30 40 50

Observation Number

A case study
Potential influence factors

- Roasting machines (Nuisance variable)

- Weather conditions (Nuisance variable) - Stagnations in the transport system (Disturbance) - Batch size (Nuisance variable) - Amount of added water (Control variable)

Case study: Improve

Improve 7. Screen potential causes 8. Discover variable relationships 9. Establish operating tolerances

Case study: Improve

7. Screen potential causes

- Relation between humidity and moisture% not established

- Effect of stagnations confirmed - Machine differences confirmed

8. Discover variable relationships

Design of Experiments (DoE)

Experimentation
How do we often conduct experiments?
Experiments are run based on: Intuition Knowledge Experience Power Emotions X X X X X X: Settings with which an experiment is run.

Possible settings for X2

Actually: were just trying unsystematical no design/plan

Possible settings for X1

Experimentation
A systematical experiment: Organized / discipline One factor at a time Other factors kept constant

Possible settings for X2

Procedure:
X: First vary X1; X2 is kept constant O: Optimal value for X1. X X X: Vary X2; X1 is kept constant. : Optimal value (???)

X
X X X X X X X XO X X X X

Possible settings for X1

Design of Experiments (DoE)

One factor (X) X1
low high

Two factors (Xs)

high high

Three factors (Xs)

X2

2 X2 2 X3
low

low

X1

high

X1

high

Advantages of multi-factor over one-factor

A case study: Experiment

Surface Plot of Moisture

Experiment: Y: moisture% X1: Water (liters) X2: Batch size (kg)

Moisture
14 13 12 11 10 105 600 100 610 620 630 95 640 110

Water

Batch size

A case study

9. Establish operating tolerances Feedback adjustments for influence of weather conditions

A case study: feedback adjustments

4.35

4.25

4.15

4.05

3.95

53

105

157

209

261

313

365

417

469

521

573

625

677

729

781

833

885

937

Moisture% Vocht% adjustments without

989

A case study: feedback adjustments

4.35

4.25

4.15

4.05

3.95

53

105

157

209

261

313

365

417

469

521

573

625

677

729

781

833

885

937

Controlled Vocht% Moisture% with adjustments

989

Case study: Control

Control 10. Validate measurement system (Xs)

11. Determine process capability

12. Implement process controls

Results
Before slong-term = 0.532
Process Capability Analysis for Moisture Process Capability Analysis for Moisture

ObjectiveProcess Data slong-term < 0.280

Process Data USL 12.6000 USL 13.0000 Target * Target * LSL * LSL 9.0000 Mean 11.0026 Mean 10.9921 Sample N 490 Sample N 200 StDev (Within) 0.335675 StDev (Within) 0.105808 StDev (Overall) 0.531635 StDev (Overall) 0.102497

USL USL
Within Within Overall Overall

Result

slong-term < 0.100

Potential (Within) Capability Potential (Within) Capability Cp * Cp 6.30 CPU 1.54 CPU 6.33 CPL * CPL 6.28 Cpk 1.54 Cpk 6.28 Cpm * Cpm * Overall Capability Pp Overall Capability * PPU 0.96 Pp 6.50

9 9

10 10

11 11

12 12

13 13
Exp. "Overall" Performance PPM < LSL Performance * Exp. "Overall" PPM > USL 1987.68 < LSL 0.00

Observed Performance PPM < LSL Performance * Observed PPM > USL 0.00 PPM < LSL 0.00

Exp. "Within" Performance PPM < LSL Performance * Exp. "Within" PPM > USL 1.79 PPM < LSL 0.00

Benefits
Benefits of this project

slong-term < 0.100 Ppk = 1.5 This enables us to increase the mean to 12.1%
Per 0.1% coffee: 100 000 Euros saving

Benefits of this project: 1 100 000 Euros per year

Approved by controller

Case study: control

12. Implement process controls

- SPC control loop - Mistake proofing - Control plan - Audit schedule

Project closure - Documentation of the results and data. - Results are reported to involved persons. - The follow-up is determined

Six Sigma approach to this project

- Step-by-step approach. - Constant testing and double checking. - No problem fixing, but: explanation control. - Interaction of technical knowledge and experimentation methodology. - Good research enables intelligent decision making.

- Knowing the financial impact made it easy to find priority for this project.

Re-cap I!
Structured approach roadmap Systematic project-based improvement Plan for quick wins

Find good initial projects - fast wins Often and continually - blow that trumpet

Publicise success

Use modern tools and methods Empirical evidence based improvement

Re-cap II!
DMAIC is a basic training structure Establish your resource structure
- Make sure you know where external help is

Key ingredient is the support for projects

- Its the project that wins not the training itself

Fit the training programme around the company needs - not the company around the training Embed the skills
- Everyone owns the successes

ENBIS
All joint authors - presenters - are members of:
Pro-Enbis or ENBIS. This presentation is supported by Pro-Enbis a Thematic Network funded under the Growth programme of the European Commissions 5th Framework research programme - contract number G6RT-CT-2001-05059