Amile Institute

SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) may as well be the latest craze to hit the business world and the effectiveness that it brings about in the company processes is surely noteworthy. That’s because, what this concept aims at is the overall optimization of the available resources which would include both, i.e., technological resources as well as human resources.

At the same time, SOA also takes care that both of these factors that are responsible for better productivity are available within the organization itself. However, one aspect that business must not miss out on is that by advocating SOA alone, nothing can be achieved. This means that simply a standalone technique is not going to do any good for the company.

Therefore, it is important that SOA is combined with an improvement tool so that the company can get the maximum benefits. The Six Sigma methodology is probably the best option available in this respect.

The Consolidation Method

In order to understand how the consolidation process works, it is important to understand SOA. SOA is in charge of handling planning, analyzing and coming up with a new concept based services which work according to the goals and other mission objectives that have been defined during the implementation stage. This is one of the main reasons why Service Oriented Architecture largely is influenced by management decisions, especially during the implementation process.

This clearly points out towards the fact that SOA alone is not all that sufficient when it comes to performing quality checks. This also means that SOA clearly needs to be combined with a quality improvement technique, which in this case would be the implementation of Six Sigma. Using a Six Sigma methodology like DFSS (i.e., Design For Six Sigma), although somewhat untraditional to use along with Service Oriented Architecture, could still help since it takes care of decisions related to the formulation of the plan for introducing new services in the market.

This is achieved with the help of a more practical approach and the available statistics and other relevant data.

Below are the five phases of Service Oriented Architecture:

Definition stage: This is where the Design For Six Sigma comes in, with respect to defining the objectives of the Service Oriented Architecture – especially during the implementation stage of the project. By adopting the DFSS methodology, it becomes relatively easier to curb any chance of project redundancies.

Developing the Concept: During this stage, DFSS simply helps the developers with regards to formulating and coming up with a design as a part of their innovation strategy. This is obviously achieved due to the financial as well as the human resources available at hand. If DFSS is absent in this stage, the developers will surely delay the implementation of the project.

Design Stage: This is an important stage since it helps staff in realizing the reason and the importance of the redesigning of the company’s processes so that the business can assure better productivity – and of course, overall customer satisfaction.

Validation stage: In order to gain complete control over the feasibility of the entire project, it is important that companies comply with the validation stage, which is already designed by the Design For Six Sigma methodology. Once the test proves to be a success, the implementation stage can be carried on in the different processes of the organization.

Control Stage: This is a stage where DFSS steps into the picture, in order to ensure that everything is going according to plan with the help of SOA.

There is no doubt that SOA can be beneficial, but only if combined with the Six Sigma methodology. Once both of them are paired up, organizations will become much more effective and consistent in their business activities.

 

These days, most people have a scant knowledge about project crisis. First, let’s take a look at what is a project crisis. A project crisis can be a problem or a set of problems, which makes the project unstable. In a crisis situation, it becomes difficult to return to the earlier stage in a project.

Six Sigma professionals aim to identify and minimize the defects to a minimum. Identification of the problem is the key, half the job is done if the project manager is able to find the real issues confronting the project.

Such professionals try to reduce the level of defects to a minimum. Generally, as a rule, a six sigma professional will try to reduce the level of defects to not more than 3.4 defects per million.

These managers can anticipate the issues, which are likely to lead to a crisis. A proactive approach to the problem helps to solve the problems much before than it appears. Hallmark of a six sigma professional is that he handles such crisis proactively and does not let the crisis become a major one.

A six sigma manager is able to understand complex situations, once he gets a measure of the problem, the project manager will try to resolve the issues by problem-solving. Such managers are adept at problem-solving.

These high aptitude professionals fight at various fronts at a time. as the project manager is dealing with various stakeholders, he has to balance. A six sigma professional has the ability to coordinate among various stakeholders. Communication is the key among various stakeholders involved and a six sigma manager tries to optimize communication to bring in the best solution.

One of the important aspects of training a six sigma manager is assertiveness training. These managers are assertive and work in a way which keeps the crisis manageable. The mental toughness and assertiveness help the project manager going in very tough situations.

Good leadership and assertiveness from the leaders are a “must”. It helps in the crisis situation and the manager is able to take decisions in very difficult situations.

Precise calculations: A six sigma professional is able to calculate quickly and bring the right solution to the issues at hand. A six sigma professional is someone who can calculate and understand difficult situations quickly. Precise calculations help suggest precise actions to overcome the problems. It saves the company’s costs as it exactly knows the steps to handle the crisis situation.

 

SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) may as well be the latest craze to hit the business world and the effectiveness that it brings about in the company processes is surely noteworthy. That’s because, what this concept aims at is the overall optimization of the available resources which would include both, i.e., technological resources as well as human resources.

At the same time, SOA also takes care that both of these factors that are responsible for better productivity are available within the organization itself. However, one aspect that business must not miss out on is that by advocating SOA alone, nothing can be achieved. This means that simply a standalone technique is not going to do any good for the company.

Therefore, it is important that SOA is combined with an improvement tool so that the company can get the maximum benefits. The Six Sigma methodology is probably the best option available in this respect.

The Consolidation Method

In order to understand how the consolidation process works, it is important to understand SOA. SOA is in charge of handling planning, analyzing and coming up with a new concept based services which work according to the goals and other mission objectives that have been defined during the implementation stage. This is one of the main reasons why Service Oriented Architecture largely is influenced by management decisions, especially during the implementation process.

This clearly points out towards the fact that SOA alone is not all that sufficient when it comes to performing quality checks. This also means that SOA clearly needs to be combined with a quality improvement technique, which in this case would be the implementation of Six Sigma. Using a Six Sigma methodology like DFSS (i.e., Design For Six Sigma), although somewhat untraditional to use along with Service Oriented Architecture, could still help since it takes care of decisions related to the formulation of the plan for introducing new services in the market.

This is achieved with the help of a more practical approach and the available statistics and other relevant data.

Below are the five phases of Service Oriented Architecture:

Definition stage: This is where the Design For Six Sigma comes in, with respect to defining the objectives of the Service Oriented Architecture – especially during the implementation stage of the project. By adopting the DFSS methodology, it becomes relatively easier to curb any chance of project redundancies.

Developing the Concept: During this stage, DFSS simply helps the developers with regards to formulating and coming up with a design as a part of their innovation strategy. This is obviously achieved due to the financial as well as the human resources available at hand. If DFSS is absent in this stage, the developers will surely delay the implementation of the project.

Design Stage: This is an important stage since it helps staff in realizing the reason and the importance of the redesigning of the company’s processes so that the business can assure better productivity – and of course, overall customer satisfaction.

Validation stage: In order to gain complete control over the feasibility of the entire project, it is important that companies comply with the validation stage, which is already designed by the Design For Six Sigma methodology. Once the test proves to be a success, the implementation stage can be carried on in the different processes of the organization.

Control Stage: This is a stage where DFSS steps into the picture, in order to ensure that everything is going according to plan with the help of SOA.

There is no doubt that SOA can be beneficial, but only if combined with the Six Sigma methodology. Once both of them are paired up, organizations will become much more effective and consistent in their business activities.

Lean Six Sigma is about getting results in the most effective way possible. This type of Six Sigma training is designed for people who wish to reduce cost and improve efficiency. Training Lean Six Sigma to staff members will help them recognize issues and wasteful resources that might cost the business more money than necessary. In addition, students will learn about reducing costs and making the best use of the resources available to them.

The main goal of implementing the Lean Six Sigma concept is to speed up the processes without affecting the quality. This can be done by the elimination of unnecessary steps or wastage in the processes. Quality is maintained by the thorough study of the processes based on the data and putting controls in place which help to retain the quality of the products and services. The basis of Six Sigma improvement decisions is the customers and their needs.

The implementation of Lean Six Sigma helps reduction in the operational cost involved in various processes. If you consider a manufacturing unit, obsolete inventory and excess raw material are a major cause of concern.

Effectively working in a team can be difficult with differing personalities and skills at the table. Six Sigma training teaches leaders how to mentor and coach teams so they can effectively work together. You will also learn how to assign tasks to the right people so the most productivity occurs within the team. Teams must be coached from choosing team members to the completion of the project. Six Sigma training is ideal when working in team environments. The training covers most of the members at different levels of the organization like the process owners to the top management. Mentors can assist other team members in understanding the minute details about the implementation, which will ensure the effectiveness of the entire project at all levels.

Managing time can be difficult with quality assurance departments. It is common for a client to come back and ask for changes in the requirements with the website you built that will take 100 more hours to complete. There may be bugs in the system that are not recognized. It is common for businesses to not recognize defects or bugs, and send a product to the client this way. Not only does this let the client down but it makes the business look bad. Lean Six Sigma training teaches you how to find ways to easily recognize defects by putting improved processes in place. This can help employees manage their time more efficiently when changes occur, recognize problems, and find ways to improve them.

Providing a quality product is the overall goal of any quality assurance department. Lean Six Sigma training focuses on many aspects of quality assurance to ensure every process within a business is working efficiently. Six Sigma training can help employees manage their time effectively, eliminate wasteful expenses, effectively work in teams, and much more.

 

Ever been a part of a Kaizen event, or what is commonly referred to as the Kaizen Blitz? No? Well then you are missing out on one of the most effective, engaging, and self-fulfilling continuous improvement events you will ever attend. The Kaizen event brings together a group of people from different departments and rapidly improves how a department or work cell performs. Being a member of a Kaizen team can improve your morale, influence your attitude, and help motivate you to want to perform at a much higher level.

The history of Kaizen can be traced back to Japan shortly after World War II. Meaning “change for the better”, or more literally, “continuous improvement”, Kaizen is used most commonly now in business and management as a tool to help reduce costs and eliminate waste. It is based on the philosophy and principles of the Stewart or Deming cycles called “plan-do-check-act”. This process, when adapted and used correctly, can increase efficiencies and improve profits.

Most events allow three to eight members per team and can take place anywhere from a few hours to an entire week to accomplish. The more common events take place over two to three days and focus on one work area or work cell to implement new methods and processes designed to increase throughput, reduce quality problems, or remove excessive costs.

A typical Kaizen event schedule will include approximately two to three weeks of preparation by the Kaizen leader or facilitator as they are sometimes referred to, two to three days for the event, then three to four weeks of follow-up. Most of the “work” that is performed during a Kaizen event takes place over the two to three day period in which the entire team meets to focus on completing the event goals.

Day one of the Kaizen event usually starts with a morning meeting. Ground rules are communicated that includes treating everyone with respect, business titles are removed, and everyone works for a common goal. A presentation is given to ensure everyone knows why they are, and how a Kaizen event is performed. After the presentation, there is usually a brainstorming process to help identify items of concern or problems that have existed but ignored in the past. Once all the problems have been identified, the team then decides what improvements to focus on during the scheduled days the event is to take place.

The Kaizen team spends the majority of their time focusing on improving problems that affect performance, inventory, quality, safety, and cost through innovation and creative means. Some of the tools used in a Kaizen event include Pareto charts, control charts, and histograms commonly used in quality control.

Another part of the Kaizen event is the 5S system. 5S is another tool used in Kaizen events to ensure everything is placed exactly where it should be using specific organizing methods. The 5S methodology is based on five elements: 1) Sorting; 2) Setting in order; 3) shining; 4) standardizing; and 5) sustaining. Implementing 5S standards helps to reduce injuries, downtime, mistakes, costs, and inventory.

The final day of a Kaizen event typically includes running the new processes that were designed to ensure they work, installing metrics to ensure the new processes are maintained, and performing a final presentation to management. In the spirit of Kaizen, the final presentation should be developed and led by the members of the team.

Follow-up usually consists of meetings with team members to ensure any action items left over from the event are being completed. Once all of the action items have been completed, the event can be closed out and the improvements and cost savings can be recorded. A good system-wide Kaizen program will take place on a rolling schedule where numerous Kaizen events will take place over the course of a year. Some companies have Kaizen or Lean focus teams where many events happen simultaneously. Other smaller organizations may only complete a few Kaizen events per year. Either way, becoming involved in continuous improvements such as Kaizen can go a long way toward achieving operational excellence in any organization.

 

 

Lean Management is a customer-centric methodology used to improve the current business process by using the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, and Control) technique. Following the DMAIC blueprint will provide organizations insight into what the actual root cause problem is by measuring and analysing various data sets, and developing process flow maps to understand the “as is” state.

• Define: Understanding the problem through the outputs of the human-centred design research
• Measure: Measure data pulled from the contact centres
• Analyse: Analyse and determine the cause(s) of the defects (understanding the waste).
• Improve: Improve the process by eliminating defects (unnecessary steps, decreased wait times, and shorter scripts)
• Control: Control future process performance (governance through new policies and procedures)

The lean approach focuses on increasing taxpayer value by improving the processes associated with delivering high customer value. Using the problems defined through the human centre design research will point government in the right direction to which processes it needs to begin to hone it on. The problems government thinks are pertinent, may not be relevant in the eyes of the taxpayer. The contact centre, being one of the first touch points for a taxpayer, can be re-engineered to run more effectively and efficiently by making the internal workflow of calls leaner. The “as is” process map is the starting point to improving services because it visualizes the current process allowing for a clear picture of evident breakdowns in the process.

Defining the problem with the contact centre and understanding the process is one piece to the puzzle, the ability to measure, analyse and improve based on the data collected is a critical component to developing sustainable, scalable solutions. Analysing the various data sets will allow designers to identify areas of waste in the process, ultimately improving the experience of the taxpayer while simultaneously decreasing internal costs for the government. Often than not, the government will tack on more employees and additional resources to a problem that can be easily solved by redesigning the process to work more efficiently. The desired outcome is to develop a solution that will be sustainable for the government and taxpayers in the future and not a stop-gap solution for today.

Improving how calls are routed, improving the verbiage in the scripts, shortening wait times, and upgrading data collection platforms are all interlocked in improving the taxpayer’s experience when interacting with the contact centres. The one common denominator for all this to be successful is data. Data will allow leadership to understand the pain points in the process and begin to take a proactive approach to improving the taxpayer’s experience. Lean methodologies break down each component of the process to ensure the internal value stream is being utilized effectively to increase customer satisfaction. Human centred design thinking is instrumental in providing lean management with accurate taxpayer problems to lay the framework for business process improvements across all facets of the contact centre.

 

 

In case your business turned out to be on its last legs, you ought to try to lean six sigma training, which provides an effective method to improve your management. Such a method is oriented on results. It is attained by the usage of the last word software, which allows obtaining a golden ticket to success. This offer directly concerns to that company, which suffer from the lack of financial resources and as a result a rise in costs and a loss of potential clients. With lean six sigma methods, your business will start to bear fruit and you will see positive changes in the nearest future. However, it should be said that the majority of managers couldn’t evaluate obvious advantages until they experience lean six sigma training. So, the goal of this article is to acquaint everyone with six sigma and its benefits it brings to your business.

With Six Sigma you will reduce quality flaws, which can sometimes appear and, therefore, it will allow to attract new customers and to meet their basic needs in relation to the cost and quality correlation. Using a particular information you can find out the causes of defects in quality of products and afterwards completely correct them in the company. Besides, Lean Six sigma speeds up the process of goods production, minimizes delays connected with malfunctions and saves time. All these mentioned measures could be fulfilled even within a few days. So Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma will have a significant impact on the company’s development especially in correspond to the income by means of an effective management applied by professional staff, who have enrolled into Lean Six Sigma Training.

You will see that Lean Six Sigma Training is an indispensable experience for the employees, which influences a company’s position in the market. Using the six sigma system it will produce good results soon. Certainly, you will notice positive changes not the next day, but with the lapse of three months. If you think that it can be complicated, you are wrong. The simplicity of the program allows being familiarized and utilized by everyone, who are interested in the target achievement in business. Moreover, the Team Sigma instruments needed for Six Sigma are easy to use, on basis of which you will be able to analyse a situation and to make a right choice that will have a positive effect on your business.

The providers of Six sigma propose an enterprise version of its products, which may be inculcated into the entire organizational structure. You shouldn’t be confused by the price of the enterprise system, because a volume of net income it brings is really worth of it. Also, you shouldn’t worry, because Lean Six Sigma training will give you all necessary information you need in order to put forth a new system and how to keep in touch with the latest information about Lean Six Sigma.

it’s very important to receive a service after the sale because it will allow gaining a preferable result within a very short period of time. What is more, a customer can order a specific Lean Six Sigma system, which corresponds to certain needs in your business. You must be confident that Lean Six Sigma Training will back you up in each aspect to be able to defend your business interests and to compete in such tough conditions in the market. It will be gained by the usage of advanced financial methods of reducing the goods cost and intensifying efficacy. Thus, it depends on your solution to put your money in lean six sigma to continue using standard methods of management, which are out of date today and couldn’t bring an additional volume of profit in perspective. That’s why you ought to find out how to carry it out and to begin to use it.

Six Sigma issues are oriented on customers and their preferences, making solutions in outstanding circumstances, enhancing management efficacy, reducing on time waste, inculcating advanced technologies, personnel management and building of relationship between the colleagues, principles of strategic planning, exploration of competitors in the market, goods quality improvements and other aspects, which you will find out while implementation the training and software.

 

 

Environmental consciousness is increasing in importance and a key for competing in the global economy. The term often used is Going Green. Just how do you get started? This article provides a step by step guide for Going Green using the Six Sigma Improvement Process.

The most efficient approach to Going Green for any company is to follow the five-phased DMAIC improvement process of Six Sigma. DMAIC is the acronym for the five phases of the Six Sigma Improvement Process, namely Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. Going Green can mean different things to different organizations. Your first task is to define what Going Green means for your organization.

• Defining your problems with waste management and setting your goals for waste reduction and savings is the first step. The structured approach of the Define Phase in a Six Sigma project is the best approach to accomplish this. The deliverables are your Problem Statement, Goal Statement, Constraints, Assumptions, Guideline’s for the Team, Green Requirements, and a Project Plan. Types of waste that are often tackled are: Cardboard, Wood Pallets and Crates, Banding, Plastic, Rags, Cans and Bottles, Paper, Metal, and Hardware. For these types of waste establish the baseline of Total Pounds of Waste, the Good is Recycled Pounds, the Bad or Defect is Land Fill Pounds. Use this to set your process yield and process sigma level in the Measure Phase.
• The Measure Phase for Going Green is all about establishing how you will measure your waste as previously defined and establishing your organization’s baseline performance. Without the baseline performance, you won’t be able to measure the green impact and savings from your Going Green Six Sigma Project. One approach is analogous to the Mass Balance equation where Mass is conserved between inputs and outputs which must remain equal. The Mass Balance Equation is Total of Material and Consumables Input = Output of Salable Goods and Services + Waste to Atmosphere + Waste to Water Supply + Waste to Landfill + Hazardous Waste + Recyclables. Your organization will have to determine the extent to apply this equation.
• In the Analyze Phase, the Team evaluates the waste categories and how and where they are created. Is it a process issue, a policy issue, or just that we have always treated waste that way? Once you understand where it is coming from then you can develop the creative solutions that will transform landfill waste into recyclable waste. Depending on the scope of the project the team may also be addressing other waste components of the mass balance equation.
• In the Improve Phase, the Team investigates alternatives for how to handle the multiple waste categories and how to minimize their creation. Many items that were always sent to the landfill if separated can become recyclable. In many cases, recyclables can generate revenue. The costs of storage and hauling can then be reduced. This, in turn, changes the ratios of Total Waste to Recyclable Waste and to Landfill Waste. Going Green has significant cost reduction and revenue enhancement benefits.
• In the Control Phase, the Team implements the policies, procedures, and work instructions to handle the waste categories. Arrangements are made with waste and recycling organizations to handle the waste categories per the improvements identified. Ongoing measurements are put in place to continue to drive landfill waste reduction and increase recyclables. Similarly, if the project scope was larger the other categories of waste in the Mass Balance Equation would be included as well.

This is how Going Green is accomplished with the Six Sigma DMAIC approach to solving problems.

 

Kaizen is an effective philosophy that can be applied to just about every aspect of life. The Japanese word Kaizen translates directly into “improvement”, while in concept, it denotes continuous growth, development and improvement. It is a process of continuously trying out new things to keep improving one’s job or way of life.

Kaizen in the workplace empowers employees to monitor their own work and to point out areas of improvement that, in turn, would require small steps that would consequently produce tangible results. These tangible result-producing small steps will gradually result in big steps for actual development when put together.

The philosophy also improves teamwork, as employees also learn to look out for each other and to eventually consult and develop through the small units. Through the multitude of small steps generated from these units, more mud or waste, the enemy of productivity, would be eliminated.

Kaizen was first effectively implemented and used in the Toyota manufacturing plant in Japan, but it’s now available to all industries through the use of a comprehensive Kaizen presentation. The kaizen presentation is the ultimate material for training your employees to work the Kaizen way.

The concept of Kaizen is process change and improvement through a large number of small steps. This process is ultimately leading to a competitive advantage of an organisation. This means that an organisation will be more productive at the lower cost. At the same time, the primary job of managers will not be to find small improvements but to be focused on bigger changes.

The principle is the same for the whole company but is mostly referred to shop level of the company. The focus is given on making better things instead of making things better. Kaizen requires dedicated, empowered and multiskilling workforce that operates with a minimum of direction and approval mechanism.

The Kaizen requires an advanced stage of networking. Teams need to be formed in quickly, and they need to start with they work in short time. Networks of people who share common experiences and problems need to be encouraged. Mostly, these groups are creating new ideas and initiatives. Also, they overcome obstacles in a creative way.

The typical Kaizen presentation begins with the definition, characteristics and principles of the philosophy. It would effectively introduce Kaizen as a philosophy and then create and develop Kaizen awareness in your employees through a comprehensive discussion of its benefits and various types of its methodologies.

Furthermore, the typical Kaizen presentation aims to develop enough awareness that they would be able to understand what is required for a Kaizen event. And once they are able to understand these requirements, they are taught to gather the tools (which are mostly data). When this is in order, they can then try their hand at planning, supporting and participating in an actual Kaizen project.

A Kaizen presentation also typically includes concrete examples of Kaizen projects from which the employees can further learn from and perhaps base some of their plans. These examples are also provided to offer a chance of a discussion on the processes and results of decision-making between trainer and trainees.

The hospitals, manufacturing industries, and services industries are all experiencing tremendous pressure on the cost front. All the companies should conduct a thorough check of the costs involved, in the same way, that they view revenue generation and market expansion.

Enterprise cost reduction is a wider approach towards controlling the company’s expenses and leading the organization towards improvement. It does not only imply focusing on specific operational processes. Enterprise cost reduction addresses a number of key cost-aspects that span the enterprise, such as the business configuration, organizational structure and design, business and process complexity, external expenses and the benefits.

It is essential to identify the large and small costs incurred by the business. The savings on the purchase of the raw material and on the business trips add up to a considerable amount of money. This could be utilized for the promotional campaigns of the product. This, in turn, affects the sales and again the business turnover. Improved product sourcing and the controlled expenses can generate dramatic cost reduction.

It pays to investigate the raw materials being purchased and the source. The company must indulge in the products of more than one supplier, to ensure the availability of reasonably priced and quality goods, whenever required. Most companies spend a lot of time focusing on improvements in sales only. Their most common indulgence is to negotiate with buyers for a greater unit price.

How Does Six Sigma Contribute To Cost Cutting

Although Six Sigma was never perceived as a cost-cutting tool, it nevertheless contributed to that end. Six Sigma went about cutting cost in unique ways in all aspects of business operation.

1. First, the voice of the customer helps in defining not just the appropriate quality but also quantity, which cuts down on wastage such as over and under-utilization of capacity.
2. Stabilization of process variation saves a lot on the material conversion which results as improved productivity and quality and reduced cost of reworking and rejection.
3. In graduating from 3 or 4 Sigma to Six Sigma, the overall reduction in COPQ is tremendous taking into consideration the huge saving originating from almost no rejection.

Take for example the case of a hospital, which after implementing Six Sigma in its cardiology department, could effectively cut down the overall process time required for admission. This produced a double-edged advantage; one, the reduction of 45 minutes meant fewer labour costs and two, the department could accommodate more patients due to increased productivity.

The enterprise cost reduction concept ensures fundamental and sustainable improvement to the company. Six Sigma helps the enterprise and its employees equally and can be understood as a vision, a philosophy, a symbol, a metric, a goal and a profitable methodology.