By Polly Walker

We have covered the “D- Define”, “M- Measure and A – Analyze” steps in previous issues of Leading Edge. This week we will discuss “I – Improve” and “C – Control”.

STEP FOUR: IMPROVE

10. Create the to-be workflow based on the recommendations and analysis conducts in the “Analyze” step.

11. Create a recommendations summary document, which includes:

a. Recommendations
b. Action Plan (including who is implementing each action item from the recommendations and an item for continued data gathering and recheck in 3-6 months)
c. Estimated Savings/benefit calculation
d. Exhibits (Graphs/charts to illustrate supporting data, as-is and to-be workflows, new policies, procedures (control documentation) and communications plan to support the new, to-be process, etc.)

12. Provide presentation to Project Sponsor for any recommendations approval that the workgroup was not empowered to implement.

STEP FIVE: CONTROL

13. Conduct follow up 3-6 months after project completion to determine if action plan items have been implemented and performance metrics are meeting target. If not, a follow-on continuous improvement project may be needed.

By Amy McKee

Last week, we covered the Improve and Control phases within the DMAIC framework.

If you have incorporated people in the first three phases, it will make the improve and the control phases substantially easier. However, people are still a critical component of these two phases and setting the right conditions for success will ensure they walk away open to the possibility of more improvements in the future. Here are 3 more tips to include during the Improve and Control framework:

1. Listen To All Levels.

The biggest complaint from employees during testing is often that no one is listening to them. Start with the assumption that everyone is doing the best they can, then LISTEN to the employees during testing and implementation to ensure their concerns are being addressed. People are much more open to change when they feel like they feel part of the process.

2. Communicate Effectively.

The majority of people don’t change the way they do things because someone tells them to. They change because they want to.

a. Communicate how employees benefit from making the change. (If you didn’t make it easier on employees, it will be substantially harder to implement.)
b. When training is needed, remember that some people learn more by seeing, others by hearing, and others by doing. Hit their curiosity button based on their interests, explain the process, demonstrate the process, let them practice the process, let them teach others the process, and leave them feeling good that they can do the process well.

3. Celebrate Successes.

At the end of the day, people will remember how they felt about the project. Celebrate successes along the way and especially recognize everyone’s individual efforts at the end. This will motivate people, incentivize positive behaviors, and increase the likelihood that they will want to DMAIC again in the future!

By Amy McKee

Last week, we covered the Measure and Analyze phases within the DMAIC framework.

From a people perspective, this is often a place where the right people are excluded as things get measured. The results you come up with in the Measure and Analyze phases will be critical to the overall implementation acceptance. Here are 3 important tips to consider from a people aspect:

1. Meaningful Metrics.

You can’t change what you don’t measure. Often an improvement effort is focused on improving bottom line results or delivery to the end-customer. Those items are standards for measuring performance of a process, but they leave out the most important assets to a process: PEOPLE! While some people may debate what is meaningful, there are two guarantees that will always determine implementation success.

a. How easy is it for the people responsible for doing the job to do it well? The easier the process, the more consistent and the easier it is for employees to excel at the job.
b. Anything CAN be measured. If the measurements do not currently exist, you just need to devise a measurement method that is repeatable (A measures twice and gets the same answer) and reproducible (A and B measures the same thing and gets the same answer).

2. Appropriate Precision of Process Maps.

W. Edwards Deming often said, “Understand the process just enough to make improvements, but not enough that the current system begins to make sense.” A process map should always be done with the help of key stakeholders and recognize that the level they are in the organization will likely play into what level of detail they include. Plan accordingly.

3. Present Analytical Metrics and Tell a Story.

The majority of people are not mathematically inclined and only about 20% of the population is process oriented. The remaining 80% of people are either visual or kinesthetic. This means that to get a point across, you need to paint a clear picture of what the data means and leave people feeling good about your analysis. You can do this by:

a. Using metaphors and pictures so they understand the data, and
b. Relate metrics back to how it makes people feel – employees and customers alike. 

By Polly Walker

In previous articles, we have covered the “D- Define” step of DMAIC approach and the people strategies associated with that step. This week we will provide some high-level activities that should occur during the “M- Measure and A – Analyze” steps of a process improvement project.

STEP TWO: MEASURE

1. Gather current data/trends for performance metrics for the process. If there are no metrics identified, work with the department and workgroup to develop/identify pertinent process performance metrics and ongoing tracking/reporting mechanisms.

2. Chart the as-is workflow.

STEP THREE: ANALYZE

3. Utilize the “as-is workflow” and workgroup input to identify challenges, wastes and bottlenecks using the LEAN (and/or Six Sigma) methodology.

4. Utilize the most appropriate analytical tools (control charts, FMEA, etc.) to further analyze the process.

5. Use design principles, best practices and/or team insights to create recommendations to redesign the process and eliminate waste.

By Amy McKee

“Process Improvement” is critical to organizations as they evolve and environmental changes occur. It allows an organization to constantly focus on becoming more competitive and improving their use of resources with an impact on the bottom line.

However, no change is ever complete without people adopting the change. The people side of Process Improvement is equally critical to step-by-step process of improving a process. As such, this series will follow the “The Process of Process Improvement” to give you tips on positively impacting the people as you work to improve processes.

Last week, we covered the first of the five DMAIC steps: “D- Define”.

From a people perspective, this is the most critical phase. What you do here will greatly impact the flow of the rest of the project. Here are 3 important tips:

1. Assemble a good team. I always encourage people to include key stakeholders. That is standard. There are two other team participants I like to add: a key naysayer and a non-stakeholder. Here’s why:

a. The naysayer will bring up all of the arguments of why something won’t work. Address these concerns and that naysayer will become the biggest advocate. Plus, they will make sure the process is solid.
b. A non-stakeholder brings an outsider’s perspective and often can add some creativity to the solution.

2. Set a Clear and Well-Formed Outcome. So often we think about the end goal as only being some quantifiable number associated with the business case. We disregard other important aspects like:

a. How do we want our team will feel by the end of the engagement? What needs to happen for that to occur?
b. Envision the end of the project. Did you meet your goals? What does that look like? What are people saying? How does everyone feel? What are you telling yourself?

3. Align the Team. A tremendous amount of confusion and arguing can be avoided when the team starts with a common core set of values in regards to the project. Here is a simple question to ask:

a. “What is most important to you about this project?” (impact, time required, prestige, team collaboration, leadership development, etc.)
b. Ask each team member this question and then have the group agree on the top 3-4. It will make a big difference as the project unfolds so you can cater to the agreed upon needs of the group. The top 3-4 values also can be used as criteria for decision making.

By Polly Walker

“Process Improvement” is a phrase thrown around frequently in today’s business world. But what is it?

It is a project to analyze the steps of a process, analytically determine what improvements can be made, implement those improvements, and continually monitor and track the results of the improvement. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the process improvement project, the “DMAIC” approach must be utilized.

“The Process of Process Improvement” is the first article in a series designed to walk you through the five steps of the DMAIC approach, and the change management and people strategies needed for each of the steps.

This week, we will cover the first of the five DMAIC steps: “D- Define”.

STEP ONE: DEFINE

1. Receive request from Project Sponsor to initiate a continuous improvement project.

2. Gather the following items that relate to the process being reviewed in order to understand the scope/frame the problem:

a. Strategic, Business and/or Improvement Plan(s) and Budget Documents

b. Performance Metrics for the Process (i.e. defect rate, cycle time, etc.)

c. Drivers/Key Customer Requirements for the Process

d. Policies, procedures and all training and communication documentation

3. Draft the project charter, including timeline, deliverables and team members.

4. Review draft charter with the Project Sponsor, and get input from the project team in order to finalize the charter.