Process Analysis
Why? Do you recognize your business procedures as business processes? Are you a siloed organization that could benefit from process management? By analyzing your current processes you can determine which steps add value, as well as where and when defects occur. The benefits of process analysis occur in three categories—time, quality and cost.
Process Analysis is a careful analysis of each step of the process from the input’s perspective as it is transformed into the output. Only through a detailed analysis can you identify the non-value added steps that have become accepted, unquestioned parts of the process.
How? First we conduct working sessions to map each of the processes at the appropriate level. Then we analyze each step for its value from the customer’s perspective.
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Why? By eliminating waste and removing the non-value added steps in a manufacturing, service or transactional process, one can easily improve quality, cost, efficiency and responsiveness—all the critical elements to customers. When applied strategically, lean tools typically add 5% of revenue to operating margins (see www.isixsigma.com/me/leanmanufacturing).
Lean can reduce cycle times up to 95%, improve on-time shipments up to 95%, reduce work in process up to 90%, improve quality up to 75% and reduce floor space up to 75%. Lean can:
- Shrink lead and set-up times
- Save turnover expenses
- Increase sales growth
- Avoid unnecessary expense
- Increase profits
Lean solutions can actually be even more powerful in service operations than manufacturing. Lean for service will:
- Reduce transactional costs by 30-60%
- Improve delivery time by 50%
- Increase capacity by 20%
For more Lean information, visit www.qualitydigest.com and http://www.wmep.org/lean-manufacturing.html
How? We provide various workshops in lean tools for a variety of industries and situations, both independently and in conjunction with Six Sigma. Some of the tools we teach are: value-stream mapping, lean metrics, classical lean tools as applied to process analysis, waste identification, scheduling and Heijunka, Poka Yoke, Kaizen events and other lean solutions.
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Why? Are you having chronic problems meeting customer requirements? Are your processes inconsistent in their timing and delivery? Is standardization considered a ‘dirty word’ in your organization? Do different business units do the same thing in different ways?
The goal of a Six Sigma program is to increase profits by eliminating variability, defects and waste—all things that impact customer loyalty. Six Sigma is more than just a quality program, it is a disciplined, data-driven approach for eliminating defects in any process— including manufacturing, transactional and service.
To reach Six Sigma, a process must not produce more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. (A defect is defined as anything outside of customer specifications). Six Sigma deployments have saved organizations millions of dollars, and dramatically changed their internal cultures and strengthened their customer relationships.
How? For Six Sigma to really work, you must invest in mapping the organizational infrastructure and commit to managing the business with additional process metrics. Six Sigma savings—both in terms of cost, revenues, and culture change—can be significant. Savings as a percentage of revenue vary from 1.2% to 4.5%. But Six Sigma is not a "get rich quick" methodology. It takes time, effort, and discipline—and the entire organization must be behind it.
For some good information on the history and results of Six Sigma, visit www.isixsigma.com.
We offer a full range of Six Sigma consulting and training services including:
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