Business process management - Essay Example

7a: outline the five phases of the six sigma approach? Harmon explains, “six sigma is a methodology for process change, and is strongly associated with the process improvement methodology. In a broader sense, six sigma is a improvement and provides the organizational structure to support a continuous improvement effort” ( Paul Harmon). The DMAIC methodology aims at improving existing business processes. The type of six sigma methodology follows a few steps. First step is “Define”. In this phase of DMAIC six sigma methodology projects goals and sub-goals are identified, a layout to meet these goals and a project planning to improve functioning are defined.

A charter can be used for understanding. Like any appropriate contract, the charter should specify all details including dates, costs , and clears statement of expected finding and implications. Six sigma teams focus on the target market and means of satisfying them. The emphasis on the customers is its most attractive feature. It is always good for a project team to begin by focusing on their services and product quality in order to satisfy their customers.The Six Sigma approach to process definition is summed up in the acronym SIPOC, which emphasizes Supplier, Input, Process, Output, and Customer ( Harmon).

Next step is “Measure”. During this phase relevant data is collected and analysed. It ]involves measurement of important aspects of the current process and so forth( Understanding The six Sigma methodology,sixsigma.net). George Eckes, suggests three measurement principles: measure only what is important to the customer, only measure process outputs that you can improve, don’t measure an output for which you have no history of customer dissatisfaction. There are three things that every Six Sigma team should follow to determine the measurement of the process effectively and efficiently.

These are input, process measures, output or measures of customer satisfaction( Paul Harmon).Next step is “Analyze”:During this stage, flaws are evaluated to establish the ‘Cause & Effect’ relationships. This step ensures that all factors are considered and identifies the root cause of faults in the process( Understanding The six Sigma Methodology,sixsigma.net). Some Six Sigma practitioners explain problem analysis as a three stage process: open brainstorm to determine as many possible causes as possible, narrow use tools or vote to reduce the number of possible causes to a reasonable number, close design measure, gather data, and analyse it to determine which causes in fact cause most of the deviation from mean.

One well acclaimed instrument used by Six Sigma teams while trying to identify all possible causes is a cause-effect or fishbone diagram( the book). Next stage is known as “Improve”: this phase makes use of data, metrics and analysis done in the “measure” phase. The processes are improved by using better techniques that eliminate the root causes of flaws (Understanding The six Sigma methodology,sixsigma.net). During the improvement stage Six Sigma team is guided by their prioritize list that tells which improvements are likely to result in the largest change(Paul Harmon).

The final stage is known as “Control”: This phase includes constant control and monitoring of method improvement process to ensure that future products and services are flawless(Understanding The six Sigma methodology,sixsigma.net)Huge corporations are continually monitoring their production line with this technique. Suppliers of sophisticated supply chain systems can only guarantee that their parts are 99.73% defect free because they maintain constant vigilance. This quality control method is costly but it is essential.

Statistical approach makes this method more efficient. Several processes nowadays are monitored by computer systems that derive data from sensors, automatically analyse the data using statistical test, and report any unacceptable deviations to a human monitor(Paul Harmon). 7b: what are the strengths and weaknesses of the six sigma approach? Obstacles and challenges of six sigma method 1. Issues in strategy : Hammer and Goding, 2001 M. Hammer and J. Goding, Putting six sigma in prospective, Quality 40 (2001) (10), pp. 58–62.Six sigma is often criticised of not displaying anything new but only repackaging the same principle techniques being used for years.

It may not be the most important management strategy that an organization is compelled to use. To assure six sigma method continues to work efficiently in the long run, organizations need to analyze and accept its strengths and weaknesses. Proper implementation of concepts, principles and tools should be ensured. 2. Issues in organizational culture: Another point is that is changes the organisational structure in such a way that quality is made part of planning. Organizations that fail to understand limitations of six sigma projects or a comprehensive change management plan are likely to fail. 3. Issues in training (Belt Program): Training is a key success factor in implementing six sigma projects successfully and should be part of an integrated approach.

The curriculum of the belt program should represent the requirements of the organisation. Participants should be updated about latest trends, tools, and techniques of six sigma. Conclusions: Successful implementation drastically and so has the interest of organizations in six sigma method. The aspects that influence success of six sigma projects include management involvement, organizational commitment, project management and control skills, cultural change, and continuous training. Understanding the key features, hurdles, and limitations of six sigma provides opportunities to practitioners for better implementation of six sigma projects.

(Benefits, obstacles, and future of six sigma approach ,Young Hoon Kwak and Frank T. Anbari) The strength of Six Sigma is its rigor. Six sigma is based on data, facts and figures. Guesswork, value judgement, predetermined ideas are simply not acceptable. The strength of Six Sigma becomes its biggest obstacle.Application of Six Sigma in a firm means a complete change in the way the firm operates. This reworking/change is based on three simple principles. Firstly placing the customer atop priority, involving all the employees in the long-term improvement of the company’s processes, and using management techniques that are focused on the processes.

There is no call for just amassing Quality projects or deploying an army of Black Belts. (The Six Sigma revolution, George Eckes) “So, the success of Six Sigma cannot be attributed to its novelty, as much of the approach is not new. Perhaps its strength lies in the combination of all the elements and the way they support each other. Hopefully, those companies considering embarking on the Six Sigma journey will realize that success depends on every element, but it also depends on their interaction”.

(Caulcutt, Roland(2001) References 1. “Business Process Change” a guide for business managers and BPM and six sigma professionals , Paul Harmon 2. The six Sigma methodology,sixsigma.net,n.d,30 May 2011 http://www.sixsigmatraining.net/understanding-the-six-sigma-methodology.html 3. Benefits, obstacles, and future of six sigma approach ,Young Hoon Kwak and Frank T. Anbari (http://www.sciencedirect.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/science/article/pii/S0166497204001828). 4. “ Why is Six Sigma so successful?

”, Journal of Applied Statistics, 28: 3, 301 — 306, Caulcutt, Roland ,2001)