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CAREFUL PLANNING, COMMUNICATION AND FOLLOW-UP ENSURE SIX SIGMA SUCCESSES STAY INTACT
It would seem that reports of Six Sigma's death have been highly exaggerated. Or have they?
J. Bruce Weeks asked the question in QP last year, "Is Six Sigma Dead?"' and others have explored why the popular method might be wasting away. After Six Sigma projects show initial successes, for instance, many initiatives fall to the wayside and supposed gains are lost.
"Participants gradually lose motivation and fall back into old habits," Satya S. Chakravorty wrote in the Wall Street Journal, citing a study that said nearly 60% of all corporate Six Sigma initiatives fail to yield the desired results.*
In many cases, change implementation lastsjust long enough for the project team to be recognized and given a pat on the back. But little time passes between celebration and questions such as, "Didn't we fix that already?" The win that was front-page news as a Six Sigma success is now a casualty, recorded on the obituary page of failed Six Sigma projects.
But there are proper techniques to maintain the gain and ensure those successful Six Sigma projects will long outlive the celebrations. You must carefully plan the change implementation, verify the change yields the desired results, document the change in detail and standardize the change so it becomes part of the culture in which it is used. Following these steps will drive out tribal knowledge and lead to long-term success.
'C the difference
There is no point in reducing scrap for only a month or two and reducing work in process for a week, only to watch it build back up the following week. Maintaining the gain - the "c" or control in Six Sigma's design, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC) method - makes the effort worthwhile. Though the team properly completes the define, measure, analyze and improve phases, it often lacks the processes, procedures and discipline to ensure the situation doesn't revert to the prior state and waste all the effort, time and money.
Every year, organizations devote many resources trying to increase throughput, decrease waste and improve quality. Six Sigma has been a leading method for solving problems and, hopefully, making lasting improvements. Yet, if the implemented change...