1. 1  2002 North Haven Group 1 Six Sigma Improvement Process Improve Phase Activities Introduction Identifying Solutions Evaluating Potential Solutions Solution Selection Matrix Evaluating the Time to Implement Evaluating the Cost to Implement Implementing Solutions

2. 2  2002 North Haven Group 2 Introduction By the Improve Phase, most teams have identified critical process factors, and have ideas on how to improve process performance. Along the way, teams may have also identified and acted on quick fixes - obvious process improvements. Examples might include:  Simple, cheap improvements that can be made “on the fly”;  Repairing or replacing defective equipment or gages;  Revising or updating standards or SOPs; and  Implementing simple mistake-proofing devices.

3. 3  2002 North Haven Group 3 Introduction The team should feel free to act on these obvious fixes, assuming the group works through the appropriate channels and discusses changes with all affected associates and management. Find a penny… Although your project has been underway for some time, most of the work until now has been directed towards understanding your process and identifying sources of variation. In the Define and Measure Phases we were interested in defining key process inputs and outputs. In the Analyze Phase, we focused primarily on utilizing statistical tools to uncover sources of variation within our process, and to help understand cause-and-effect relationships.

4. 4  2002 North Haven Group 4 Introduction The Improve Phase has two primary elements: 1.Use of team decision tools to develop a list of potential solutions, and to select and test the ‘best’ solution(s); and 2.Use of project management skills to develop an implementation plan and to put the plan into action. During this phase, the team attempts to optimize factors such as quality characteristics, cost, yield and throughput. Statistical tools covered in previous blocks will be reviewed throughout this block of the training, and a few new tools and/or techniques will be introduced.

5. 5  2002 North Haven Group 5 Identifying Solutions A list of potential solutions should be generated for each root cause. How does a team go about generating a list of potential solutions? The team should use one or more of the following methods:  Group decision tools, such as brainstorming, multi-voting, Nominal Group Technique and Affinity Diagrams  Benchmarking - look to other departments, divisions or organizations.  Explore best practices.  Creative thinking  Challenge assumptions - turn obstacles into opportunities

6. 6  2002 North Haven Group 6 Evaluating Potential Solutions Each potential solution should be assessed to help the team identify the ‘best’ solution, or the best combination of solutions. The team should start by removing solutions that have impacts that will prohibit implementation. Show stoppers are solutions which:  Address the problem but result in a large adverse impact on customers,  Require exorbitant cost, time or resources to implement,  Come into conflict with business strategies or business operating systems, or  Violate laws, regulations or company policies. These solutions should be eliminated from consideration.

7. 7  2002 North Haven Group 7 Implementing Solutions The final elements of the Improve phase are developing an implementation plan, obtaining approvals, and implementing process changes. The implementation, in general, can be organized into 4 steps: Step I: Conceptualization Step II: Planning Step III: Implementation Step IV: Completion (Control Phase of DMAIC Cycle) These are essentially the basics of project management. Note: Although your team has most likely used these skills throughout the project, they are perhaps most important when it comes time to implement changes.

8. 8  2002 North Haven Group 8 Implementing Solutions Step I: Conceptualization  Prior to kicking off an implementation, ‘prep’ work is required.  Several questions will need to be addressed by your team.  It may be too early in the process to answer some of them in detail. More detail will be added in the Planning Step.  This is more at the level of “where are we going?”, versus “whose truck are we going to take?”

9. 9  2002 North Haven Group 9 What is the implementation objective? A clearly stated, well-bounded objective needs to be written. Team members, with the help of the sponsor, need to define what will be achieved during the implementation. What changes will be implemented? What is the implementation deadline? Work closely with your sponsor to set realistic deadlines for the implementation of your solution(s). Gantt Charts or other timelines are helpful to keep the implementation on track. Implementing Solutions

10. 10  2002 North Haven Group 10 What are the important milestones or accomplishments? Milestones and accomplishments help us answer, “How do we know if we are getting anywhere?” What personnel are needed and what are their roles within the implementation? Decide how to allocate the team’s expertise. In general, what are the responsibilities of each team member during the implementation? Identify other resources, outside the team, who are critical to the implementation. What are their roles and responsibilities? Implementing Solutions

11. 11  2002 North Haven Group 11 What other resources will be required? Will the implementation include purchasing new equipment? What tools, materials or funding will be required? Is additional training required in order to carry out the implementation? Will new methods or procedures come about as a result of the implementation? Who will do the training? Implementing Solutions

12. 12  2002 North Haven Group 12 What approvals, buy-in or support will be required in order to implement? You will most likely need to present your recommendations in order to obtain approval to implement. As you begin to put the details behind your proposed solution, work closely with your sponsor (and mentor). Your sponsor plays a key role in helping your team prepare its presentation, and in helping your team get through the internal politics that may lead to resistance. Schedule regular review meetings to keep your sponsor informed, up-to-speed, and involved. Implementing Solutions

13. 13  2002 North Haven Group 13 Implementing Solutions Step II: Planning Once the general pieces of the implementation have been ‘conceptualized’, and after your initial recommendations have been approved, specifics need to be ‘nailed down’. The team will need to develop a detailed implementation plan, which will help the team lay out the plan of attack. Implementation plans typically include the following ingredients:  A summary of the implementation,  A list of implementation goal, objectives, and deliverables,  A strategy to achieve goals and objectives,  A sequence of elements of the implementation,

14. 14  2002 North Haven Group 14 Implementing Solutions Implementation plans (continued):  Personnel assigned to tasks, and  A review process (Who reviews the implementation plan? When? Why?). Note: Implementation plans should also include steps the team will take to pilot solutions prior to full-scale implementation. Selected solutions should be piloted to verify that the changes will produce the desired results (and no undesired results). Piloting also give the team some insights into the obstacles and issues that will need to be addressed during the implementation.

15. 15  2002 North Haven Group 15 Implementing Solutions Gantt Charts provide a means for organizing an implementation plan. They consist of the following elements:  The Task  Task Number  Duration (usually in days)  Start Date  Finish Date  Predecessors (tasks that must be completed first)  Resource names (those responsible for the specific tasks) Gantt charts, like all project plans, are updated regularly as tasks are completed and new tasks are identified. These tasks are displayed pictorially on a graphical timeline, as in the following example (tasks and task numbers not shown):

16. 16  2002 North Haven Group 16

17. 17  2002 North Haven Group 17 Implementing Solutions Although implementation plans and Gantt Charts can be used to help communicate a team’s efforts, more thorough communications planning may be required. During the Improve Phase, the team should take extra efforts to communicate with those impacted by and/or involved in the implementation of changes. Recall that a formal Communication Plan consists of:  A listing of stakeholders,  Communication objectives and the desired response,  What the stakeholders already know about the project,  The communication channel,  The timing, and  Who delivers the communication.

18. 18  2002 North Haven Group 18 Implementing Solutions Revising the team communication plan will help to ensure that critical communications have been made both prior to and during the implementation.

19. 19  2002 North Haven Group 19 Implementing Solutions Phase III: Implementation The team is ready to implement when:  The implementation steps have been thoroughly planned,  The implementation plan has been reviewed and approved by process owners,  Proposed changes have been piloted,  The project team has worked closely with others affected by the changes that will be implemented, and  Responsibilities have been delegated and those responsible have the authority to implement. Attention to details!

20. 20  2002 North Haven Group 20 Implementing Solutions Phase IV: Completion The implementation can be considered ‘complete’ when testing and follow-up confirm that the project goals and objectives have been accomplished. This takes the team into the Control Phase of the DMAIC Cycle. The team will:  Complete its documentation;  Complete the hand-off of the changes to the process owners;  Monitor the process to ensure that the desired improvements have been obtained;  If the team has been successful in improving the process, celebrate the project’s completion and recognize the team.

21. 21  2002 North Haven Group 21 Implementing Solutions Successful implementations usually consist of several key ingredients:  Area management support,  Clearly defined goals and objectives,  A documented project plan and project schedule,  Appropriate personnel/technical expertise assigned to the project,  A formal communication plan,  The ability to handle the unexpected, and  The involvement and buy-in of all impacted by the project. It goes without saying that project teams that are lacking in any of these areas will tend to be limited in their effectiveness.