Operations management

Lean Six Sigma Project

OBJECTIVE OF THIS ASSIGNMENT

You will be preparing a report for the board, so this will need to be a professional presented report. For the organisation that you have chosen, you will start to DEFINE the selected problem using a project charter we have discussed. After that, you have to MEASURE and provide some data that will strength your case and enable you to ANALYSE the problem root causes. Thereafter, you might propose some solutions that will IMPROVE the targeted process. In order to sustain and CONTROL your improvement, you have to suggest some control charts to monitor the process. Through the DMAIC cycle, you will use some Lean tools that will enable you to fulfil the requirements of each phase. For example: using of SIPOC in the DEFINE phase and using of Value Stream Mapping in the ANLYSIS stage.
In general, you need to cover the DMAIC cycle in your report:

• Define: Describe the project's purpose and scope
• Measure: Gather information on the current situation
• Analyse: Identify deep causes and confirm them with data
• Improve: Develop, test, and implement solutions that address deep causes
• Control: Maintain the gains by consistently implementing the new work methods or processes

ASSESSMENT

The report will be assessed on the following criteria:
1. Use of models - applicability to the chosen operations/process for example, this might include:
Application of concepts, further reading? Competitive information?
Clarity of business/management research question/s and formulation of clear aims, objectives and scope.
2. Depth of analysis - as opposed to description: For example, this might include:
• Evidence of understanding of links between the Five stages of DMAIC cycle and sensation of flow after each stage.
• Reporting and appropriate presentation of the data generated.
3. Extent to which the recommendations and conclusions flow from the prior analysis:
• Recommendations derived: Comprehensive
• Synthesis: Development of a coherent argument
• Critical analysis of the findings
• Proposed solutions: generalizable, critical and/or original application of knowledge. Solutions should be tested and piloted.
• Sustainability ways to monitor the improved process.
4. Quality of report
• Presenting professionally and integrating the sections of the plan so that it makes a coherent and persuasive argument. Well-structured? Clear text? Good appendices? Well-integrated sections?
• Coherent and concise writing? Appropriate and accurate referencing?
• Effective and well-presented figures and tables? Grammar, spelling and appropriate vocabulary?

Introduction

Very briefly introduce the company and the process you are targeting for improvement
Why the selected problem is a problem?
Make brief statement explaining why the targeted process is considered to be a problem for this company. Your answer must include figures and data as evidence.

Benefits of this project to the company
Provide a brief summary stating the benefits that will be gained by the company after completing the project using the following guide:

• Short-term savings (hard)
• Long-term savings (hard)
• Short-term cost avoidance (soft)
• Long-term cost avoidance (soft)

You have to make it clear how the selected benefits will be happening showing the calculation of your saving or cost avoidance.

Project's team
You need to write the name and title of all process owners who have been involved in the process improvement via the DMAIC cycle journey. The team will include:
Sponsor, Champion, Coach, Financial Analyst and process owners.

2. DEFINE (400 WORDS APPROX)
o Goal: Define the project's purpose and scope
o Output: A clear statement of the intended improvement and how it is to be measured
o Sample tools: Charter or SIPOC
- Provide a screen shot of the filled tool you have used in Appendix 1

3. MEASURE (400 WORDS APPROX)
o Goal: Gather information on the current situation
o Output: A focused problem statement and baseline process sigma
o Sample tools: Histogram or Pareto
- Provide a screen shot of the filled tool you have used in Appendix 2

4. ANALYSE (400 WORDS APPROX)
o Goal: Identify deep causes and confirm them with data
o Output: A theory that has been tested and confirmed
o Sample tools: Ishikawa diagram or process mapping
- Provide a screen shot of the filled tool you have used in Appendix 3

5. IMPROVE (400 WORDS APPROX)
o Goal: Develop, test, and implement solutions that address deep causes
o Output: Planned, tested actions that should eliminate identified root causes or reduce their impact
o Sample tools: Solution matrix
- Provide a screen shot of the filled tool you have used in Appendix 4

6. CONTROL (400 WORDS APPROX)
o Goal: Maintain the gains by consistently implementing the new work methods or processes
o Output: Documentation of the new standardized method and Training in the new method
o Sample Tools: Samples of standardization documentation, Poka Yoke, 5S or Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- Provide a screen shot of the filled tool you have used in Appendix 5