Six Sigma - Statistical Tools - Valid or Hype? Value? Can a CQE do the same?

[KMAAA]

no offense

No offense taken on my part.

About a year ago(before I took the 6S training) the local Operations VP came to me one day & handed me a stack of bound powerpoint slides from some 6S overview day-long session he went to . He said..."tell me what you think of this." At that time I had no idea what the content of 6S training was all about. I looked over the slides...and wrote him back that there was nothing in the slides that couldn't be done without a 6S program..and that a few slides had a number of fundamental errors in them. I told him any organized stats/numbers based quality program could achieve what the slides were claiming as the "output from a 6S program..."

A couple months later, in response to additional higher up pressures, the VP then asks if I want to be trained as a black belt....I'd never given it much thought, but stats are entertaining so I says, sure...why not?

The key is that this VP got interested in the very topic we're all interested in due to some glitz & glitter package called "Six Sigma Black Belt" (ta..da..where's my cape?). For me..."getting there" is path independent. If it takes glitz & glitter...it's a sound bite world...so be it.

As for the marketing....it isn't so much that 6S invented anything...(it's a very tight & practical body of knowledge...by far, more than anything else, it's structured/organized project management with lots of stats to get you there)..the marketing is just marketing...whether you're selling "Bowflex" machines or Celebrex it's all snake oil & mirrors to turn a buck. There's lots of money to be made in 6S training(or selling any fad program to corporate execs)....so there's lot's of people buzzing about how they can cure all your ills with their new & original approach. Fact is, the people that "buy" the 6S type programs really don't know the difference between 6S being new or not...so everyone gets what they want...it's the american way...

 

[energy]

I love honesty

No offense taken on my part.

As for the marketing....it isn't so much that 6S invented anything...(it's a very tight & practical body of knowledge...by far, more than anything else, it's structured/organized project management with lots of stats to get you there)..the marketing is just marketing...whether you're selling "Bowflex" machines or Celebrex it's all snake oil & mirrors to turn a buck. There's lots of money to be made in 6S training(or selling any fad program to corporate execs)....so there's lot's of people buzzing about how they can cure all your ills with their new & original approach. Fact is, the people that "buy" the 6S type programs really don't know the difference between 6S being new or not...so everyone gets what they want...it's the american way...

Outstanding reply. Well said. No frills. Some of us have been saying that for years. No lecture like "you just don't get it". Your candidness is a welcome sight. Good luck with the Black belt and the extra income!

 

[Tom Slack]

Re: Six Sigma - Valid?

If you are still working on your thesis, I have a Literature Reference: "Six Sigma In Metaphor: Heresy or Holy Writ". It is in the Janurary edition of Quality Progress on page 25. I'm sure it is relevant, but I have no comment on it's veracity.

Good Luck,

Tom

 

[WALLACE]

Re: Six Sigma - Valid?

I've been observing this thread with unabated interest for some time now and, I have to say, the thread shows the vast expertise that is available at the Cove. I have great respect for you all.
I've had very little exposure to the 6S jugernaut but, I have been a keen observer of it's grand introduction, attempted infusion and embarassing demise at my location.
Here's my observations.

I have personaly witnessed the grand introduction of 6S at my Ford location almost 3 years ago now. It's intriguing to see the enthusiasm of middle and upper management regarding, an almost overnight change of quality related language; DPMO, capability, process noise, special and common cause and that very scary word "Variation".

I have also personaly witnessed the attempted infusion of the knowledge, tools and techniques into the production area's of my production facility.
I'm sure you've been one of the engineers who, travels throughout the production system Defining, Measuring, Analyzing, Improving (through 6s eye's) and Controling your improvements.

This was looked at with intrigue by most of the labour, who had (Past tense)a genuine interest in the tools and techniques of 6S.
Here's what has happened at my location;
The 6S tools and techniques were thrown into the production area's with all of the glitz of a major advertizing campaign and, the labour force was left completely out in the cold regarding being informed of the power of statistical tools for improvement and what these great tools would do for their understanding of their respective work proceses.

I witnessed the embarrassing demise of 6S at my location when, I saw the most senior engineers either moving on to other companies or being fired because they did not deliver the "short term goodies" (The very words of the most senior engineer). I was told by some of the folk involved with 6S that, they intended to "fatten up" their resumes and move on when they got the opportunity.

The labour side of this snapshot is that, they were being cast aside because it was and still is the official company line that, "the tools and techniques of statistical process control are of no use to a process operator".
Well, you can guess what has happened, anytime a well intentioned engineer approaches as process operator, they get the proverbial "rubber ear", "cold shoulder (Call it what you will).
6S at my location has now become something that is indeed practiced but not openly spoken of.
This all may sound rather negetive yet, there are some within the production area's that have independently attended course for SPC and 6S. Will they ever get to use their taught skills where the most important processes take place? I think not.
6S has been given an almost middle class status and has therefore by its very nature excluded the most important part of any process, "people".
Just my observation FWIW.
Wallace.

 

[WALLACE]

Re: Six Sigma - Valid?

Attached is a map that I compiled to give a brief overview of Six Sigma.
The map was accepted for use but never used due to the acceptance problems of the hourly labour process owners.
I guess it could be used as the proverbial elevator conversational piece.
Feel free to use it if you wish, or I can send it to whoever needs it.
Wallace

 

[Wes Bucey]

Re: Six Sigma - Valid?

Attached is a map that I compiled to give a brief overview of Six Sigma.
The map was accepted for use but never used due to the acceptance problems of the hourly labour process owners.
I guess it could be used as the proverbial elevator conversational piece.
Feel free to use it if you wish, or I can send it to whoever needs it.
Wallace

Wow! Your map is better than charts in any textbook I've seen on 6S. I sure hope you are appreciated by the suits in the front office. It would be a shame if they just took you for granted. Thanks for sharing.

 

[WALLACE]

Re: Six Sigma - Valid?

Thanks Wes,
I am viewed as an off-the wall kind of system thinker at my Ford location.
An anomaly for sure in the established processes of the Ford Production System (FPS).
I have used a program called Mind Genius www.mindgenius.com to compile and form the Mind mapped format you see in the map.
Again, I'll admit that, this kind of communications isn't for everyone yet, I have found it invaluable to me and, others who are receptive to Mind mapping as an excellent form of information management and presentation tools.
Wallace.

 

[Dave Strouse]

Re: Six Sigma - Valid?

If you are an ASQ member you probably saw this interesting article on Six Sigma -"Heresy or Holy Writ". Link below can take you to it. Still have to be a member to read the full version, I'm afraid.

Affirms much of the ground covered in this thread.

http://www.asq.org/portal/page?_pag...ub/qualityprogress/past/0104/41match0104.html

 

[ralphsulser]

Re: Six Sigma - Valid?

Thanks Wes,
I am viewed as an off-the wall kind of system thinker at my Ford location.
An anomaly for sure in the established processes of the Ford Production System (FPS).
I have used a program called Mind Genius www.mindgenius.com to compile and form the Mind mapped format you see in the map.
Again, I'll admit that, this kind of communications isn't for everyone yet, I have found it invaluable to me and, others who are receptive to Mind mapping as an excellent form of information management and presentation tools.
Wallace.

Hey Wallace, I thinkk your maps are great, but how do you get them to print on one page of standard paper, 81/2 X 11, or 11 X 14? I wanted to show my boss one, but can't get it to print on 1 page. Also what file type can it be saved in? These are great maps, you have done an excellant job of putting these together. Thanks for sharing

Never mind the question for help--finally figured out how to save as word.doc
and print on one page.
Thanks again Wallace

 

[WALLACE]

Re: Six Sigma - Valid?

Hi Ralph,
Since I have saved my maps as images and then zipped them for ease of posting at the cove, you may wish to open the Jpeg file and plot the image onto paper of any size you wish. Alternatively, you may wish to save the image file to a memory stick, disc or floppy and have a printer print or plot your required images for presentation purposes.
Mind maps can and do become very complex and thus, if you are intending to print or plot a map for use as a presentation, you really have to plot the map onto a large architectural sized type of paper.
If you are using the current Mind genius program, you can indeed easily save your mapped information as a Word doc or PowerPoint presentation.
Wallace.