Variation occurs everywhere! Understanding and reducing variation in service, manufacturing and sales and marketing processes are key to achieving Six Sigma performance. Measurement and statistical analysis are key elements for a successful program. The Six Sigma process and its linkage to Lean Production System will be discussed. The course is highly interactive where delegates will run a business simulation process applying their new knowledge to approach six sigma performances.

By the end of this course delegates will be able to:

• Understand Six Sigma and 10X rates of improvement and how they will best fit into your organization
• Experience variation, its impact and the fun and benefits of reducing it!
• Learn and practice eliminating the root causes of process problems
• Make decisions that are data driven
• Have Six Sigma practices become “habit forming” and “everyday conversation”

Team Leaders, Managers, Superintendents, General Supervisors, Officers, Supervisors, Line Managers, HR Professionals

• Introduction
• Review catapult description, history and operating principles
• Break class into business teams, have teams select a name
• Review functional roles for business teams and demonstrate
• Operation and initial setup of catapults
• Have teams set up and run catapults
• Collect baseline data
• Teams report on their results and findings
• Introduce “the company” each catapult is a separate division
• Flash cards set 1 first review document performance
• Six Sigma “What it is”, grounding
• Before Six Sigma the early days, the need to keep an open mind
• Variation- where it exists
• The way we work, the need for change
• What is Six Sigma, why we need it, and why it is different?
• Defects and the cost of quality
• Flash cards set 1 second review document performance
• Review the fishbone diagram
• Have teams build one for their process catapult
• Six Sigma, What is it? “a grounding”
• What is process management and its relationship to six sigma
• A review of classical improvement systems/methods
• The metrics of six sigma
• Common questions and assumptions
• Process capability
• When the six sigma approach makes sense
• A corporate model
• Six sigma, how it set up
• The path to six sigma
• 4 components of a six sigma program
• Flash cards set 2 first reviews, document performance
• Operate catapults and determine if process is capable
• Generate histogram and compare with specifications
• Make improvements to the teams catapult process
• Teams report on results and findings
• Six sigma cycle
• Six steps to six sigma for various functions
• Improvement tools and methods
• Flash cards set 2 second reviews, document performance
• Links to cycle time
• Six sigma mission statement, environment and principles
• A path to “getting started”
• Lean Production Systems definition
• LPS 7 types of waste
• LPS “key principles and 5 phase implementation cycle
• Operate catapult using prior improvements
• Team generates added set of improvement ideas
• Operate catapult using latest set of improvement ideas
• Team generates additional improvement ideas
• Six sigma roles within an organization
• Black belt descriptions attribute and function
• Six sigma black belt certification process
• Teams discuss their needs for black belts and where they would use them
• Develop a strategy and plan for the catapult business
• Flash cards set 3 first review document performances
• Review paper mill success story, challenges, and learning
• Six Sigma Black Belt projects
• Team initiation process and types of teams needed
• Team problem solving
• How to baseline your projects
• Process maps and value streams
• Project prioritization matrix and tree diagrams
• Area resource impact and commitment needed
• Flash cards set 3 second review, document performance
• Operate catapults using all improvement ideas
• Teams generate new improvement ideas
• Teams report findings, learning’s and results
• Time to shoot and calibrate catapults
• Achieving Six Sigma performance
• Predicting performance: variation and probability
• Common variation Vs. special cause variation
• Variation can be used as a predictive tool
• Flash cards set 4 first review document performances
• Statistical process control
• Operate catapults using improvement ideas and generate a control chart with CAGS
• Determine process capability, estimate sigma level
• Teams review their findings
• Operate catapults using all improvement ideas
• Review chemical batch and continuous process success story
• Ways to measure improvement
• Black belt project documentation schemes
• Mistake proof fail safe (MPFS)
• Failure mode effects analysis (FMEA)
• Change management
• Flash cards set 4 second review, document performance
• Team selects a black belt candidate from their team
• Black belt and team using roles described in black belt process initiate a project, document project, present to teams
• Operate catapult using new black belt project plans and building on all improvement ideas to date
• Teams review their findings and final plans and recommendation for the black belt project
• Potential barriers to six sigma implementation
• Technical barriers
• Behavioral (team oriented) barriers
• Organizational barriers

CDGA attendance certificate will be issued to all attendees completing minimum of 75% of the total course duration.