Six Sigma Black Belt Quiz 02

The SSBB must be skilled in six areas:
• Project management
• Leadership
• Analytical thinking
• Adult learning
• Organizational change management
• Statistical analysis

Traits to look for in selecting a SSBB are:
•Trusted leader
•Self-starter
•Good listener
•Excellent communicator
•Politically savvy
•Has a detailed knowledge of the business
•Highly respected
•Understands processes
•Customer focused
•Passionate
•Excellent planner
•Holds to schedules
•Motivating
•Gets projects done on schedule and at cost
•Understands the organization’s strategy
•Excellent negotiation skills
•Embraces change

Some of the difficulties that arise in applying the scientific thinking principles are:
• Overcoming resistance to change even when an innovative change is suggested, as it is difficult to get people to try the change and adapt themselves to the new situation
• Satisfying a diversity of viewpoints, as different team members may have varying viewpoints as to what constitutes an improvement
• Thinking that any change using the DMAIC/DMADV process would be an improvement in its own right
• Taking the time to meet the objectives of the problem-solving process once the change is agreed to
• Recognizing when a change is an improvement through proper testing and follow-through

Most organizations have adopted a canned development process that either: (1) worked somewhere else and was borrowed, (2) has been bestowed with the title of “best practice” but as history has proven, no practice stays as a best practice for long, or (3) was implemented by an outside consultant that initially made a great sales pitch and many promises, but failed to recognize the unique nature of the firm’s industry, culture, and customers. The result is often an overblown, cobbled-together process that is so cumbersome and restrictive that it just begs to be circumvented.

There are numerous opportunities to slash manufacturing cost during the Lean design cycle, including:
• Reduce direct material cost
• Reduce direct labor cost
• Reduce operational overhead
• Minimize nonrecurring design
• Minimize product-specific capital investment

Direct material cost: Common parts, common raw materials, parts-count reduction, design simplification, reduction of scrap and quality defects, elimination of batch processes,

Direct labor cost: Design simplification, design for Lean manufacture and assembly, parts-count reduction, matching product tolerances to process capabilities, standardizing processes

Reduce operational overhead: Minimize impact on factory layout, capture cross-product-line synergies (e.g., a modular design/mass customization strategy), improve utilization of shared capital equipment, etc.

product-specific capital investment: Production preparation (3P) process, matching product tolerances to process capabilities, value engineering/design simplification, design for one-piece flow, standardization of parts, etc

The following is a clarification of the DMAIC process:
• Define: Select an appropriate project and define the problem, especially in terms of customer-critical demands.
• Measure: Assemble measurable data about process performance and develop a quantitative problem statement.
• Analyze: Analyze the causes of the problem and verify suspected root cause(s).
• Improve: Identify actions to reduce defects and variation caused by root cause(s) and implement selected actions, while evaluating the measurable improvement (if not evident, return to step 1, Define).
• Control: Control the process to ensure continued, improved performance and determine if improvements can be transferred elsewhere. Identify lessons learned and next steps.