Microsoft Excel Statistics

As companies make changes to or introduce new Products, Processes or Services, we observe a wide spectrum of methodology; from well defined process with trained resources, effective tools and excellent results - to no process, ad hoc application of tools, and frequent cycles of “Launch and Learn.”

Where does your methodology rank?

In this free live webcast, we will provide a framework for assessing the Process, People, Tools and Results for premier attributes in the New Product, Process, Services Introduction Methodology.

As companies make changes to or introduce new Products, Processes or Services, we observe a wide spectrum of methodology; from well defined process with trained resources, effective tools and excellent results - to no process, ad hoc application of tools, and frequent cycles of “Launch and Learn.”

Where does your methodology rank?

In this free live webcast, we will provide a framework for assessing the Process, People, Tools and Results for premier attributes in the New Product, Process, Services Introduction Methodology.

This is the conclusion of Dave Roy’s guest blog, we hope you have found them informative. Again, Dave comes to us from SSPI, Six Sigma Professionals, Inc., and taught Jack Welch and his entire staff their Six Sigma Green Belt training. Also, look for Dave’s free live webcast on August 19^th, Assessing your New Product, Process or Service Introduction Methodology: Is yours premier? Does it enable Six Sigma performance?

Oops! Didn’t see that coming! Part 4
 

As a continuation from the July blog, we are now concluding with the “Optimize” and “Validate” phases of the ICOV (Identify-Conceptualize-Optimize-Validate) framework of a rigorous new design process as explained in “Services Design for Six Sigma – A Roadmap for Excellence”.

These phases are important because it allows time and methodology to optimize the design, develop all of the detailed documentation, verify performance and capability under operating conditions and manage an orderly transition to the new state.

The Optimize phase consists of a single stage (Design Optimization) and associated Tollgate 5 to validate successful completion of the requirements. 

The Design Optimization stage involves completing all of the detailed design documentation, building Prototypes of the design, simulating/analyzing Process Capability, preparing all Control Plans and updating the Design and Process Scorecards.

Tollgate 5 Exit Criteria:

o    Agreement that functionality and performance meet the customers’ and business requirements under the intended operating conditions.

o    Approval to proceed with the Validate stage.

Formal tools which can be used in this phase are Design Scorecard, Process Management, Mistake Proofing, Simulation, Change Management, Control Plans, Reliability and Robustness.

The Validate phase consists of two stages (Verification and Launch Readiness) and associated Tollgates (6 and 7) to validate successful completion of the requirements. 

The Verification stage involves developing Pilot plans, Piloting the new design and process and analyzing and making adjustments to achieve the desired functionality and performance under operating conditions.

Tollgate 6 Exit Criteria:

o    Agreement that functionality and performance from the pilot meet the customers’ and business requirements under the intended operating conditions.

o    Approval to proceed with the Launch Readiness stage.

Formal tools which can be used in this phase are Design Scorecard, Process Management, Mistake Proofing, Change Management, Control Plans, Statistical Process Control (SPC), and Confidence Analysis.

The Launch Readiness stage involves developing Pilot plans, Piloting the new design and process and analyzing and making adjustments to achieve the desired functionality and performance under operating conditions.

Tollgate 7 Exit Criteria:

o    Agreement that transition plans and training plans have been developed and are executable.

o    Approval to proceed with the Production stage.

Formal tools which can be used in this phase are Transition Plans, Training Plans, Process management, Change Management and Control Plans.

Following the ICOV model we have now used a formal methodology that allows us to validate performance at progressive economical stages and have improved the ability to detect unknown risks thus avoiding the Oops! Didn’t see that coming!. It should be mentioned that the methodology should be flexible and scalable to adjust for level of invention and risk. A brand new invention (Research & Development) that has never been deployed in similar conditions is much different than implementing a known solution (Application Engineering) under new conditions.

 » Part 1
 » Part 2
 » Part 3
 

BIO:

David Roy is an integral part of the Six Sigma community. He taught GE’s Jack Welch and entire staff Six Sigma, as well as served as Senior Vice President of Textron Six Sigma. He is a Certified GE Master Black Belt, was instrumental in developing GE’s DMADV (DFSS) methodology, and has taught 3 waves of DFSS Black Belts. David holds an BS in Mechanical Engineering from The University of New Hampshire. He is also the co-author “Services Design for Six Sigma – A Roadmap for Excellence”

We are pleased to welcome back to my blog consultant and trainer David Roy from Six Sigma Professionals, Inc.

Oops! Didn’t see that coming! Part 3
 

As a continuation from the June blog, we are now covering the “Conceptualize” phase of the ICOV framework of a rigorous new design process as explained in “Services Design for Six Sigma – A Roadmap for Excellence”.

This phase is important because it conceives, evaluates and selects good design solutions through robust process methodology which ensures alignment to the customer and the business needs.

Many design solutions skip this phase and become typically named as “Launch and Learn”.

The Conceptualize phase consists of two stages and associated Tollgates to validate successful completion of the requirements. 

The Concept Development stage involves translating Customer requirements into solution free Functional requirements, developing the System Level Conceptual Design, generating Concepts for required functions, Concept selection and translation of the Functional Requirements to Design Parameters.

An example of a Functional Requirement for a Customer Want of “Speedy Service” could be “Speed of Service” and a Design Parameter could be “Waiting Time”

Tollgate 3 Exit Criteria:

• Assessment that the Conceptual Development Plan & Cost will satisfy the customer base
• A Decision the design represents an economic opportunity (if appropriate)
• Verification adequate funding will be available to perform Preliminary Design
• Identification of the Tollgate Keeper & the appropriate staff
• An action plan to continue flow-down of the design Functional Requirements

The Preliminary Design stage involves creating the design documentation and configuration management, performing design analysis and testing, translating the Design Parameters into Process Variables and formulating the Production strategy.

An example of further mapping the Design Parameter of “Waiting Time” to a Process Variable could be “Number of Phone Lines”

Tollgate 4 Exit Criteria:

• Acceptance of the selected Solution/Design
• Agreement the Design is likely to satisfy all Design Requirements
• Agreement to proceed with the next stage of the selected Solution/Design
• An action plan to finish the flow-down of the design Functional Requirements to design parameters and process variables

Formal tools which can be used in this phase are QFD, TRIZ/Axiomatic design, Measurement System Analysis (MSA), Failure Mode effect Analysis (FMEA), Design scorecard, Process mapping, Process management, Pugh Concept Selection, Robust Design, Design Scorecards, Design for X and Design reviews.

The next and final blog will cover the Optimize and Validate phases.

BIO:

David Roy is an integral part of the Six Sigma community. He taught GE’s Jack Welch and entire staff Six Sigma, as well as served as Senior Vice President of Textron Six Sigma. He is a Certified GE Master Black Belt, was instrumental in developing GE’s DMADV (DFSS) methodology, and has taught 3 waves of DFSS Black Belts. David holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from The University of New Hampshire. He is also the co-author “Services Design for Six Sigma – A Roadmap for Excellence”

 » Part 1
 » Part 2