Implementation Services: Deployment support

Thinking big is the key to Six Sigma success. To achieve its full potential, Six Sigma needs to be applied to the big challenges and big opportunities facing a business.

This statement immediately contrasts with the more common understanding of Six Sigma: that it’s about conducting multiple projects, each of which will deliver cost savings of typically €250,000. Celerant’s experience is that Six Sigma works best when applied where the amounts involved - as savings or business growth - are in the order of tens of millions of euros or more.

Applying Six Sigma at this level requires a different approach from the norm. Celerant have over 300 deployment professionals to help.

Rather than simply training a certain number of “Black Belts” and sending them out into the organisation to find projects that have the potential to yield €250,000 each (and a typical success rate of only 60- 70%), Celerant adopts a three-phase approach focused squarely on an agreed set of financial objectives.

Phase 1: Executive Scoping

This phase engages senior management in determining at the outset what the Six Sigma programme is required to achieve.

Typically scoping would include:

-what success would look like after 1, 2 and 5 years
-the key issues and opportunities that need to be addressed now
-prioritising projects that address these issues and opportunities
-the fit with and extension of existing initiatives
-how the programme will be set up - responsibilities, resources,
-reporting lines, controls and measures

Example: The Chief Operating Officer of a major telecommunications company needed to save €80 million in operating costs in 9 months. Scoping established four major projects that would deliver €50 million, and a further 20 projects for the remainder. Defining the projects in this way led to identification of the skills that needed to be deployed, the degree of outside help and expertise sought, and the degree of management time and attention needed for success. The COO’s aim was met, within the required time, with a return on investment of 8:1 - a highly unlikely outcome if the project had started from: “I need 200 Black Belts.”

Phase 2: Assessment and Programme Design

The most important aspect of this phase is the identification and quantification of potential Six Sigma projects and their associated business benefits. The programme structure, training plan, responsibilities and accountabilities are all developed at this stage.

The findings of this phase help to define and develop the most appropriate training programme. In many cases, the skills required will include elements from other methodologies such as Lean, as well as Six Sigma. The important thing is not to be wedded to one methodology or another, and that all the key people within the company are committed to making it happen.

Phase 3: Implementation

A Six Sigma programme should deliver significant, measurable and sustainable results. The programme for any company needs to be adapted to that company’s organisation and culture - by means of the appropriate management systems, processes, tools and techniques. Systems are the ‘glue’ of the Six Sigma programme. They define the framework in which the business functions.

Key elements are:
-clear goals
-clear metrics for measuring success
-ongoing monitoring
-knowledge management and sharing
-communication
-leadership involvement
-a continuous quality mindset
-standardisation