Important of Self Discipline

Don’t get me wrong. I am not here to discuss about the sex scandal of the peoples.
What I want to say is, these people fail just because of lack of self discipline.

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Similarly, many Six Sigma and Lean program fail mainly because of lack of discipline, from the top management to the front line operation.

In many case, when Six Sigma or Lean programs fail, people start to question the practicability and effectiveness of the program in their unique business environment.

How many of them really review the peoples’ factor that potentially causing the failure.

Six Sigma Is Just Not Enough

I manage to snap the photo while having breakfast in the hotel that I stay in during the two days DFSS training.

Technically, I consider this is a very serious defect that shall not happen in a world class hotel.

Can you tolerate this type of defect happen to you, even the changes may be only as low as one out of million opportunity?

If you are the manager on duty, how would you handle the case?

DFSS For Semiconductor Industry

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I will be in the training. This is the first Six Sigma training I get after two years joining the semiconductor company that does not believe in Six Sigma.

Not easy to get such training for my self learning…..

Six Sigma = 致精

一直以来我都在寻找一个恰当的名词来取代Six Sigma 这个字眼。Six Sigma 这个名词在很多时候的确为我带来了不少的困扰，因为很多人都不太了解 Six Sigma 真正的意义。

在网上，我们可以看到有些人把 Six Sigma 翻译成“六标准差”或是“6西格码”之类的名词。可是我个人认为这些名词都不大恰当，因为他们都不能反映了 Six Sigma 真正的用意和精神。

直到昨天我在路上看到一则广告写着两个大字“致精”。对了，这就是我要的答案。

我可以这么说，当我们在某一项工作表现上达致“精”的水准，也就相等于达致 Six Sigma 的水准。以达到致精的境界，就得无此尽的学习和精益求精。这才是反映了 Six Sigma 原来的精神与用意。

Six Sigma Is Not A Management Approach

During a lunch with a group of managers, someone bring up the topic of feasibility of Six Sigma approach in management. Suddenly the operation manager look at me and throw me a simple question.

Do you think the Six Sigma management approach works in our daily operation? He ask me.

Hub….I m really frighten by the unexpected question thrown to me. I don’t have the answer in my mind actually. I look at him with my big eyes and smiling face. I only respond to him after idle for few second.

I tell him I don’t think there is such management approach call Six Sigma management.

The group of managers seem confused after getting my respond.

OK, lets make ourself clear the true meaning of the term “Management”. In wikipedia management was explain as an activity comprises planning, organizing, leading and controlling a team for the purpose of coordinating and harmonizing them towards accomplishing a common goal. It is an art. Whereas, Six Sigma DMAIC is a systematic problem solving approach that comprise of scientific and mathematical analysis.

Six Sigma DMAIC systematic problem solving approach could be a strategy in managing an organization, but by itself it could not be a management approach.

Shop Without Plastic Bag

I hate to shop in big supermarket during weekend or festival season. The main reason is I just don’t like to joint the long queue at the cashier to settle payment for my purchase. Why should I wait ?

Do you notice that the casher actually spend quite a lot of time to pack the customers’ purchase into a plastic bag after bar code scan. To me, the process of putting all the goods into a plastic bag is a matter of time wasting process and it serve no value to the customers. I have to dispose most of the plastic bag that I collected from the supermarket because the size is not big enough for me to pack the household rubbish that I generated.

I strongly believe there is chance to improve cashier operation efficiency at least 30 – 40% if they willing to stop using plastic bag to pack customers’ purchase. Customers can just pick up the goods from the cashier after bar code scan, put it back to the trolley, make payment and go.

There are number of benefit for not giving way plastic bags;

1. Higher casher equipment operation efficiency, lower operating cost
2. Improve customer satisfaction by reducing queuing time
3. Enhance company image as an environmental friendly organization

Now, the biggest challenge come. Are you willing to initiate change ?

Reaching Another Cross Road

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A Story Of Capacity Planning

Wien is my eldest daughter and she is 6 years old.

Last evening she happily approaches me to ask for all the old news papers that pile up at the corner of my house. She told me she wants it all for her recycle day organizes by her school 2 wk later.

I look at the pile, wow, it is a lot. I m ok to give away the old stuff but I wonder how she carry it to the school. It is too heavy to her age.

All right, ask mum to help you to carry the papers on the day you need. I only allow you to take half of it since it is too heavy to you and mum, I say.

But she refuses, she wants it all and she tells me she can handle the papers with her own. She is not requiring assistant from anyone. Hmm… I am interested to know her idea, why she is so confident she can do that with her little hand.

The answer from her is very simple and straight forward. She will carry some paper to the school every morning and she believe she can transfer all in 2 weeks time.

OK, now I agree to release all the paper she want for her schooling activity since answer from her is valid and justifiable.

I m impressed she can do such capacity planning at the age of 6. Before that, I thought this is a difficult topic because I have seen many experience IE unable to handle it well.

Girl, you know, you can be a good IE!

The Return of 10 Year Cycle

Today is a special day in my history. It is my birthday and it is a day worth to remember. I suppose to celebrate my day with fun and joys, but seem like my wish doesn’t come true.

Looks, this is the special gift I receive from the equity market. The global equity markets melt down due to the worry of worst than expected global economy slow down. This is the worst economy crisis that I ever experience since year 1997, exactly 10 years the cycle repeats. The world market started to shows some sign of crack after huge loss reported by Citi Group, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America and other key industrial players.

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Don’t forget, these are the Six Sigma companies in my list. But they are delivering result that big enough to shake the world wide economy. What happen and why ?

Now people started to review the effectiveness of Six Sigma approach in the equity market. Can Six Sigma approach powerful enough to solve the economy problem in US ?

Six Sigma & Lean Performance Measure

I receive a mail from Anas regarding the method of Six Sigma or Lean performance measure and monitoring. The mail from Anas as below

Dear BB

I am an intern student working in the CEE region for a non-multinational banking consultancy. We have recently received a proposal from GE Capital, who as you know, practice extensively the Six Sigma. I had no knowledge about this concept whatsoever before, so I started researching it from a managerial perspective (we are management consultants!), and though it is clear overall I still have one question, which probably you might be able to answer!

We are preparing a project proposal for the tender, and in it we need to specify how will we evaluate the project and the achievements, otherwise what are our quality criterias. We would like to draft this part in a way it is in line with the 6 sigma and lean principles, just as the rest of our proposal! So my question is whether there are some kind of a set of tools and techniques for evalution in lean and 6 sigma?

Thank you for your help in advance,

Anas

Junior Consultant

Here my answer :

From my point of view, we look at Six Sigma or Lean as an systematic improvement program that help company achieving business objective. Key Performance Index (KPI) is the indicator that establish to benchmark / monitor company performance in business operation as well as Six Sigma and Lean program.

Did I answer your question ?