Process improvement in farm equipment sector (FES): a case on Six Sigma adoption

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anupama Prashar
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Process Improvement ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Valve Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Process Improvements ◽  
System Improvement ◽  
Farm Equipment ◽  
Critical Process ◽  
Field Failure

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to exhibit how a leading company operating in farm equipment sector (FES) in India utilized Six Sigma statistical tools to reduce field failures of tractor assembly and thereby improved customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopted Six Sigma define-measure-analyse-improve-control (DMAIC) methodology in order to identify numerous critical process improvements. Findings – After completing the define, measure and analyze phase, it was found that the processes of lapping, spring scragging, and assembly of valve body were incapable. The major recommendations made during the improve phase were to change the hydraulic oil; replacement of manual grinder with tool and cutter grinder for flat drill grinding; automation of lapping system; improvement in spring scragging system, change in piston design, etc. As a result of the implementation of remedies, field failure reduced by 95 percent producing a cost saving of almost INR 4.366 million/annum. Originality/value – This specific case demonstrates the successful application of Six Sigma DMAIC methodology in FES for driving down the field failures and improved customer satisfaction.

Credit card account opening excellence using six sigma methodology

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samsul Islam
Keyword(s):  
Process Improvement ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Credit Card ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Six Sigma Methodology ◽  
Six Sigma Approach ◽  
Opening Process

Purpose This study aims to expand the current knowledge of the Six Sigma approach in a period of time when there is little direct evidence of the need to improve the credit card account opening process. This is an important but neglected area of focus in the Six Sigma literature. This study explores the extent to which process improvement practices are extended to the credit card department. Design/methodology/approach A case study methodology is adopted in this study to facilitate an exploration of the implemented Six Sigma approach in the credit card department of a leading commercial bank. The process improvement tool used is the define, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC) cycle. Findings The study’s results confirm that the Six Sigma approach improves the quality of the credit card account opening process. So, the Six Sigma approach can account for a reduced number of keying-in errors, resulting in better data accuracy and improved customer satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The authors, in an attempt to render the study results more feasible for data collection, have chosen to focus on the process of the new accounts unit of the credit card department. Therefore, the authors have not taken into account the other units (e.g. transaction processing) of the same department. Practical implications The results of this study will be useful in persuading bank management to evaluate and implement the Six Sigma approach. Hence, this research will assist bank managers with replies to questions, such as: “What impact will Six Sigma have on process-centric improvement, such as the new accounts opening process of a credit card department?” Originality/value Within the literature on the Six Sigma practice, there is little research that focuses on the implementation of this particular toolset especially for credit card departments. This indicates a gap in the field. A new contribution to bridging that gap comes from the analysis of the results for the Six Sigma concept, which addresses the new accounts opening process.

New Horizons for Shipbuilding Process Improvement

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahadir Inozu ◽  
M. J. Niccolai ◽  
Clifford A. Whitcomb ◽  
Brian Brian MacClaren ◽  
Ivan Ivan Radovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Process Improvement ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Defense Contractors ◽  
New Era ◽  
Process Improvements ◽  
New Horizons ◽  
Direct Reports ◽  
Design For Six Sigma ◽  
Strategy Design

“In 2004, we start an Initiative --Lean Six Sigma Initiative to achieve our Op Ex Goals. We will be conducting a number of on boarding sessions for Six Sigma with senior leaders in DOD, NAVY, and most importantly Defense Contractors. We will require Six Sigma training for direct reports.” John Young, ASN (RDA) The announcement of NAVSEA’s Lean Six Sigma initiative has ushered in a new era in the ways that naval combatants are designed, built, and operated. As the Navy’s budgetary constraints increase in the coming years, the challenges they face in the 21st century will grow. New levels of process performance are mandated. This paper first highlights the opportunities that the Lean Six Sigma roadmap brings to shipbuilding process improvement and then details the efforts to adopt Lean Six Sigma and align it with the continuous improvement initiative at NGSS. Aspects of management strategy, Design for Six Sigma, replicating process improvements as part of integrating Lean Six Sigma with Knowledge Management are discussed.

Data-driven quality improvement approach to reducing waste in manufacturing

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rose Clancy ◽  
Dominic O'Sullivan ◽  
Ken Bruton
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Process Improvement ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Manufacturing Processes ◽  
Management Performance ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type

PurposeData-driven quality management systems, brought about by the implementation of digitisation and digital technologies, is an integral part of improving supply chain management performance. The purpose of this study is to determine a methodology to aid the implementation of digital technologies and digitisation of the supply chain to enable data-driven quality management and the reduction of waste from manufacturing processes.Design/methodology/approachMethodologies from both the quality management and data science disciplines were implemented together to test their effectiveness in digitalising a manufacturing process to improve supply chain management performance. The hybrid digitisation approach to process improvement (HyDAPI) methodology was developed using findings from the industrial use case.FindingsUpon assessment of the existing methodologies, Six Sigma and CRISP-DM were found to be the most suitable process improvement and data mining methodologies, respectively. The case study revealed gaps in the implementation of both the Six Sigma and CRISP-DM methodologies in relation to digitisation of the manufacturing process.Practical implicationsValuable practical learnings borne out of the implementation of these methodologies were used to develop the HyDAPI methodology. This methodology offers a pragmatic step by step approach for industrial practitioners to digitally transform their traditional manufacturing processes to enable data-driven quality management and improved supply chain management performance.Originality/valueThis study proposes the HyDAPI methodology that utilises key elements of the Six Sigma DMAIC and the CRISP-DM methodologies along with additions proposed by the author, to aid with the digitisation of manufacturing processes leading to data-driven quality management of operations within the supply chain.

Design of experiments in the service industry: results from a global survey and directions for further research

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiju Antony ◽  
Elisabeth Viles ◽  
Alexandre Fonseca Torres ◽  
Marcelo Machado Fernandes ◽  
Elizabeth A. Cudney
Keyword(s):  
Design Of Experiments ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Process Improvement ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Service Industry ◽  
Quality Characteristics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Success

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to critically evaluate the current status of Design of experiments (DoE) in the service industry or non-manufacturing processes in the manufacturing sector. This involves the identification of critical success factors and challenges in the use of DoE in the context of the service industry as well as the key skills needed for its successful applications.Design/methodology/approachIn order to identify the critical success factors and challenges, an online survey instrument was developed and distributed across Six Sigma Black Belts (SSBB), Six Sigma Master Black Belts (SSMBB), process improvement champions, continuous improvement professionals, DoE experts and specialists as well as academics who are involved in DoE research and applications.FindingsA total of 109 participants from over 20 countries responded to the study. One of the first findings of the study is that over 40% of the process improvement professionals in the service sector do not have any hands-on experience with the application of DoE. Further, this study highlights the following critical factors for successful DoE applications: dedicating adequate resources in terms of time, budget and people for the experiment; getting a clear understanding of the problem at hand; securing a reliable and validated measurement system for measuring the response or quality characteristics of interest; and identifying input independent variables, which influence the quality characteristics during the brainstorming stage. Some respondents also mention the importance of having training or education in DoE as a critical success factor. At the same time, the lack of adequate planning to experimentation, mathematical knowledge and statistical reasoning remains as challenge to be solved.Research limitations/implicationsAs data were collected at an individual level, inter-reliability, which measures the consistency of judgements on a particular survey item, could not be gauged. Moreover, due to low sample size across some continents, an intercontinental comparative study on the extent of the application of DoE across various continents could not be performed.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first global survey carried out to understand the status of DoE in the service industry. The results of the global study can be used to encourage quality, continuous improvement and process improvement professionals in the service sector to drive wider acceptance of one of the most powerful tools in the Six Sigma toolkit for problem-solving scenarios. Moreover, senior managers in the service industry can take away some of the key benefits, challenges and success factors in the implementation of DoE.

scholarly journals Exploring potentials of digital nudging for business processes

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1329-1347
Author(s):  
Sandra Bammert ◽  
Ulrich Matthias König ◽  
Maximilian Roeglinger ◽  
Tabitha Wruck
Keyword(s):  
Process Improvement ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Process Management ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Process Improvements ◽  
Business Environments ◽  
Digital Nudging ◽  
Agile Process

PurposeBusiness process improvement is vital for organizations as business environments are becoming ever more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. Process improvement methods help organizations sustain competitiveness. Many existing methods, however, do not fit emerging business environments as they entail initiatives with long implementation times, high investments and limited involvement of process participants. What is needed are agile process improvement approaches. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of digital nudging – a concept offering tools that lead individuals to better decisions – to improve business processes.Design/methodology/approachUsing process deviance as theoretical lens, an online experiment with 473 participants is conducted. Within the experiment, business processes and digital nudges are implemented to examine whether digital nudging can mitigate the weaknesses of existing process improvement methods.FindingsDigital nudging can influence the decisions of process participants and entail positive process deviance that leads to process improvement opportunities. Further, the research gives a first hint on the effectiveness of different digital nudges and lays the foundation for future research.Research limitations/implicationsSince exploring a completely new field of research and conducting the experiment in a synthetic environment, the paper serves as a first step toward the combination of digital nudging, business process improvements and positive process deviance.Originality/valueThe major achievement reported in this paper is the exploration of a new field of research. Thus, digital nudging shapes up as a promising foundation for agile process improvement, a discovery calling for future research at the intersection of digital nudging and business process management.

Reducing pharmacy patient waiting time

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 834-844
Author(s):  
Shoaib Alam ◽  
Muhammad Osama ◽  
Faheem Iqbal ◽  
Irfan Sawar
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulation ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Waiting Time ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Simulation Modelling ◽  
System Modelling ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Patient Waiting Time ◽  
Patient Waiting

Purpose Pharmacy services start right from prescribing medicines and continue as the medication’s effect is monitored. Hospital and community pharmacy staff promote rational prescribing and medicine use. Consequentially, pharmacy is a complex and busy field. Often there are peak workload hours when patients must wait, which is associated with patient dissatisfaction that may negatively affect patient experience and the organisation’s reputation. The purpose of this paper is to enlist techniques, methods and technological advancements that have been successfully employed to reduce patient waiting time. Design/methodology/approach A database search was conducted in 2017 to locate articles addressing methods and technologies that reduce pharmacy waiting time. The literature revealed various techniques and technologies like queuing theory, tele-pharmacy, evidence-based pharmacy design, automated pharmacy systems (robotics), system modelling and simulation and the Six Sigma method for identifying potential problems associated with increased wait time. Findings The authors conclude that various techniques and methods, including automated queuing technology, tele-pharmacy, automated pharmacy devices/machines for quick and accurate filling and dispensing, computer simulation modelling, evidence-based pharmacy infrastructure for smooth workflow and Six Sigma can maintain customer satisfaction, reduce waiting time, attract new customers, decrease workload and improve the organisation’s reputation. Practical implications The authors conclude that various techniques and methods, including automated queuing technology, tele-pharmacy, automated pharmacy devices/machines for quick and accurate filling and dispensing, computer simulation modelling, evidence-based pharmacy infrastructure for smooth workflow and Six Sigma methodology can maintain customer satisfaction, reduce waiting time, attract new customers, decrease workload and improve the organisation’s reputation. Originality/value The authors carried out a literature search and identified the techniques that have been successfully implemented to reduce pharmacy patient waiting time and methods that can identify potential process behind medication dispensation delays.

Using the socio-economic approach to management to augment Lean Six Sigma

2016 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean P. Goffnett ◽  
Lawrence Lepisto ◽  
Randall Hayes
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Process Improvement ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Economic Approach ◽  
Production Environment ◽  
Organizational Assessment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Issues ◽  
Operational Change

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a framework and a case that delineates the coordinated use of the socio-economic approach to management (SEAM) and Lean Six Sigma (LSS) to facilitate operational change. Design/methodology/approach – This study uses action research and thematic analysis to explore the augmentation of existing process improvement and organizational assessment methodologies in a production environment. Findings – Organizations are under increasing pressure to improve all aspects of business. Project leaders and consultants often follow popular quantitatively oriented protocols like LSS to evaluate explicit operational processes. Including a qualitatively oriented protocol like SEAM expands the project leader’s capability through greater consideration of implicit organizational issues. This paper presents a case where LSS was complemented by SEAM to assess a process that was entangled with several latent organizational dysfunctions. Practical implications – SEAM and LSS are accepted protocols to facilitate process improvement and organizational change. Pairing the two protocols into a SEAM-LSS model offers the strengths of each approach, while compensating for the limitations of each. The result is a more inclusive change protocol that reduces potential oversights and inefficiencies that could occur if project leaders worked within the purview of only one methodology. Originality/value – This paper uses action research to propose a model to bring qualitative and quantitative methodologies together into a larger complementary framework to use when evaluating organizational problems and opportunities. This paper aims to stimulate discussion and research that would lead to more robust process improvement protocols.

Top ten reasons for process improvement project failures

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 367-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiju Antony ◽  
Sandeep Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Process Improvement ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Resistance To Change ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Recognition System ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide the top ten reasons of process improvement projects termination or failure to Lean and Six Sigma professionals and researchers. Design/methodology/approach The top ten reasons of process improvement projects termination or failure are based on literature, interaction of authors with Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belts, consultants, practitioners and trainers on various topics of Lean, Six Sigma, general quality management and continuous improvement along several years’ experience of the authors. Findings The top ten reasons in our opinion include lack of commitment and support from top management; poor communication practices; incompetent team; inadequate training and learning; faulty selection of process improvement methodology and its associated tools/techniques; inappropriate rewards and recognition system/culture; scope creepiness; sub-optimal team size and composition; inconsistent monitoring and control; and resistance to change. Research limitations/implications The top ten reasons mentioned in this study are based on only literature and authors’ opinion. The authors of this paper have been pursuing a global study to critically evaluate the reasons behind process improvement projects failure based on a case-study approach. Originality/value The chief operations officers and senior executives of various businesses can use these top ten reasons to develop project failure risk mitigation strategies and save significant cash-savings associated with such project terminations or failures in some other cases.

Exploring the relationship between business process improvement and employees’ behavior

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 1044-1062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danica Bakotic ◽  
Ante Krnic
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Process Improvement ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Business Process Improvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Process Improvements ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate and clarify the relationship between business process improvement and employees’ behavior. More precisely, the purpose is to test whether a business process improvement initiative has a positive impact on performance and employees’ behavior, namely, motivation, communication and knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach The empirical research of this paper was conducted in the year 2013 in an ICT company on 52 employees who worked in the company’s R&D Centre. Business process improvement is analyzed in the change of work method for software development. Two projects of software development were observed. The data about the projects were collected by using the company’s documentation. The data about employees’ behavior were collected by a specially designed questionnaire. Findings Business process improvement led to better results and overall performance. Furthermore, it was found that business process improvement enhanced three important elements of employees’ behavior. These are motivation, communication and knowledge sharing. Research limitations/implications The main limitations of this study are small research sample, focusing on just the way of business process improvement and on only one company. Therefore, the results cannot be generalized and considered as being generally accepted. Practical implications The findings of this study could be useful for ICT companies because it shows the benefits of the Kanban method. Originality/value The major contribution of this study is to prove the positive impact of business process improvement initiatives on overall performance and on the special elements of employees’ behavior. This cognition enhances the existing knowledge on business process improvements.

scholarly journals A new method to improve the objectivity of early Six Sigma analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 1364-1393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Cox ◽  
Virginia Elton ◽  
John A. Garside ◽  
Apostolos Kotsialos ◽  
João Victor Marmo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Process Improvement ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Original Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Sampling ◽  
Product Variation ◽  
Repeatability And Reproducibility ◽  
Sampling Structure

Purpose A process improvement sampling methodology, known as process variation diagnostic tool (PROVADT), was proposed by Cox et al. (2013). The method was designed to support the objectivity of Six Sigma projects performing the measure-analyse phases of the define-measure-analyse-improve-control cycle. An issue in PROVADT is that it is unable to distinguish between measurement and product variation in the presence of a poor Gage repeatability and reproducibility (R&R) result. The purpose of this paper is to improve and address PROVADT’s sampling structure by enabling a true Gage R&R as part of its design. Design/methodology/approach This paper derives an enhanced PROVADT method by examining the theoretical sampling constraints required to perform a Gage R&R study. The original PROVADT method is then extended to fulfil these requirements. To test this enhanced approach, it was applied first to a simulated manufacturing process and then in two industry case studies. Findings The results in this paper demonstrates that enhanced PROVADT was able to achieve a full Gage R&R result. This required 20 additional measurements when compared to the original method, but saved up to ten additional products and 20 additional measurements being taken in future experiments if the original method failed to obtain a valid Gage R&R. These benefits were highlighted in simulation and industry case studies. Originality/value The work into the PROVADT method aims to improve the objectivity of early Six Sigma analyses of quality issues, which has documented issues.

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