Project Management Articles

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 5:15 PM

Interviewing major influencers of the Six Sigma initiative is a technique that initiates the involvement and consideration of everyone. The CEO or top management generally proposes the need for a Six Sigma initiative. Conducting interviews of these people is equally necessary, as is the need to interview other key influencers. These interviews are needed to understand the factors to design the deployment plan, integrate it with the company environment and make it part of the comp... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 5:14 PM

Green Belts are those employees of the organization who undertake various Six Sigma activities part-time, under the guidance of the Black Belts and work towards achieving the objectives and goals. The Six Sigma trained Green Belts undertake short projects that do not require extensive training. Some organizations are now training the Green Belts for two to three years before they consider hiring Black Belts. This helps them save a lot of time, training and investment on Black Belt... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 4:57 PM

The concept of zero defects as explained and initiated by Philip Crosby is a business system that aims at reducing the defects in a process, and doing the process correctly the first time itself. The Concept of Zero Defects When would a product be acceptable to a customer? It would be acceptable when it meets or conforms to the requirements of the customer - it is not just about being good. In short, when a product is built to specifications without any drawbacks, then it is an ac... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 3:12 PM

This is because Six Sigma aims at minimizing variation in products and processes, and Lean Manufacturing aims at eliminating manufacturing waste. Possible Areas for Implementation: -Research and Development The Research and Development process is the most important process in pharmaceutical companies and forms a major part of costs. The Lean concept is desirable in this scenario to understand the critical processes to new drug development, and to research and streamline exi... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 3:10 PM

The application of Six Sigma in software development projects is well known, but the utility of Six Sigma for software implementation projects is also worth a mention. Software implementation projects commonly have the recurring problem of going off-track with regard to target implementation dates, as well as other problems. This is the point where Six Sigma concepts can play a critical role. Common Issues in Software Implementation Projects As mentioned earlier, the prob... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 3:01 PM

They may be team leaders, managers or others relevant to the process, but may not be in leadership positions. They have very good knowledge about the process and its critical areas. They are an integral part of DMAIC and DFSS projects. The solutions brought in by the improvement team are handed over to the process owners. Roles and Responsibilities of Process Owners -Subject matter expertise of the process: Process owners must be thoroughly aware of the input, output and o... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 2:57 PM

Service desks functions are highly customer oriented. They are in a position to understand the voice of the customer and have the data required for Six Sigma projects. Areas for application of Six Sigma Training: -Customer complaints: Help desk operations in themselves are about problem resolution for customers. When a customer faces a situation that requires the support of helpdesk staff, they provide feedback for the product or service. This helps the team understand the internal... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 1:46 PM

The voice Of the Customer, external as well as internal, is necessary to understand the factors that are critical to the success of the Six Sigma project. Importance of Employee Assessment The contribution of employees has to be carefully assessed by the business. HR metrics or employee ratings are the outcome of employee assessments undertaken by the HR team. Employee assessments help realize the satisfaction levels of the team members. It is an assessment of the work environment... more...

Business » Project Management | By john mce @ Monday, 25th August 2008 @ 9:01 PM

Project management consists of 4 main elements; scope, resources, time and cost. All elements need to be managed properly if the project is going to be a success. Poor management can lead to project failure hence why it is so important. Project Scope The project scope outlines what the project is to accomplish and consists of defining the size of the project, the goals and the requirements. It is the backbone of any project and is necessary to effectively manage cost, resources and ti... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 4:20 PM

Most often it is the DMAIC methodology that is used and involves bringing about improvements in the existing systems. Likewise, there are some organizations that are involved in constant innovation of new products and services. This is the core concept of DFSS - which stands for Design for Six Sigma. The DFSS approach is one of designing a new product or service to achieve Six Sigma quality. What is DFSS? The DMAIC methodology has universal acceptance. DFSS is more focused ... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 4:06 PM

There are roles such as Champions, Master Black Belts, Black Belts, Green Belts, and other team members. The Champion and Master Black Belt are at higher responsibility levels. Let's take a look at the roles of Champions and Master Black Belts. Champions The simplest way to explain the responsibility of the Champion is that of removal of roadblocks, which the Black Belts cannot handle alone. They are generally members of middle management and are responsible for the in... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 4:01 PM

The implementation of a Six Sigma project requires the services of professionals who are well trained in using the various tools and techniques of Six Sigma. Such professionals have to undertake a certification program or training on the various Six Sigma measurement tools and techniques they can bring into practice. Six Sigma certification is similar to other certification programs, and a certified professional is capable of utilizing their knowledge to the benefit of the organization. ... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 3:53 PM

There are various institutes that impart Six Sigma training to employees. Some companies have their own in-house training programs that help them keep their employee training needs up to date. What Is Covered In Six Sigma Training? Each company will have its own set of training needs. However, most training programs will cover a complete training on the DMAIC methodology, key elements of DMAIC and the implementation of this methodology. They are generally planned to lead the team m... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 3:32 PM

What is Theory of Constraints (TOC)? The theory of constraints helps manage complex systems, as well as determine the root cause of any problem. Contrary to Six Sigma, the approach is logic driven to analyzing the root causes. There is a probability of a Six Sigma project failing due to wrong selection. The TOC approach is to manage and identify constraints of the systems; its strength is the qualitative analysis, which is useful in dealing with highly complex situations. The pro... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 3:25 PM

For any organization to implement a Six Sigma project successfully, there are a few considerations to be made, such as management support, education and training, committed resources and linking the effort to compensation. Management Support In small businesses, management is generally involved on a personal basis to a great extent. It is easier to achieve the support of top management to achieve results. An agreement on issues among team members is easier than in a large company.<... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Thursday, 7th August 2008 @ 3:53 PM

The facilitators have to have good sense of timing, listening and observation skills and a sensitivity to overall group dynamics. Facilitation is not just about sorting out problems, but enabling groups or teams to workout solutions to various issues for the successful implementation of the projects. Role of Change Agent Commonly, Certified Six Sigma teams have to take on the role of change agents at various points. They are change agents who have to communicate to people about the... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Thursday, 7th August 2008 @ 3:50 PM

Master Black Belts and Black Belts can bring about changes in design, but cannot guarantee the success of the changes. Each unique process can be affected adversely - or otherwise - due to the changes brought about, and team leaders can predict them when they design the product or process. A design risk assessment is imperative before implementing the change in any product or process. What Is Design Risk Assessment? Design Risk Assessment is determining the risk potential ... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Thursday, 7th August 2008 @ 3:50 PM

The Kano Theory So how do organizations analyze the customer needs? How do they understand what the basic needs are and what will mean more than just satisfaction? To address and understand this situation, a technique has been developed by Professor Noriaki Kano and his colleagues of Tokyo Rika University. This is the Kano theory, which explains that for some customer requirements, customer satisfaction is proportional to the fully functional product or service. It focuses on thre... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Thursday, 7th August 2008 @ 3:45 PM

Typically in the service sector, the various teams are at varied locations worldwide, with a diverse set of personnel. It is the Black Belt's and the Champion's creativity in managing such teams that ensures the success of the project. Managing Using Technology With new developments occurring everyday in technology, Black Belts have various options for their support. In a Six Sigma project, the Black Belts can use various software and statistical analysis tools that will ... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Thursday, 7th August 2008 @ 3:43 PM

The five W's (who, what, when, where and why) and one H (how) are used to understand the system in the analysis and design phases. Let us briefly understand the application of this approach to Six Sigma. 1. What - Understanding The Concept The first W stands for - What - is Six Sigma. Six Sigma is a concept that aims at reducing defects so as to improve the customer satisfaction. In statistics, Six Sigma means standard deviations. In the Six Sigma methodology, ... more...