Quality ConversationsTom Kubiak

Co-Author of The Certified Six Sigma

Black Belt Handbook

•Current •President /Owner of TK Performance Improvement

Solutions •Past

•Engagement Director with major consulting group •Quality & Productivity Exec. @ Sears and Roebuck•For nearly 23 years filled several engineering and Six Sigma leadership roles with Honeywell International.•Has received many awards and has been published in various journals and magazines, and is highly sought

after presenter. •ASQ CQE, CRE, CSSBB, CMQ/QE

•Professional Engineer•Bachelor and Master degrees in Industrial

Engineering from Univ. of Pitt and has completed doctoral coursework in industrial engineering from

the Univ. of Florida in Tampa•Co-Author of The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt

Handbook

Our Special Guest - Tom Kubiak

Our Special Guest - Tom Kubiak

Quality Conversations – Intro

Quality Conversations – Intro

Started in the spring of 2008 by WCTS Founder and President Steve Wilson

( www.qualitybydesign.biz) Founded on two principles•Quality is not a subject but rather a way of organizational living and being•If an organization is going to achieve, and more importantly sustain breakthrough improvements, this way of living must be embraced by the entirety of an organization, with particular emphasis on the leadership.

Quality Conversations is heard in over 25 countries Quality Conversations is

heard in over 25 countries

Co- Author: The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt

Handbook

Co- Author: The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt

Handbook •Recently published a second edition of The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook•Greatly expanded over the first edition with additional materials•Not just for Black Belt Exam prep but for use as a desk reference, going be yond the body of knowledge and including things that Black Belts need easy access to. •Open to making changes – Sharepoint Site: http://asqgroups.asq.org.cssbbhandbook/

The Demise of Six SigmaThe Demise of Six Sigma•Organizations are diluting the effectiveness of Six Sigma•Going beyond capabilities of some individuals…”everyone can become a Green Belt and/or Black Belt” •Lowering the bar for qualifications for Green Belts and Black Belts•Downward spiral of deteriorating curriculums and qualifications for belt levels

•Organizations are getting people that are not really qualified resulting in their not being able to have a significant impact on a project

The Demise of Six SigmaThe Demise of Six Sigma•Organizations are embracing Six Sigma and saying “everybody at such and such a level are going to be Green Belt’s by such and such a date”•Don’t need to train to that level•Expensive•Time Consuming •Most organizations don’t think beyond training the masses•What are the expectations of those trained?•Will there be ongoing project work?

•Awareness of what the strategic initiative is what is needed

The Demise of Six SigmaThe Demise of Six Sigma•Beware the consultant•In pursuit of contracts and business some consultants have succumbed to client or organizational pressures and lowered the qualifications. This occurs very slowly over time…worker training worker, training worker, etc, etc. People eventually become “trained” and “certified” without a full understanding of the material.

•When you have widespread training and it is expensive you need to be selective about who you choose to train •Those that can support the projects and activities•Those that demonstrate they understand the materials and can achieve impact through effective selection of projects Six Sigma is a strategic

organizational initiative Six Sigma is a strategic organizational initiative

Demise of Six Sigma Demise of Six Sigma •Role of Higher Education•Driving the concepts of Six Sigma back through the supply chain in an effort to impact the future workforce is a very arduous, tedious, and painstaking process

•Some institutions are doing it effectively by integrating them into engineering and MBA program curriculums

•Six Sigma basics and concepts are so essential and fundamental to driving efficiency and effectiveness in business that they need to be integrated into higher education courses •The concern with this is that the concepts may be learned without the ability to apply them which is not advisable, resulting in a less than desirable return on investment

Training for Certification vs. Training for Results

Training for Certification vs. Training for Results

• The trend is towards training for certification rather than for results

• We mustn‘t forget that Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, is a business initiative. Losing focus of that results in: • Diluted projects • Accelerated projects• Control phase of DMAIC is not properly

implemented• Results achieved short term but not sustainable

• Certification is a great by-product of implementing Six Sigma in an organization

• Primary purpose must be to drive efficiency, effectiveness, and results

Infrastructure DevelopmentInfrastructure Development•Organizations fail to achieve desired results because they have failed to develop the infrastructure to make that happen

•“Autopsies” performed on failed projects often reveal no high level sponsor with a vested interest in seeing the project succeed

•If you can’t engage the executive management it is a waste of your time- it’s never a bottom up approach always a top down approach •Integration into a teaming environment, integration into compensation models

No Sponsor…No Project If any business initiative is to

succeed it has to be institutionalized

No Sponsor…No Project If any business initiative is to

succeed it has to be institutionalized

Six Sigma Belt CompetenciesSix Sigma Belt Competencies

“If I had to balance it I would look a little more towards the soft skills - 60/40”

Tom Kubiak, QC June 09

“If I had to balance it I would look a little more towards the soft skills - 60/40”

Tom Kubiak, QC June 09

• These competencies need to be demonstrated over a period of time• Don’t just look at the technical aspect that a belt

can do various equations• Well rounded , tenured individual that has sufficient

business acumen, understands how organizations fit & work together

• Ability to achieve results • Projects completed in a timely manner • Manage and facilitate teams• Instead, many organizations are going back to some

sort of certification to indicate competencies and there is an inadequate selection process for these positions.

Is Six Sigma for everyone? Is Six Sigma for everyone?

Every organization can benefit from fundamental tools utilized in Lean and Six Sigma.

Every organization can benefit from fundamental tools utilized in Lean and Six Sigma.

• It depends on:• Business nature and strategy• Socioeconomic environment • Where they stand up against competitors

• An organization should not undertake a Six Sigma initiative when:• Management hesitancy exists• There is a piloting mentality rather than one of

aggressive embracing, integration, and implementation in a rigorous manner

• There is an unwillingness to change the culture

TrendsTrends

Six Sigma is a culture changing strategy that can have favorable widespread

impact – good and bad

Six Sigma is a culture changing strategy that can have favorable widespread

impact – good and bad

• Lack of understanding of the basics• Insufficient training • No infrastructure • Individuals running the programs are not up to

speed in the area of their responsibilities • High level job descriptions (Director level and above)

and they require minimal experience in Six Sigma • Directors of Six Sigma are too far down in the

organizational chart – why the disparity?

Cultural Differences? Cultural Differences?

The rigor of Six Sigma is essential to a project’s success – it accelerates

results

The rigor of Six Sigma is essential to a project’s success – it accelerates

results

•In general all cultures see Six Sigma as a panacea and want to see results right away•Leaders don’t want to put the time in and see the discipline as being too rigorous, too tedious, too time consuming resulting in projects that wander around and do not deliver anything.

Six Sigma vs. TQM Six Sigma vs. TQM

TQM points in a direction whereas Six Sigma provides traction

TQM points in a direction whereas Six Sigma provides traction

• TQM – started in the mid 80’s• Concepts ill defined and lacked boundary and scope

or discernable concepts that could be communicated easily

• “Wetting your finger and seeing which way the wind is blowing”

• Six Sigma • Rigorous methodology – DMAIC, DMADV, -

structured methodology, structured tools that support that methodology and way of delivering training to support it.

How does Six Sigma Survive?

How does Six Sigma Survive?

Strength and use of the basic, fundamental tools will ensure the success of

Six Sigma

Strength and use of the basic, fundamental tools will ensure the success of

Six Sigma

•Many of fundamental aspects in Lean and Six Sigma that have been around for 70 - 80 years will remain for a long time. •For example•Process Maps•So revealing, point you in the direction of metrics, breaking out a project into subprojects

•Momentum exists to keep basic tools working •New tools will replace some existing ones that prove to be too tedious •Focus must remain on Belts achieving results rather then being forced to use various tools to gain certification

DNA of Six Sigma Success DNA of Six Sigma Success

The power to drive any initiative resides at the topThe power to drive any

initiative resides at the top

•Commitment of top management of an organization and their willingness to embrace it •Willingness to allocate resources – money and human resources to support projects•Willingness to put proper infrastructure in place providing foundation for success•Willingness to actively engage and visibly demonstrate their support

Lean 0r Six Sigma or LSS Lean 0r Six Sigma or LSS

Lean and Six Sigma: Two sides of the same coin

Lean and Six Sigma: Two sides of the same coin

•Lean or Six Sigma – still highly controversial•Opposing camps, warring factions

•Six Sigma: Analytical tools and processes to enhance quality •Lean: Flow and expediting cycle time of processes•Lean and Six Sigma cannot exist one with out the other•A Six Sigma candidate must be familiar with Lean concepts and methodologies

Lean 0r Six Sigma? Lean 0r Six Sigma?

The Belt has to have the fundamental tools of both

Lean and Six Sigma

The Belt has to have the fundamental tools of both

Lean and Six Sigma

•Using a process map to determine course of action•Everything that is correct or “Yes” goes to the right•Very long left to right•Apply lean tools•Indicative of excess time in the process

•Everything that is wrong or “No” goes downward•Very thick top to bottom •Indicative of defects in the process•Apply Six Sigma tools

Lean Six Sigma Defined Lean Six Sigma Defined “A fact based data driven philosophy of

improvement that values defect prevention over defect detection, drives customer satisfaction and

bottom line results by reducing variation, waste, and cycle time while promoting the use of work standardization and flow thereby creating a

competitive advantage . It applies anywhere that waste and variation exists and every employee

should be involved”.

Tom Kubiak, The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook

Lean or Six Sigma 1st? Lean or Six Sigma 1st?

Listen to the process: Visualize it, map it out, walk it, understand it,

analyze it

Listen to the process: Visualize it, map it out, walk it, understand it,

analyze it

•Although we are beginning to see some integration, many organizations are looking to do Lean first because they want instantaneous results. • Difficult to know which approach you should take until you have reviewed the fundamentals of the process•Do a process map•Get some in-process and end of process statistics•Understand how this process impacts other processes

Deployment Challenges Deployment Challenges

Engaging them in something that is personal

Engaging them in something that is personal

•Voices of the organizations that say it is too tedious, too boring, too rigorous, too time consuming •Engage them by having them look at their own processes not a theoretical process; something they touch and own•Make it personal – WIIFM •Help them put some skin in the game•Let them know you are partnering with them to help them be successful

Who determines the course?

Who determines the course?

If leadership is dictating what specific tools are to

be used the project is doomed to fail

If leadership is dictating what specific tools are to

be used the project is doomed to fail

•Leadership is not in a position to dictate what needs to be used on a particular project •Belt, coach, and mentor•Process map and what analysis reveals

•DMAIC is essential•During the Define phase you establish what the results are to be, the goal to be achieved. Technical aspects are to be left up to the Belt

Tom’s Hopes for Six Sigma Tom’s Hopes for Six Sigma

•Integrated into business cultures, the organizations DNA•Thought of as :•How we do business•How we design processes •How we evaluate and measure processes

•See the sustainability of Six Sigma •Recognized as Finance, HR, or Sales would be •Contributing to the effectiveness of the organization

In 1999 Tom predicted that Six Sigma would have a 5-6 year lifecycle…pleasantly

surprised

In 1999 Tom predicted that Six Sigma would have a 5-6 year lifecycle…pleasantly

surprised

How to contact Tom Kubiak How to contact Tom Kubiak

Tom Kubiak 704-307-9167

tmkubiak@windstream.net

How to contact Steve Wilson

How to contact Steve Wilson Steve Wilson 319-310-3019

swilson@qualitybydesign.bizwww.qualitybydesign.bizwww.qualitybydesign.biz/

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