Six Sigma Tools (Improve) Flashcards
1
Q
Kaizan
A
- Aka continuous Improvement
- A strategy where employees at all levels of a company work together proactively to achieve regular, incremental improvements to the manufacturing process
- Kaizen is part action plan and part philosophy. Consistent application of Kaizen as an action plan develops Kaizen as a philosophy.
- Tool: PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, and Act), 5S/6S
2
Q
Kaikaku
A
- Radical change; revolutionary - also known as breakthrough kaizen, kaizen blitz, flow kaizen and system kaizen.
3
Q
Poka Yoke
A
- Japanese term which means mistake proofing.
- Design error detection and prevention into production processes with the goal of achieving zero defects.
- Example: Take, for example, a SIM card, which can only fit one way a sim tray because of its asymmetrical shape.
4
Q
Pugh Matrix
A
- Aka criteria-based matrix
- Purpose: Help determine which items or potential solutions are more important or ‘better’ than others
- Employed after capturing voice of the customer (VOC) -
- Application: Assigned scores to options relative to criteria The selection is made based on the consolidated scores.
5
Q
TRIZ (The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
A
- The Russian acronym for the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving
- Objective: Helps solve the complex problem situation; Enhances traditional Six Sigma methodologies by eliminating roadblocks and limitations; Allows the problem solver to assess the elements of the problem in question already been solved by someone else
- Method: Specific problem -> TRIZ generic problem -> TRIZ generic solution (using tools like TRIZ contradiction matrix) -> Thinking by analogy to develop specific solution
6
Q
5S/6S
A
- Translated from Japanese words
- Purpose: Achieve waste (muda) elimination and an efficient and productive working area
- Sort: Remove what is not needed and keep what is needed
- Set in Order: Place things in such a way that they can be easily reached whenever they are needed
- Shine: Keep things clean and polished; no trash or dirt in the workplace
- Standardize: Make a process for the above three stages, create measures and review them
- Sustain: Inspire an individual commitment to standard
- *Safety: Identify and eliminate hazards for a zero-hazard environment
7
Q
SMED (Single-minute exchange of die)
A
- Objective: Reduce changeover times to the “single” digits (i.e. less than 10 minutes).
- The essence of the SMED system is to convert as many changeover steps as possible to “external” (performed while the equipment is running), and to simplify and streamline the remaining steps.
- Implementation:
- Identify pilot area
- Identify all of the elements of the changeover
- Separate external elements
- Convert internal elements to external
- Streamline remaining elements
- Example: By using the SMED process F1 teams reduce time in changing tires from 15mins to 7s.
8
Q
Hoshin Kanri (Policy Deployment)
A
- Align the goals of the company (Strategy), with the plans of middle management (Tactics) and the work performed on the plant floor (Action).
- Implementation:
- Create a Strategic Plan (top management)
- Develop Tactics (mid-level managers)
- Take Action (supervisors and team leaders)
- Review and Adjust (bottom-up information flow -> creates a closed loop system)
- Tool: “Hoshin Kanri” X-matrix is created to capture the strategic objectives & cascading priorities
9
Q
Design of Experiments
A
1. PLANNING the experiment.
- Define the quality characteristics
- Translate to measurable quantities
- Identify the factors which influence the quality characteristics
- Determine the number of levels for each factor
- Recognize if there are interactions between factors
2. DESIGNING the experiment.
- Full factorial’ experimental design
- Run each level of each factor together with each level of every other factor. E.g. 5 factors at 2 levels each requires 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 32 experiments
- Measure the quality characteristic
- Provides information on interactions
- Related concept: Taguchi’s fractional factorial experiments (See picture)
3. ANALYZING the data
- Hypothesis test to assess whether the effect on the
quality characteristic is likely to be real or just due to
chance - Tool: ANOVA test
4. CONFIRMING the solution.
- Determine the best treatment combination
- Run several experiments using that treatment combination to confirm the solution
- Check the assumption that some (or even all) interactions are zero or negligible
- Confirmation of the “optimal” combination is critical
5. EVALUATING the results.
- Cost-benefit analysis to test financial viability of the chosen treatment combination
10
Q
Five Lean Principles
A
- Identify value:
- The explicit sense of what the organization is trying to achieve
- What is the value from the customers’ perspective
- Map the value:
- Map the processes and systems by which you add value to the customer
- Create flow:
- The aim is to deliver a smooth workflow
- Eliminate waste and reorganize to deliver this
- Establish pull:
- Organise to deliver the service when required - pulled by customer needs rather than pushed by organizational process
- Seek perfection:
- There is always room for improvement
- When you improve you surface new opportunities
11
Q
Seven Wastes
A
- Transportation - unnecessarily moving items/info, solution: co-locating parts of the process
- Inventory - In excess of immediate demand,
- Motion - Unnecessary movement that does not add value
- Waiting - delays between operations/”not touching the floor” once an item move through the system,
- Over-processing - steps that do not add value
- Overproduction - making too much
- Defects - fail to produce a quality part
- Skills - fail to leverage the skills of the workforce
- ? Overproduction is worst waste of all: it is the root cause of other muda, as it creates inventories, hides quality problems, and generates transportation and motions…
