White Belt Chapter 2: Six Sigma Hx & Application

Question 1

What companies helped coin 6 sigma and lean?

Answer 1

roots of 6 sigma are attributed to Toyota and Motorolla.

Question 2

What is the difference between lean six sigma & process improvement projects?

Answer 2

The difference is that lean six sigma is a cultural adaptation to process- improvement.

Question 3

The Development of Statistical Process Control

Carl Friedrich Gaves, Walter Stewart, W. Edwards Deming

Answer 3

• Roots of statistical process control began with normal curve discovery by Carl Friederich Gaves.
• Walter Stewart: found the relationship between sigma levels and quality control (3s and below needs improvement)
• He also discovered control charts that bind process efficiencies and also give them SD ranges.

W. Edwards Deming: worker for USDA- he brought statistical analysis to the US Govt and talked about PDCA cycle.
–> brought statistical modeling to Japan after WWII to rebuild Japan’s broken infrastructure. (Toyota Production System)

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Question 4

Continuous Process Improvement: Toyota & Lean

Answer 4

Mr. Toyoda took statistical analysis & concepts from Henry Ford to the next level by creating “Toyota Manufacturing Process.”

• JIT manufacturing and Jidoka became Toyota Production System.
• became Lean Process Management/ Lean Six Sigma

Question 5

Motorola’s Focus on Defects

Answer 5

-mid 1980s breakthrough of Motorola; resulted in 10 fold reduction in defects, etc.

• Team:
  Engineer Bill Smith & Dr. Mikel Harry

Question 6

ABB, Allied Signal, General Electric

Answer 6

ABB-
“Asea Brown Boveri” was another company joined by Dr. Harry where he created the 6S Academy.

Allied Signal- Dr. Harry and Schroeder (ABB engineer) joined A.S. where they taught executives about 6s culture.

General Electric-
Jack Welsh CEO tied employee “reward systems to 6s initiatives.” Saved 7 Billion dollars.

Question 7

Continued Growth of 6S (from 90s to 2000s)

Answer 7

Had negative consequences:

• 6s is only about metrics & ignores common sense
• 6s is too expensive
• 6s can fix anything

Question 8

Applying 6S Knowledge

Answer 8

6S is only completed when there is “controlled project selection & management process” in place:

1. ) An organization decides that there is a concern/ problem in place
2. ) 6S analysts & expert analysts are hired to see cost-benefit analysis for fixing the issue.
3. ) cost-benefit analysis includes 6S analysis, costs of defects, downtime (“muda”), how it might affect cost to address the problem.
4. ) Each problem is made into a project and arranged into priority levels.

Question 9

The Levels of 6S certification include:

Answer 9

1.) White Belt Certification-
used to move employees to 6S culture

2. ) Yellow Belt Certification- basic intro to 6S with DMAIC modeling understanding
3. ) Green Belt Certification- works as project manager under black belt supervision or master black belt.
   - can run projects by themselves, ave intermediate statistical analytical abilities.
   roles: middle managers, business analysts, project managers, process improvement managers