Arvindh Pradheep Shanmugam

While Root Cause Analysis gives us the Risk Priority Number which is used for Risk Management, Sensitivity Analysis is more of a predictive analysis to determine the least change in the severity of the risk which can bring about a definitive change in the outcome. This done by calculating Marginal Risk Priority Number (MRPN = Risk Sensitive RPN-RPN). Therefore Sensitivity Analysis helps in better decision making by identifying and managing the most sensitve failure mode.

In Attribute Agreement Analysis, bias needs to be eliminated as a non meaurable parameter is either being accepted or rejected and hence repeatability becomes a prerequisite. In the case of Gage R&R, the comparison is a measurable parameter and hence a certain level of variation even if it exists can be allowed.

Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma are not just tools anymore. It is a way of life. As a scientist, I am an active and proud user of Lean Six Sigma in my day to day activities at office and at home.

Mental Safety can be defined as being in a healthy psychological state of mind which is prerequisite for normal and smooth functioning of a human being. As the mind space is very much a prerequisite for any kind of planning activity, the safety of this space becomes sacrosanct of any success. Since businesses need individuals to be very sharp in every level of the organisation, mental safety becomes very much the Holy Grail of success. Stress, lack of awareness about mental health and distractions are some of the commonest elements which when addressed at a very early stage can contribute to a mentally safe working environment. Creating avenues for awareness could be a start point. Sometimes just talking about mental safety in a very generalised manner will create opportunities to understand existing problems and to deal with it effectively. To end "Everything is created Twice: Once in the Mind and then Physically. Let us strive to be mentally safe in an increasingly chaotic phase of human existence.

I go with the second school of thought. While customer experience definitely refines my product, the initialization has to come from my own creativity. Evolution of the telephone industry is an example. Till people did not have the option they used other forms of communication spanning several centuries. Once they had a basic telephone, it took only a few decades to come up with sophisticated telecommunication systems. Similarly, for a long time, people were happy with wired telecommunication systems. But once a basic mobile phone came onto being, it took less than a few years before smart phones started coming into the market. So once creativity places a basic model into the customers hand, the needs, wants and expectations shape it to be the best.

No The solution proposed for the current problem / project is more relevant than past track record. As long as the proposed solution is focussed on business success, based on data and is innovative in its approach, it should be given a chance to be implemented.

Conditionally true. As in the case of a zero defect organization, there will be near 100% risk free operation and production so both the risks of producer and the consumer will be in an equilibrium

Correlation: A relationship between two sets of variables. Causation: A particular event or action which triggers a second event or action. Root Cause Analysis: Analyse various factors that could be the cause of a particular event which is different than the expected normal. Therefore, eventhough, correlation does not guarantee a causal relationship, it still is a huge advantage to use Correlation in RCA to narrow down the probable cause & effect relationships from a plethora of possibilities ( especially in surveillance).

Conceptualization At the outset, any project to be conceptualized, there is a requirement to identify the core process and the people / departments / institutions that need to be working together. For this purpose a combination of High Level Map and a Relational Map would be ideal. Initialization The next step would be to identify the inputs and outputs of the process with clarity as to the suppliers, their inputs to the process and the output of the process and the customer who will receive the output/s. Most times the process needs to also cater to exact requirements in terms of specific date for the output and the actual quality delivered by the process. These can be achieved by using SIPOC and SIPOC-R. Execution As the project proceeds to the execution stage, it is essential to keep monitoring the process as planned. The use of High Level Process Map will achieve this purpose. There are possibilities that the process may experience some niggles in the process. To ease out the process one can use Detailed Process Map which can actually identify value added steps in the process as this may not be possible using the High Level Process Map. To address these steps which could be identified for course correction on a Departmentwise manner, a structured approach is needed. Swimlane Map will achieve this purpose as it will also identify clear handover steps. Improvement / Future expansion: Once the project is moving on in stable manner further improvement of the process would be possible with identification of gaps and steps were one can increase process efficiency. Also reduction in Work in Progress and Inventory can be achieved at this stage. In order to achieve this the Value Stream Mapping can be used. This gives a lot of information while capturing the process as well as identify steps for introduction of PULL. In Conclusion Finally, if an organization is to use these tools in an increasing order of detail as well as in a phasewise manner, the following sequential order would achieve the most. 1) Combination of High Level Map / Relational Map 2) SIPOC & SIPOC-R 3) High Level Process Map, Detailed Process Map & Swimlane Map 4) Value Stream Map

Correction: Setting right a problem, Immediate in nature Problem has already occurred Corrective Action: Setting right / Eliminating the cause of a problem Near Future Cause of the problem exists Preventive Action: Setting right / Eliminating the cause of a potential problem Distant Future Cause of the potential problem is perceived Anticipated problem is eliminated by putting in controls and measures

KAIZEN: Continuous incremental change for the better involving everyone in the organization. Example: Updating different softwares with existing hardwares KAIKAKU: Radical step change in the organization leading to a revolution in the way things are done in an organization. Example: Upgrading from one type of hardware to an improved radically different type of hardware (Desktop to Laptop) KAKUSHIN: Transformational paradigm change which replaces several existing steps with completely renewed steps and processes in the way functions are supported in the organisation. Example: Cloud storage of data replacing local storage, Videoconferencing eliminating the need to travel for Physical Conference locations and Electronic record keeping eliminating paper documentation. For an organization all of the 3 are needed albeit at various stages. Foregoing any of the three would not be an option as each of them contribute at least equally in keeping the organization abreast of competitors.

Ans to Q3 Exc Amb Arvindh.docx

Personal Excellence is a measure of the internal brilliance of an individual unboxed through the summation of the discipline, emotional control, attitude, courage and calmness of the individual. It is at the core of every other excellence initiative and not automatable. Process Excellence is the measure of the specific activities / processes which are performed by either individuals or automated at various settings to achieve a defined goal. Operational Excellence is the overall measure of several connected defined goals towards a strategic endpoint in a business project / program. Business Excellence is the ultimate measure of how an organization is equipped to meet the requirements of its customers and thereby increasing its market presence, performance & profitability. Personal Excellence, Process Excellence, Operational Excellence & Business Excellence Process Excellence (PEx): Process Excellence is concerned with processes and sub-processes by defining the steps of each processes, identify Value and Non-value chains, reduce variation, eliminate waste by using SCAR technique(Simplify, Combine, Add or remove). Lean & Six sigma will be the domain knowledge. Personal Excellence: Personal Excellence is defined as building an effective workforce to achieve business excellence. Operational Excellence (Opex): Opex is defined as building an effective and efficient process flow to meet the customer expectations. There has to be a cultural adaptation of aligning the organizational goals, policies, systems and processes among the people of the organization. This will drive behaviors and results in a continuous process improvement strategic plan of Cost, Time & Quality. Along with Process excellence & Personal excellence, the Opex is possible with the given organizational goals. “Opex should be achieved by design and not by coincidence. “ Business Excellence: It is defined as achieving the Pex & Opex to ensure the utilization of organization’s full potential to drive business goals. It results in maximizing the profitability of the organizations with the possible given human, capital investments, assets and other resources available. All the names given are interchangeable depending on the organization’s goals and policies. Answer to Q1 Exc Amb Arvindh.docx Personal Excellence Kavitha.docx