Vishwadeep Khatri

Dear Ankur, Six Sigma tools are fundamentally the same irrespective of your functional area or industry. I am currently conducting a Green Belt program in Delhi (Hotel Radisson) 13 May to 16 May 2009. In this program, we have people ranging from a Fresher to Vice President of a large company. The functions represented in this program are Finance, HR, Marketing & Sales, Operations, Development, General Management and Supply chain. The industries represented are IT (development), IT (infrastructure), IT (System Support), Manufacturing (textile), manufacturing (automotive), manufacturing (electrical), BPO (voice), BPO (non-voice), Banking, Insurance, Consulting, Hospitality, Power, and Logistics. Six Sigma competence makes it feasible for you to switch between industries and functional areas. Regards, VK Master Black Belt Trainer Lead Facilitator, Benchmark Six Sigma

Yes, Vikas detailed study of Process capability is addressed in Six Sigma very well. You can assess capability for processes of various kinds (providing normal or non-normal data) Although Lean addresses process capability with certain other terms like OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) which includes % defects as one of the parameters and ZDQ (focus on zero defect quality), one can say that Six Sigma provides more statistical rigour for process capability assessment. Yield (or throughput), another measure of capability is a focus area in both approaches. Regards, VK

I guess it is important here to discuss what should be considered value adding. "Anything that can not be skipped" or "Anything that cannot be avoided" should not be the definition for "value adding". The important question for VA/NVA segregation is - what is it that generates value from customer's stand point? What is it that the customer is willing to pay for? Let us consider an example I commonly use during training - 10 years ago when you went to withdraw cash from a bank and were made to sit on a sofa with a metallic token in your hand, would you have liked to call the activity (taking a token) value adding? Well, that was not what you went to the bank for. Was it required? Yes, it was required. Was it unavoidable? It was unavoidable and could not be skipped at that time. I would not have to liked to call it value adding even at that time. It was definitely a waste. (WAITING) There are large number of activities that are non value adding but essential. Another example is the time spent in sorting of customer care requests so that they can be forwarded to the right person. Is this sorting activity value adding? Does the sorting activity qualifies in one of the following WASTES - Waiting - Overproduction - Rework - Motion - Overprocessing - Inventory - Transportation - Human Underutilization. (List provided by Dr. Suresh above)? I bet it does. So sorting although unavoidable in customer care of banking processes is an NVA Now, coming back to some more management processes - If a management process is such that ---- it is done first time right (and is not a type of WASTE as defined above) customer is willing to pay for it, and results in transformation of a product or service it should be called value adding. In the same vain, if it is an activity that happens because of something that got done wrong earlier, it qualifies as an NVA (REWORK). Similarly if it relates to movement of information (TRANSPORTATION) or unnecessary movement (MOTION), it is an NVA. Do you have examples of management processes that should be called value adding? I know about a few which should be purely NVA (although essential). I fully agree with Chris Simon who summed it up beautifully in this discussion above.

There are several ways of integrating Lean and Six Sigma for operational excellence. Most discussions end at Lean Six Sigma (integrated in Belt curricula and concepts and tools used in projects as suitable) being the right approach. However, as companies need to have an approach at strategic level and an approach at operational task level, how do you bind the thoughts? Does Lean provide the concepts and Six Sigma is meant for execution? Or would you say, the Y to X drill down (of Six Sigma) provides the journey and lean completes the picture by involving people down the line. Or would you let both flow simultaneously with Vice President (Lean) and Vice President (Six Sigma) being parallel positions?

I agree both types of projects shall be done in practically every company. However, in certain situations, the two objectives lead to conflicting six sigma projects or solutions. The resolution of this conflict is one of the important Six Sigma leadership issues. Let us have more opinions -What should be the key driver (the guiding light in conflicting situations) - customer satisfaction or cost reduction?

Hi Chris, I see value on somments by both Chris and Manian. I look forward to views from others on the subject.

Dear All, Another question for a discussion - A Company has just hired you as a six sigma professional. What would you do first to demonstrate your capability?

Dear All, Another question for discussion - What do you think should be the primary objective of Six Sigma? Should it be Customer Satisfaction or Cost Reduction?

Let us have a discussion on a topic of common interest. There are several management processes like operations planning, budgeting, resource planning etc. which customers are not really williing to pay for. If we strictly categorize activities as either Value Adding or Non Value Adding (and try to avoid terms such as business value adds or business enabling), would it be correct to say that management processes should be considered as non value adding activities? One argument goes that they are NVA - there were quite a few management activities in the past which have been eliminated today. (consider an example of report making at each level by summarising data from lower level persons which was part of planning and control earlier) A counter argument goes that planning should be consider the biggest value adding task for management above all. Would you like to break up management processes into types that can be called VA or NVA? What do you think?

Dear Anum, If you attend our Green Belt training, you shall learn about Six Sigma improvement approach which follows DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Inprove-Control) roadmap. Once you learn this approach, you shall know how each improvement area can be converted into project and how powerful techniques can make it happen in a structured and systematic manner. We also provide support during implementation after you complete the training. Regards, VK

Have a look at USPS (United States Postal Service) to get an idea about Six Sigma action in government organizations http://www.usps.com/...NetworkPlan.pdf You can search for Six Sigma in this document and you shall see how they are using the methodologies. The Strategic Plan guides the initiatives. http://www.usps.com/...10/chp2_010.htm Any comments?

Instead of listing what can be done with Six Sigma, it seems it is better to list what cannot be done with it. Six Sigma can not solve problems such as Poor leadership Failing business strategy Financial restructuring Creation of business model These problems need to be dealt separately (before deployment of Six Sigma) I look forward to your views and comments on this topic.

Dear Rajiv, When you carry out market research, you have an objective. Can you give an example of market research objectives that you work with so that I can present some examples which are suitable to your situation? Regards, VK

Dear Hrudananda, As the same tools are used across industries, Six Sigma provides the most potent approach for movement across industries. Once you have done Green Belt, you may like to do some projects within textile industry. Some examples are shown here- http://forum.benchmarksixsigma.com/topic/647-six-sigma-in-textile-marketing/page__p__2499__hl__+export%20+industry2499 When you have some improvement evidence to showcase, you should be able to face interviews with confidence in other manufacturing. You can notice that the focus areas are similar in all types of manufacturing. Have a look here - http://forum.benchmarksixsigma.com/topic/845-example-lean-six-sigma-projects-in-manufacturing/

Hi Sahitya, Can you highlight some of the KPI's where you witness pressure? Your response can initiate a more specific discussion here.

Continuing with Dhananjaya's point, some more common projects relate to Improving OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) Reducing MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) Increasing MTBF (Mean Time between Failures)

Yes Umashakar Several companies in EPC sector (Engineering, Projects and Construction) like L & T, and NTPC have had their Six Sigma successes. Have a look at http://forum.benchma...ch__1#entry2666 Similarly Software Development Companies which work mainly with projects have been putting Six Sigma to use. Have a look at http://forum.benchmarksixsigma.com/forum/34-information-technology/ Regards, VK

Dear Anil Mehta, Interestingly, there are participants (who have researched the globally recognised courses) who ask us - why is our training fee so low? Our fee is a fraction of the fee compared to our own program offered in the US and much lower than that of comparable internationally recognised courses in India from Motorola University or QAI or Omnex or ASQ (training plus examination fee). Irrespective of the details above, you have provided some valid suggestions. We have also been considering such options over the years and are keen to provide higher value for money. Let us discuss your suggestions one by one. 1. Can we book less fare hotel? Due to nation-wide programs with good frequency and long-standing relationships with hotels, we have negotiated low costs with hotels and have been passing the benefits to our participants. Your point, however, is important and we are constantly doing a cost-benefit analysis with other venues. If we succeed with a lower cost alternative that meets minimum expectations, we shall pass on the benefit in terms of a fee reduction. At the same time, we are aware that Hotel standards must meet certain minimum requirements as Six Sigma training is a rigorous program. The venue should provide an atmosphere conducive to great learning and discussions. Have a look at the venue quality for programs since 2005 in galleries at http://forum.benchma...ma.com/gallery/ 2. Can we increase the number of students attending the class? We can probably do this to some extent. However, there is a maximum limit of participants which should not be exceeded if personalized attention is to be maintained. We are generally not too far from the maximum limit in most programs. You must have got an idea if you have seen the photographs. 3. Can we provide online coaching facility or can we go through recorded classroom study material in CD or DVD and if anyone has any doubt, he will contact directly to the faculty via email. Talking about doubts or queries, if I ask participants if they have any doubts or questions, they say no. If I ask an application-oriented question, we move into a new application perspective and we have a good discussion. Many concepts in Six Sigma need help in application and require interactions between trainer-participant and participant-participant (role plays, Q&A sessions, simulations). Most importantly, for learning people should be able to relate to some past experiences of their own. In a single program, we may have participants from 10 industries and 7 functional areas and 6 seniority levels. The key to faster and relevant learning for all is to ensure that we keep the grey cells keep working through interactive sessions. We have addressed this challenge significantly through personal interaction with practically everyone, (involvement in exercises, over tea, lunch) generating examples that match their background and experience. We create groups of participants who are from a similar industry or functional areas so that they can do join exercises for common learning. The feedback from a large majority of our participants is that they benefited immensely through the methodology which cannot be replicated through digital media. This is the reason why some people who have undergone an online green belt course pay to attend our classroom green belt training. 4. Can we differentiate the student upon the knowledge and awareness of six sigma for e.g if one had worked in the six sigma environment in any organisation and he has knowledge of six sigma, looking for the only certification and not coaching, then he can directly write the exam? Most professionals with an awareness of Six Sigma do not know how to put hypothesis testing to practice, or even the concept of capability indices Cp and Cpk. Have a look at http://forum.benchma...__fromsearch__1 However, this does not mean that no one has a thorough prior understanding of the subject. The subject of allowing examination without training is under review within the Benchmark. Benchmark Six Sigma philosophy When we apply Six Sigma to our own services, we found that the objective of Six Sigma training should not be the lowest cost but must be the highest value for money (while meeting the expectation of building conceptual and application clarity). There are three ways of increasing value for money. Increase the quality and/ or Reduce cost. Provide value-added services. We found that the majority of our participants preferred high quality and value-added services as compared to reduced costs. We evaluate feedbacks from each participant (more than 25,000 participants have been trained on Green Belt, by now in 2019) We found that most people expect guidance and help after training. As an after training support, we try to answer every query on our exclusive past participant forum and all participants get a life membership. We share all queries and their answers with all past and future participants. We ensure that wrong answers are promptly deleted and people with misconceptions are guided. You may be interested in knowing the fee for a lifetime membership on past participant forum. We have kept it FREE!

I got an email from a past participant which I am posting here for everyone's benefit. Please feel free to post answers to this query. Hope you are fine. I was a part of your December 2008 batch - Delhi. I have a question and I am unsure of how to post it in the group. If I am doing a green belt project to improve ASAT (Agent Satisfaction) scores of a process, what test should I use for Hypothesis Testing. According to my understanding, the 'Y' here is continuous data as the customers are rating the Agent on 3 parameters - Not met, Met and Exceeded. E.g: Listening - Met, not met, exceeded Knowledge - Met, not met, exceeded etc The measure phase shows that First Time Resolution is the main reason why a customer is dissatisfied with the Agent. In this case, the 'X' is therefore discrete data. So, how will I confirm that this 'X' that has been identified is the critical X? Please advise. Thanks,

I come across good number of people who attend training elsewhere and later attend Benchmark training for better clarity. They do mention that they got confused in the previous program. I do not wish to name any training organisation here and would leave it to you to find out with word of mouth. On the other hand, I have not come across anyone attending another program after attending a Benchmark program. 50%-80% of our participants join in our program through recommendation provided by past participants. Need we say more?

Another way of comparing fee is to compare Institutes with similar standing and global recognition - If you compare BENCHMARK, OMNEX, ASQ and MOTOROLA, you will find that our programs provide you the highest value for money. Also, you may like to know more about Global and Industry Recognition you get when you attend training from Benchmark Six Sigma. We have been conducting training at Global Leaders like Boeing(US), Google, Amazon, P&G, (US), Diageo, Here Solutions, JLL (Europe) etc. This provides you the highest Industry recognition.

Well, the fee is quite reasonable if you compare with recognized Institutes. Let us have a quick discussion on this. What should the true worth of a training program be based upon? Value of a Six Sigma training program should be based on (take your pick) Basis of how much you can capture and sustain. The ability of a program to influence a participant's thinking. If your thinking process changes and contributes to my results many times over, the training is invaluable! Application ability that the program develops. Motivation (drive) it generates. New discussion networks and communities it creates Recognition it provides Further learning opportunities it creates (it must open up new possibilities) Relevance to your current situation (the fact whether the trainer can help you understand how each topic can relate to you. If choose any one of the above or a combination, you will find our programs to be very high value for money. Price assessment The price for any product or service can be considered as high or low based on the value you derive out of it. The catch is that by the time you derive value from a training program, you have already invested in it. Nobody goes for Green Belt training twice to experience the difference. So, how do you know well in time? Try one or more of the following Check feedbacks of past participants from your industry, your city through the website. Ask for feedback. Ask for references. Study the recognition and background of the company and the trainer to see if you will get the knowledge that applies to your sector. Talk to the trainer and see if you get the confidence.

Have a look at the links below to view topics of your interest. You can participate in any of these discussions. If you do not find the topic that you were looking for, please feel free to start a new topic on the community. Best Regards, VK

Dear Praveen, Good that you asked this question. The answer shall benefit many. Generating financial benefits does not necessarily mean that improvement initiative qualifies as a successful Six Sigma project. An improvement could happen through a brainstorming session and creative thinking with no use of data or data analysis tools. I am sure you would appreciate that such projects do not qualify as six sigma projects (which requires a structured approach like DMAIC) To answer your question, it is mandatory to be trained as GB to be able to carry out a green belt project. It is unclear what you mean by "4 SSB projects". Could you please elaborate further? Regards, VK

Dear Dr. Hemant, You are right. As long as you do not find the first defect, you can say that you have reached the relevant sigma level as far as the finished product is concerned. There is few interesting point here. There are several ways of defining defects. In six sigma following elements could constitute the defect. (This is not an exhaustive list): Not producing as per required production standard (efficiency) is a defect. So low productivity is a defect. Failure in plant and machinery (breakdown) beyond industry standards or acceptable internal standards. Not meeting an internal customers requirement is a defect. So all internal quality complaints are defects. All reworks are due to defects. All scrap is due to defects. On field failure of your biological product during usage is a defect. Not responding to customer complaints within a specified time frame is a defect. Not resolving customer complaint within a specified time frame is a defect. Loss of order due to a communication failure in marketing is a defect. Invoicing errors (that lead to delay in payment) are defects. Not meeting a customer requirement is a defect - So delay in delivery is a defect I guess the point is clear. We need to define defects in the pain area (or the area where we see opportunities for improvement) and then initiate an improvement initiative. Many products are defect free when they are finished goods because of 100% inspection or rigorous inspection at the end. Each failure identified in final inspection or in process inspection is a defect. Going with Six Sigma philosophy, I would say the need for all inspections is due to the possibility of defects. If you can eliminate the need for inspection at all stages and still meet customer requirements (immediate as well as long term) and grow your business simultaneously you would be truly a Six Sigma practitioner. But sadly, this not true for most industries. Six Sigma is about striving for such perfection. Automotive component manufacturers have reached close to such perfection in some cases. They do not need to inspect their products at final stage at all because they have been first time right at various stages. Six Sigma performance can not be sustained. When a company reaches truly Six Sigma performance, generally competition raises the bar (the definition of defect changes, you need faster error free production, you need quicker deliveries) and you find a need for more improvement projects. If improvement is not any more feasible, new designs (of products and processes) are possible. So you start using Six Sigma DMADV instead of Six Sigma DMAIC methodology. I have tried to put in a lot in a short while. Hope this helps in getting bigger perspective about Six Sigma. Best Regards, VK