Archive for June, 2009
Quality it needs to be easier than tying a knot!
Posted by: | CommentsForget Six Sigma, let’s get some results. Think about the 80/20 rule. If you are going to get 80% of your results from 20% of the problem than narrow even further to 95/5 if you can. So when you institute a quality program focus on small areas that get big results. Why waste your efforts and money on anything else for right now. 
If you have a quality program instituted, you are probably operating at a minimum of three-sigma, if you do not you may be operating as high as two-sigma. I believe using simple control process success and institute the Six-Sigma principles you can easily get to five-sigma with a little effort.
What does that mean to you, especially in marketing? Who is going to measure product defects? Think about these numbers:
1. Most product and services receive value in 5% of their delivery time.
2. 25% of a office personnel’s time is spent looking for something.
3. Every time you reduce the time require to deliver a service by 25%, you double productivity and cut costs by 20%.
Now, one more thing, the more focus you become the more you can achieve. Laser focus will get your substantial results. One of the problem in focusing is people will get hung up n the measurements side of the problem Unless there are substantial savings move on to something you can measure. Creating measurements that may not be effective or true will destroy the process and the achievements you can make. Start with something that is easy and definable.
P.S. If it is not easy to do, it probably will not get done. Like tying a knot!
Related Subjects: 10-Step Project Management , Lean Six Sigma
Making Quality pay-off BIG!
Posted by: | CommentsDo you want to inch up the charts or do you want to leap? I think that is the greatest reason Lean-style thinking has develop Kaizan events. Focus on results and “LET’S GITER DONE!”
However, if you want to get something accomlished having a trained practicioner or Black Belt may prove very beneficial to you. This way you can be sure of adequate preparation and a toolbox full of tools that may be needed during the event. They will use a variety of tools to include Pareto Charts, Fish-Bone and Mini-Tab, Names that you may be familar with but unless you have utilized them several times, you will labor through them. Like all software and instruments, it is in the interpretation of the data is where the gold is. The instruments do not just spit out the right answer.
Peter Keen, Chairman of Keen Innovations says; “Characterizing kaizen as simply “continuous improvement” trivializes the concept and portrays it as cautious and lacking in imagination… More typically, the implementation of kaizen reflects a radical commitment to an entire way of operating that requires floor-to-ceiling change in management, work, manager-worker relationships, discipline, decision making, and the organization of knowledge that transforms an organization into a federation of problem solvers.”![ist2_4897256_dan_the_graph_man[1].jpg](http://leanmarketinghouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/ist2-4897256-dan-the-graph-man1.jpg)
These are not simple brainstorming sessions. these are orchestrated events that will allow you to put a plan of action together. Many managers are intrigued by Kaizan because it allows them to form a strong focused approach which can accelerate implemntation. I have seen some use the terminology a beachhead for their project implementation. Also, another important ingredient is having people at the event that can make a decision. It is not meant to be an event that you have to seek approval. However, if you want to jumpstart your quality inititatives, start with Kaizen.
Another word for Marketing – How about Voice of the Customer?
Posted by: | CommentsOnly customers provide results and customer satisfaction is the key result you are looking for. I think the smartest companies ask their customers what the requirements should be for the product or service and then work backwards? The not so smart, designs a product/service and then figures out ways to market and sell it. Which one are you?
A simple process you may want to try to obtain the voice of your customer is outlined below:
1. Identify your customer: Do not make this a generic step or skip over it. If you have difficulty, provide clarity by segmenting your marketing channels. Even down to one person if you have to(just for practice).
2. Gather the initial voice of the customer by surveys, focus groups, complaints, correspondence. Also, feel free to use “Tribal knowledge” but make sure you test it. An example would be is to send out a survey to 10 customers in a particular region that is covered by a sales person. Have the salesperson(distributor, rep) also complete the survey and compare results. You may find out that several salespeople have a better understanding of their customer base and others do not. Interpret and use the data accordingly.
3. After collecting the data, formulate it and ask your customers to rate the importance of each input. A cool way to do this is in an online survey that would just move them to another screen after their initial input. You may even want to do a survey to the masses and then have a focus group rate the importance of each.
4. Prioritize the requirements based on the Voice of the Customer and determine how they are relative to you based on how difficult it is for you to achieve. This a great place to use a SWOT analysis and start making some intelligent decisions about your product. Often times this list can be used for your Critical to Quality(CTQ) indicators.
5. Use this information to choose the best processes, internally and externally to achieve the desired results.
6. Determine the activities to create ongoing processes and parameters.
Tip: A great tool is the Kano Model that measures three types of Customer needs. Its premise is that if you only do what the customers tell you to do, you are only meeting one-third of the equation. You also have to address performance needs and excitement needs. It is great tool to use so that you can address these issues in step two of the process above.
