Typically, when I create an A3, I go about it a little differently by utilizing the Six Sigma principles of DMAIC. This acronym stands for Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control. The Six Sigma process improvement process(DMAIC) is closely related to the PDCA lean process. The difference is the set of tools being utilized. I believe DMAIC has a stronger set for variation and process control. The PDCA process has a more simplified version. Depending on your needs either tool applied appropriately can be utilized. Lean has a tendency to be favored initially because of the lack of measurements within most organizations and that process is a little more forgiving. The important part is that you start the process. The chart simplifies the DMAIC process:

• Define -What is important?
• Measure – How are we doing?
• Anaylyze – What is wrong?
• Improve – What needs to be done?
• Control – How do we guarantee performance?

Whether you decide to use DMAIC or PDCA for your A3 makes little difference. The tools are just that, tools. The important part is that you have flexibility to format your A3 report in any way that most effectively can tell and demonstrate your story to your team and others. Your goal is not to complete the A3 report, it is to harness all of the benefits through implementation from the problem solving that took place.

I use A3 Reporting in the marketing process. It demonstrates and recaps the thoughts, efforts and actions that took place for a particular campaign, such as advertising or public relations or even a launch. This report can really highlight the value that marketing supplies. I will be discussing DMAIC and A3 and how it applies to the foundation of the Lean Marketing House™ in the upcoming weeks.

Related Information:

Lean Six Sigma Templates for DMAIC and A3

Why use A3 in Marketing

Why do The Pillars of the Lean Marketing House™ crumble?

Lean Marketing House™ – Foundation

Technorati : A3, DMAIC, Lean, Marketing, PDCA, Six Sigma

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

Technorati : DMAIC, PDCA, lean, marketing, quality, six-sigma

Quality is not an event – it is a process, and a mindset. A consistently high quality product cannot be produced by a faulty process. There needs to be a repetitive cycle of measuring quality, updating processes, measuring, updating processes, etc. In Six Sigma we use a process called DMAIC which means Define, Measurement, Analyze, Implement and Control. In Lean they discuss the PDCA cycle of Plan, Do, Check and Act. You cannot have a quality system without a defined process. So we must start here and using an established process is simply the best avenue that most of us can take.

To make the quality process work, collecting metrics is vital. If you are not going to capture metrics, it will be hard to improve processes through a quality management initiative. So, what kind of metrics do you capture? First, we must break down the term of “quality” into a number of areas that define the characteristics of quality. Then, look at each of the individual characteristics and determine one or more metrics that can be collected to mirror the characteristic. For instance, one of the features of a quality e-mail program may be increasing percentage of open rates. This is an easily achieved metric that can be measured after the solution goes live.

Releated Subjects: 10-Step Project Management , Lean Six Sigma

Technorati : DMAIC, PDCA, lean, marketing, quality, six-sigma