Here's how you can enhance problem solving in Process Design using Lean Six Sigma methodologies.

Basado en mi experiencia de más de 20 años en procesos industriales DMAIC al que yo llamo "El corazón de Six Sigma" debe llegar en el momento justo. Y ese momento se mide en madurez de los procesos, desde anova comenzamos la "comprensión del juego" acerca de los Factores que son significativos ( X) esos factores que explican a la "Y", nuestra variable de interés, si nosotros dejamos avanzar multifactores hasta estas etapas, no servirán de nada nuestras pruebas de hipótesis, Trabajo std. tiempo std y recorrido gemba/genba nos ayudarán a filtrar los "manage conditions" y ahora si con planteamientos ante fenómenos reales elegir dichos factores y diseñar experimentos que nos acerquen a la explicación científica de dichos fenómenos. Gracias.

Main areas to focus and work are : 1-Lot of time must be spent on "Defining the PROBLEM". 2- Studying and analyzing the current process. These two are Foundation of your whole work.

Lean Six Sigma methodology helps attain operational excellence and competitive advantage. Lean Focuses on waste reduction and Six Sigma aims at minimizing process variation. They together provide good framework for identifying inefficiencies and defects. Tools DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control), helps organizations to systematically analyse processes, and find root causes of problems, to implement sustainable improvements. Key metrics such as cycle time, defect rate, process capability (Cpk), throughput, lead time ...help analyze insights into process performance and areas for improvement. Helps improve process efficiency, quality, and consistency and also leads to cost savings and customer satisfaction

Enfatizo a importância da definição do escopo do projeto DMAIC e qual a meta a ser atingida. Sem a determinação clara de qual KPI queremos melhorar, podemos utilizar recursos em ações que não necessariamente seriam as maiores agregadoras de valor ao projeto. Para definição da meta, a metodologia SMART pode ajudar.

A definição de metas SMART (Específicas, Mensuráveis, Alcançáveis, Relevantes, Temporais) também é crucial para estabelecer um caminho claro e mensurável. Sem uma fase de definição robusta, os projetos podem sofrer com objetivos vagos e falta de direção, o que compromete a eficácia das soluções implementadas nas etapas subsequentes.

1. Involve a diverse and knowledgeable group of people to consider the problem from a holistic viewpoint. 2. Quantify the scale of problem with data, and then set achievable and timebound targets. 3. Break habitual ways of thinking to consider potential causes, and engage the creative mindset of the group to relentlessly pursue and establish the root cause. 4. Engage the creativity of the group again to consider potential solutions, evaluate their effectiveness and prioritise by using Must & Like Criteria, and Impact v Effort analysis. 5. Produce a robust implementation plan with clearly defined owners and deadlines, and provide the support required to deploy the plan. 6. Review the results, and monitor, control, and share the learning.

En mi experiencia, el empezar a utilizar la herramienta SIPOC me ayudo a comprender los procesos en los cuales no participo pero que impactan de manera directa a mi area. Esta herramienta me ayudo a colaborar con otros departamentos y proponer mejoras a sus actuales procesos y a su vez, ellos me apoyaron de la misma forma. Con esta herramienta se fortalecio la comunicacion interna asi como la confianza en el equipo.

SIPOC is helpful, but it does not address the vast majority of the obstacles that one can see in some of the larger projects. Smaller projects do not require a SIPOC; due to their inherent simplicity or smaller scope.

SIPOC is great, because it starts out at a high level. You can use it recursively and it summarizes all of the critical information at a given level. Too often when designing a process we dive too deep to quickly. SIPOC really does a great job at setting the scope and hitting the key points. And some say COPIS, but the important part is always start with the Customer and identify the goal or end state and requirements. Each major step or box in the Process column can become it’s own SIPOC to further define the context and issues.

Uma técnica que eu achei muito interessante é adicionar ao SIPOC mais duas colunas. A primeira coluna fica exatamente entre o I e o P, chamada de requisitos da entrada, isso ajuda o time a definir quais são os atributos ou características chaves das informações ou matérias. A Segunda coluna fica entre O e o C, chamada de requisitos de saída, aqui é definido as características ou atributos chaves que as saídas devem possuir para realmente agregar valor ao cliente daquele processo ou atividade.

5 whys need to be applied once a root cause is identified if used to early it can take the team down the wrong path and lead to a solution that does not fix the underlying problem. Additionally we need to ensure that we drive down to the process level defect so that the chance of deviation is reduced/removed.

5 Why’s as a tool, is probably one of the most vital of tools in Lean Six Sigma. Its simplicity is its strength, however, if trained incorrectly, it could become a weakness. 5 Why training takes time and repetition. The largest mistake I see I see in this environment is thinking you could train someone once and expect effective results. “I do, We do, You do”

5 Whys is effective for simple problems. Still, it is more powerful if, for more complex problems, it is used in conjunction with other cause analysis tools (3P Leg, FTA, Ishikawa, etc.) as the second phase once a root cause is identified.

If not applied with adequate rigor, the 5 Whys can lead to superficial solutions. It is essential that each answer be carefully researched and validated, avoiding assumptions and logical leaps. Some problems may have multiple, complex root causes that cannot be adequately addressed with the 5 Whys alone. In such cases, it may be necessary to complement this technique with other more advanced root cause analysis tools, such as Cause and Effect Analysis (Ishikawa) or Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA).

5 Why is one the most useful tools we can leverage when performing a root cause analysis. When teaching DMAIC we often start with the fishbone in the analyze phase to really get us brain storming. Then we use 5 why to narrow down our root cause. This method works for just about any problem. By asking why five times you may find out that the spice of the problem may not be what you expected. It will stop you from implementing a solution to a root cause that doesn’t actually exist.

VSM provides a detailed visual representation of the entire production process, including material flows, information flows, and process steps. Integrates quantitative data (cycle times, lead times) with qualitative observations (bottlenecks, waste) for comprehensive analysis.

VSM is specifically useful when you are trying to identify the time trap or bottleneck in the complete process that stops us meeting the customer need. Identifying where the issue is allows us to look at identifying where the lean waste is happening and working with the team to identify the root cause and put in place the corrective actions. In this day in and age where we are challenged with doing more with the same reviewing where we have added non-value fat in the process is essential and VSM teaches us to see....

After Covid the supply chain industry was struggling. This led to many companies struggling to ship or receive material. While many companies may have saw big gains during that time it also left us revisiting our approach. The company I was at was struggling to get product to the customer and often lost the product in the warehouse. Strange right? What process worked before was obviously not working and we had to act quickly. By creating a value stream map we were able to identify where our gaps were and put in control measures to alleviate those gaps. What we found is that we often had to relabel our product or move it from one location to another due to space constraints. These issues were resolved with collaboration from the SME’s.

Here is a concise example of Value Stream Mapping (VSM): Current State Map: Mapping out the existing process. Identify each step, including suppliers, production, and distribution. Analysis: Look for inefficiencies, such as excess inventory, long wait times, or redundant steps. Calculate the total lead time (from order to delivery) and identify areas where value is not being added. Future State Map: Improved process. Remove waste and streamline operations. Consider changes like reducing batch sizes, improving communication, or reorganizing workstations. Create a new map that represents the ideal process. Implementation: Changes based on the future state map. Continuously monitor and adjust as needed.

Ein unternehmen das die Prozesslandschaft in einem VSM von Rampe zu Rampe erstellt hat, besitzt eine Schatztruhe an Potentialen um Verschwendungen zu erkennen und zu eliminieren. Ohne Frage ist eine solche VSM nur mit einem guten Moderator, den Prozessverantwortlichen und einer gehörigen Portion an Zeit zu bewältigen. Es lohnt sich aber.

If logical intelligence can be used in a production process, many errors can be prevented before they occur, and also according to the logic of logic, a uniform production method can be used, which is exactly similar to the production recipe, and from the production of the product. Inconsistent prevented Therefore, it improves productivity and prevents defective products This technique can be used to control the safety of a process, which will bring the possibility of error to close to zero

Most likely one of the most valuable and misunderstood concepts in lean methodology. It is very difficult to achieve this level of solution, but it is possible. The trick is to inspire the solutions out your valuable employees. You would be surprised how these types of solutions get either ignored or rejected on the shop floor. Here is an area where patient and resourcing is important.

Poka Yoke devices are generally simple, inexpensive, and easy to implement. This simplicity does not diminish its effectiveness; On the contrary, it allows them to be applicable in a wide variety of situations and sectors. The ease of use ensures that even the least experienced workers can operate without errors. They are distinguished by their focus on preventing errors before they occur, rather than detecting and correcting them later. This not only improves the quality of the final product, but also reduces costs associated with rework, scrap and quality control. Proactive prevention is much more efficient and economical than reactive correction.

A dica mais importante para a implementação e elaboração de Sistemas Poka Yoke em processos de serviços é focar na simplicidade e na usabilidade das soluções. Poka Yoke deve ser intuitivo, fácil de entender e de utilizar pelos colaboradores, prevenindo erros humanos sem a necessidade de treinamento extenso ou complexo. A eficácia de um Poka Yoke está na sua capacidade de integrar-se naturalmente ao fluxo de trabalho, sendo percebido como uma ajuda e não como uma imposição. Envolver a equipe na criação e no teste das soluções garante que os dispositivos sejam práticos e eficazes, promovendo um ambiente de trabalho mais seguro e eficiente

Processos com sistemas à prova de erros contribuem de forma extremamente significativa. Quando sabemos que "erros primários" estão descartados nos proporciona tempo para focar no que realmente trará mais ganhos para o processo. Muitos vezes são sistemas ou práticas simples com alto ganho.

considerar que para algunas marcas, consutores el Kaizen es realizar un proceso DMAIC acelerado con una terminacion de 3 a 5 dias, donde el equipo se dedicara solo al proyecto.

Review the relevance of your initiative at every stage, Many times the project is not relevant to go through the entire DMAIC cycle. Close it as soon you realise it's no longer important to improve due to change in business priority. Don't get attached to the project.

Tener en cuenta no brincar ningun paso de DMAIC, utilizar solo las herramientas necsarias para el proceso, desde alli comienza la innovacion.