Corporate Leadership Profile
Duplicating Success: Xerox Reinvents Itself By Elaine Schmidt
The company whose very name defined an industry almost half a century ago is now using Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and Design For Lean Six Sigma (DFLSS) as a way to stay in the forefront of document technology, and provide better ways for customers to improve business results.
After a low period of declining market share and a devastating charge of accounting fraud, the Xerox Corporation recommitted itself to innovative solutions and services, and adopted the Lean and Six Sigma methodologies as part of its strategy "to rethink, redefine and reinvent itself."
Within this article:
Top-down Training
'Quality Improvement Army'
Competitive Industry
Design for Lean Six Sigma
Elegance in Design
Listening to the Customer
High Expectations
Company Profile
Computer Models in the Design Process
Xerox DFLSS Snapshot
Research
Online Six Sigma Training By Michael Marx
When it comes to training employees - from executives to the rank and file - in the Six Sigma methodology, there are different paths companies can take. The most common is still the traditional classroom setting. But is that the most effective? With the increasing global nature of organizations and the ubiquity of desktop and laptop computers, is online training the better way to go? What are the advantages and what are the drawbacks? Which Six Sigma topics are best taught through that method? This survey endeavored to answer those questions and more related to online Six Sigma training.
Within this article:
Finding 1: Classroom instruction has an edge over online training alone. Perceptions of online training are generally less favorable than those of classroom instruction. Overall, blended training is the most popular method. Finding 2: Most Six Sigma training occurs in the classroom. Finding 3: The fact that online training can be done anytime is seen as the biggest advantage to this method, while its lack of personal interaction is considered the biggest drawback. Accessing reference material is the most prevalent experience of online "training." Finding 4: Training method is not a predictor for Six Sigma success. Finding 5: Age matters only a little.
"Final Tollgate" Project Example
Website Response Time By Ilona Kirzhner and Michael Vikhman
FS Inc. is a relatively new, small U.S.-based company that provides a wide range of financial services. FS has been steadily growing its customer base, at a rate of 5 percent per month. Last year, FS deployed a client online account management system (OAMS) so that clients could access their accounts through the Internet. After an initial warm reception, OAMS drew complaints from customers about system slowness and lost transactions. A Six Sigma team addressed the customers' concerns and reduced the average response time by 90 percent.
The Final Tollgate features a Six Sigma project as it would be presented to a panel of company executives at the final project review. The objectives of such a presentation are to 1) communicate significant results of the project, 2) share highlights of how results were achieved and 3) gain agreement to close the project. The slides are the Black Belt’s visual presentation and the accompanying text is the verbal presentation. It is assumed that the project leader has been making regular presentations at each tollgate and that the executives in the audience have a basic understanding of Six Sigma. The content for this project was assembled for illustration purposes. It is based on fabricated data from a fictional company. Any similarities to an actual project are coincidental.
Do you have an exemplary Six Sigma project to share? Would you like to see it here? Submit it to us at www.isixsigma.com/submit/.
Strategy
Zero Defects: Is It Achievable? By Phillip H. Williams
"Zero defects" seems like a worthy goal. But what does it really mean? Can it be achieved? And is it even the right objective in the first place?
Methodology
Reliable Data: Understanding Measurement Systems Analysis By Jonathan Atwood
Without an MSA, project teams would not know if what their data is telling them is really what their data is telling them.
Bonus Section
Six Sigma e-Learning Service Directory
More Features
Overcoming the 'Dominant Logic' OR Efficiency Slashing Product Development Time Where Does the Time Go?
Also In This Issue
Editor's Notes
Best Black Belt
Blog Blurbs
Six Sigma Basics
Tool Spotlight
Shop Talk
Six Sigma News Scan iSixSigma Crossword Puzzle
The Cox-Box Cartoon
Open Mike
Search, click and print!
The company whose very name defined an industry almost half a century ago is now using Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and Design For Lean Six Sigma (DFLSS) as a way to stay in the forefront of document technology, and provide better ways for customers to improve business results.
