Journal Reflections for Modual 3.3 - Process Improvement and Project Management

[Editors note:  The following is a journal entry addressing specific questions provided by the CPM course instructor Dr. Wendy Fraser for module 3.3.]

1.Briefly describe what you learned from the activities, instruments and discussions.  What stands out for you?

I found the readings for this class very good, particularly the Maleyeff article “Improving Service Delivery in Government with Lean Six Sigma”. That article made a couple of points that will correlate directly to my project.

Most performance data are designed to evaluate effectiveness by focusing on metrics that represent how well and how efficiently services are provided. While these “outcome” data can be valuable in highlighting areas of concern, their role is often less valuable during improvement projects that require “process” data. (Maleyeff, p. 11)

And

Management commitment to a Lean Six Sigma process improvement program must go beyond slogans, banners, or motivational speeches. The leadership team should exude a constancy of purpose, along with discipline and patience hat allows the program to take root. The management team must be made responsible and accountable for both managing the organization and improving its effectiveness. The creation of an infrastructure that sustains requires attention be given to the following four actions… Develop a sound, consistent, and robust methodology. Build trust by removing fear. Initiate long term cultural change. And Communicate the vision to all stakeholders. (p. 18)

The concepts of instilling a culture of continuous improvement, having senior management lead and demonstrate foundational commitment to that culture, and the basic introduction to the tools used for assessing continuous improvement were adequately described in the reading.


Unfortunately, I found this didn’t translate well into a 2 day lecture seminar.

The basic concepts in the paragraph above are important, but is not 2 days worth of material by itself. The remainder of the time then became a bird’s eye overview of a bunch of the tools used to do continuous improvement.

Looking at the list of tools covered is impressive. Gemba Walk, SIPOC, Types of Wastes, DMAIC, 2 Second Lean (Fix what bugs you), Lean Knowledge Work, Shingo Model, Process Models, Value Stream Mapping, 5S (or 6S), Test development.

Then the tools from the Project Management field: Project Charters, RACI Matrix, Ishakawa Diagrams, Pareto Charts, Check Sheets, 5 Why’s, Communication Plans, Formal Project Management Processes, Triple Constraints, Gantt Charts.

Not to mention some of the efficiency tools that don’t really seem to fit in either of the above: Daily huddles, Visual workspace, Kanban. However, the lecture seemed superficial and I had trouble engaging.


The workshop time spent being introduced to my cohorts capstone projects was great. I was inspired seeing what others were undertaking and reassured that the trajectory of my own project was not out of line with the rest of the group.

2. Describe how the topics that were covered in this session interrelate with managing performance (session 7).

The managing performance session was about identifying the processes and quantifying them. Once processes have been identified and quantified they can be improved.

Improving processes, without an understanding of those processes is a hit and miss proposition. Without measurement data, its impossible to know how effective any improvement actually is.


For future classes, I might suggest combining the last two classes into a single 3 day session. Day 1, identifying processes. Day 2, measuring processes. Day 3, building a culture of improvement.

Both classes seemed a like they could be condensed slightly and holding them together might reduce overlap. And then a the “tools” could be interspersed throughout all three days.

3. Write a specific plan for applying one or more of the tools or models you learned during class. Describe the tool, approach, or model, in what context, and with what group of people.  What do you hope to accomplish?

I intend to implement the huddle as a quick way to check in with my staff each morning. Ideally, I would like to relocate the white board away from one employees desk, so that it is more natural for all to be standing at the huddle.


4. What do you want to learn more about?  How might you do that? 

One remaining question I have is the derivation of the six sigma name. Is the goal to make the variations of up to six sigma in any process fall within the acceptable process control range? Does this matter if it is a single tail pattern? What if the distribution is not best described with a normal distribution?

It doesn’t actually seem like anyone in the Six Sigma practice is all that concerned about the specifics of the name, so my impression is none of these questions actually matter. Given my still developing understanding of statistics, I’m not sure even I would understand the nuances of the answer if it was explained to me.


5. Post Script of things from class that I wrote down with the hope of remembering at least once more.

The ultimate goal of continuous improvement is to shift the process of monitoring/ improving away from management to the front line employee.


“True Change can only come from the outside.”


SIPOC (Supplier, Inputs, Process, Output, and Customers) Analysis and Gemba (In-Place) Walks are most effective when conducted early on in the process. These are necessary to identify processes and requirements before one can attempt to make improvements.


Discussing the eight areas of waste (Overproduction, Transportation, Inventory, Waiting, Extra Processing, Defects, Motion, Intellect) is a great topic for a staff meeting.


I liked the “2 second a day lean improvement approach” and his motto of “Fix what bugs you.” My question after watching the video is why even keep the lid on the recycle bin? Why not get rid of the lid altogether.

My next question is, if we are empowering employees at all levels to fix what bugs them, do we run the risk of having people change things who are not able to see the whole process. This was touched on briefly in the second day.


I like the Huddle concept for staff meetings with the following requirements:

• Regular meeting (So it serves as a check in rather than a download.)
• 15 min max (Minimal impact to the day, while still providing value.)
• Participants Stand. (Keeps it short)
• Around visual work board. (Ideal for keeping records or sketching information.)
• Each participant answer 3 questions: (So as to keep a discussion focus and the meeting on topic.)
  
  1. What did I do yesterday?
  2. What am I doing today?
  3. What do I need to get my work for today done?

Hierarchy triangle of project/ process improvement chartering:
Purpose
Roles & Responsibilities
Processes
Communication
Team Dynamics

Problems typically derive from the top down, while they manifest themselves from the bottom up.


Test changes before you implement them.

• Baseline measurement. Run Test
• New Measurement: Ask, “Did it bet better, worse, stay the same?”
• Small sample test on old data/process inputs
• Full test using live data/process inputs
• Pilot program with pre-arranged check ins at 30, 60, and 90 days.

A Communication Plan needs to address:

• Who needs what information?
• When they will need it?
• How it will be given to them?
• And, by whom.

RACI charts can be modified to add an S (support) function to the matrix.


There is a fine line between urgency and emergency. -Casey Rice


GanttProjct freeware project looked like a competent scheduling software suitable for simple schedule development.