"Excellence comes from enthusiasm and motivation"

The excellence culture

Moving towards excellence means continuous work on improving process performance. The energy to develop is proportional to the desired results.

It has to be done in stages. Firstly pick the “low hanging fruit” and the “bulk of fruit” before trying to tackle the “sweet fruit”. The level of intervention will depend on the maturity of your company. It is pointless to put a Lean 6 Sigma approach in place if your organization does not systematically use the basic tools such as the PSP (Problem Solving Process), the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act – Deming’s wheel)…

Lean Six Sigma

LEAN SIX SIGMA is more a business strategy than a quality program. To obtain the maximum results from a Six Sigma approach, your organization has to link the Six Sigma improvements to the identified strategic objectives for improving the company’s performance. For this reason Lean Six Sigma is simultaneously:

• A management philosophy : Six Sigma focuses on eliminating errors, waste, discards by using a measurable approach, statistical analysis methods and an alignment on the company’s objectives in order to improve not only customer satisfaction but also results. The essence of Six Sigma is scientific method applied to the work process routine.
• A methodology for measuring processes : Using Sigma as a common means of measurement makes it possible to compare relative quality levels in relation to processes, services or products, whether they are similar or not. The average level for companies is now around 3 or 4 Sigma. Many companies operate below this level. The Sigma scale is exponential when it is translated into defects per million opportunities (DPMO). Operating at Sigma 1 level means a process produces more defects than good results from the point of view of the outside customer.
• A method of analysis : it is a problem resolution process –a development of the PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Act) which is called DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) and is also an approach for developing innovation in creating a process or a product, called DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify)
• An enterprise culture : Six Sigma is also a culture that motivates teams to work on a shared problem to achieve high levels of performance in terms of efficacy and productivity at the lowest cost. With a joint effort by top management, in making the approach work, and managers, in becoming guarantors for integrating a shared language in the company, and in addition with a methodology that is shared by everyone, the Six Sigma approach makes it possible to establish a philosophy that focuses on action and results within the company.

Without a strong commitment from management, the Six Sigma methodology cannot be put in place.

We are able to support you in initiating and steering your Six Sigma approach, particularly in terms of incorporating it into your strategic steering room.

We are also able to facilitate the construction and establishment of the organization required for this kind of approach (supporting you in the choice of training), allowing you to profit from our experience in putting this approach (among the most successful) in place and above all to avoid the pitfalls that many companies have fallen into.

For information, GE worked on its company culture (Work-Out and CAP) for 10 years (1986 – 1996) before introducing 6 Sigma in 1996… and the results are edifying:

- “Six Sigma — GE Quality 2000 — will be the biggest, the most personally rewarding and, in the end, the most profitable undertaking in our history.” “… in the next decade GE hopes to save from $7 billion to $10 billion using Black Belts.” (news digest April 1997)

Jack Welch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, General Electric

- - « 2,400 process improvements were made, reducing defects by 61 percent - yielding $350 million in annualized cost savings.”

Larry Bossidy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AlliedSignal

In our view it is currently the most complete approach for moving towards excellence but is also the most complicated and most difficult to implement. There is a major prerequisite, a perfect understanding of the culture of excellence within the organization and a structured, prepared and well-trained organization in relation to deploying this type of approach.
To be successful, the Lean Six Sigma approach must be integrated into your company’s culture through a search for excellence. The approach is long and requires an enormous amount of enthusiasm, motivation and energy. It can only be undertaken by remarkable men and women.

Remarkable men and women

The highest priority for a company is developing remarkable colleagues who in their turn will develop remarkable products and services. The interest that your colleagues have in their work is not enough. They must also invest enthusiasm and energy.

Who are your extraordinary colleagues? They are the ones that have energy, the ability to stimulate others, that are decisive and have the ability to keep to their objectives.

In order for your colleagues to be remarkable you have to help them develop and maintain their motivation and their enthusiasm and to achieve that a company culture that is in tune with its stated values is essential. This culture will only become a reality if your management teams set a perfect example.