Reply to: Six Siigma

[malvolio]

The main problem I have with SS is that it is designed to support repeatable processes by eliminating recurrent points of error and/or delay. I've seen it used very ewffectively in Manufacturing, but I struggle to see how that it be mapped into most IT programmes without adding an unnecessary management overhead. Core elements perhaps, like continual assessment and PIRs, but you don't need a Black Belt to put them in place. It's a bit like SOX and the latest iteration of ITIL, really; over-engineered common sense.

[Pondlife]

Seconded. I've worked at manufacturing companies with chronic problems in designing, procuring and building a product in unfeasible timescales only to be informed the "kaizen breakthrough" of drawing some coloured lines on the manufacturing area floor will lead us skipping into a land of milk and honey. Pure self-delusion.

That aside, I did work for a UK logistics company who were quite smart with tools such as 6S. But, in my experience, they are the exception.

I had to implement Kanban in a manufacturing plant once. It fell over after two weeks cos the flipers stole all the brightly coloured collapsable boxes to sitck in the boot of their cars. That in addition to them colouring in the barcodes with marker pens.

[TinTrump]

Lip service is the usual approach to this kind of cr*p in my experience.

Seconded. I've worked at manufacturing companies with chronic problems in designing, procuring and building a product in unfeasible timescales only to be informed the "kaizen breakthrough" of drawing some coloured lines on the manufacturing area floor will lead us skipping into a land of milk and honey. Pure self-delusion.

That aside, I did work for a UK logistics company who were quite smart with tools such as 6S. But, in my experience, they are the exception.

[Fred Bloggs]

Lip service is the usual approach to this kind of cr*p in my experience. I once made myself unpopular when having sat through an all day Kaizen event, I asked "so, what's the difference then between a meeting and a Kaizen event?". It was not a popular question. Some of you may recognise the client from that comment.

[DiscoStu]

Quite.

Many companies proclaim SS with banners and trumpets blaring right until the point the try and implement it.

Then it suddenly gets watered down to a clear-desk policy...

Happened at my last client co.

After realising the massive amount of change that would be required it was quietly shuffled under the nearest carpet.

[cojak]

I dozed through an introductory lecture at one place.

I dunno if they ever implemented Six Sigma, but they no longer exist.

Quite.

Many companies proclaim SS with banners and trumpets blaring right until the point the try and implement it.

Then it suddenly gets watered down to a clear-desk policy...

[thelurker]

Cheers for that.

I do an element of lean six sigma in my job so may look at the green belt in more detail.

[PM-Junkie]

Has anyone here done a six sigma, looking at doing this course.

Any advice would be grateful

Cheers

Six Sigma (though Lean Six Sigma is more allegedly more appropriate in the IT world) is allegedly about improving operational efficiencies and thereby saving money. I use the word allegedly twice for a reason - as someone who has done it, it requires substantial buy in from the organisation or dept involved, so getting commitment could be tricky in the current environment.

However there is an argument that it could be of interest in the medium term if it is an additional string to your bow - given that people will undoubtedly want to increase the efficiency of their operations (if only to protect from the next down turn) so it might be something that gets resourced when there's money around again. So if you're a BA or a PM who has six sigma under your belt as well, it could be of use if something comes up at an existing gig. It all adds value - but you need to decide if your time is better spent learning something else.

I've done LSS and for me it is useful to have under my belt because it can give credibility if you move in those circles. I don't think that I have ever actually earned money out of LSS, but it has saved me grief from time to time - certainly in my days as a PM (I'll give you the detail offline if you're at all interested). Note also though that there are very few LSS vacancies even at the best of times.

[cojak]

black belt it seems is the highest belt.

Have you done any six sigma?

A little background, I am an aspiring pm (with pm expereince!) who is looking at new skills...

You skipped this bit, haven't you?

It's a bit like SAP - the best place to learn it is as a permie in a company that's implementing it.

For the same reasons as SAP - it's expensive to get and people want to know you've got the experience as much as the certificate when they hire you.

HTH

Black-belts implement SS - in big companies they have full-time black belts, otherwise they bring in the big consultancies and use one of their black-belts.

Green-belts are trained specifically to support black-belts - usually super-users within the project/client company.

Blue-belts know about Green-belts and Black-belts.

Generally the only contract Black-belts have many years experience implementing SS within said big companies and consultancies.

[thelurker]

Lean six sigma looks decent route, if you can get a gig in public sector Id imagine

[Fred Bloggs]

black belt it seems is the highest belt.

Have you done any six sigma?

A little background, I am an aspiring pm (with pm expereince!) who is looking at new skills...

Lean Sigma was big with the large pharma co's a while back. Don't know if they can afford cr*p like that now though.

[thelurker]

Blue, green or black?

NOTE: this is a serious counter-question. Google Six Sigma and let us know...

black belt it seems is the highest belt.

Have you done any six sigma?

A little background, I am an aspiring pm (with pm expereince!) who is looking at new skills...

[Fred Bloggs]

It's a bit like SAP - the best place to learn it is as a permie in a company that's implementing it.

For the same reasons as SAP - it's expensive to get and people want to know you've got the experience as much as the certificate when they hire you.

HTH

The certs are no good without the experience. I got Maximo experience and all the admin certs as a permie. Then went contracting. I made zero money. Not a penny out of Maximo.

[cojak]

Like ITIL & Green IT

Oh no, I'm quite reasonable and never out of work...

[Fred Bloggs]

Trick is to SEE the trend coming and BE one of the highly paid consultants.

No, I've never managed it either............