Six Sigma case studies from large corporations can be impressive. Large organizations enjoy the luxury of having the resources to spend on big projects, sophisticated software to run highly detailed metrics and experienced consultants who are paid top-dollar to get it right the first time.
While Six Sigma strategies are most often applied to large corporate settings, smaller organizations can apply the ideas and strategies on their own scale.
Here are a few tips from Six Sigma methodologies that can be applied to address challenges faced by organizations of nearly any size.
1. Build a strong team to lead a well-defined project
Creating teams that can work toward data-driven solutions means actively developing leaders that can motivate groups effectively and roll out a project effectively over time. Sometimes projects fail because the leadership is just not there, but many fail because the project is poorly defined. Astute managers will take the time to define the scope of a project as precisely as possible and put the time and energy into developing team leaders they can trust to bring about positive results.
Six Sigma methodologies demonstrate the importance of taking the time to ask the right questions that can lead to a project that is defined narrowly enough to achieve specific results and broad enough to have a meaningful and lasting impact on organizational systems and processes. In addition, leaders play a unique and important role in driving the forward momentum of the project throughout its life cycle.
2. Plan for success
Taking the time to map out a project, complete a cost-benefit analysis and an appropriate time line are all important steps of any successful project. If Six Sigma methodologies are going to be an ongoing source of inspiration and problem-solving strategies, then investing in training may be a good idea to get employees at different levels thinking about a problem or desired change in a cohesive and productive way.
Six Sigma provides a strong problem-solving framework and a set of methodologies that can broaden an organization’s ability to address change effectively and efficiently. It is a set of processes that mind the details while keeping the big picture in the foreground. Investing in the process means providing natural leaders in the organization the tools and training to be agents of change and champions of success. Investing in leadership can have long-reaching benefits.
3. Make the Project Manageable
Too much change too fast can upset multiple processes and lead to organizational instability. Generally, Six Sigma logic indicates that one problem should be fully addressed before embarking on other projects. This logic applies particularly to smaller organizations with limited resources. While it is tempting to stir up excitement over multiple improvements that will benefit the entire organization, doing too much at once can lead to employee fatigue, burn-out and a stalled or incomplete project.
Six Sigma strategies, including the traditional DMAIC or DMADV phases, demonstrate a streamlined way to organize and address a challenge one stage at a time. Organizations of any size can benefit from taking the time to develop a project and proceed through the steps logically, thoroughly and thoughtfully.
Six Sigma case studies often communicate results from projects that involve resources and time frames that small business leaders view as out of reach. At the same time, the general principles and logic that frame large-scale projects can be effectively translated to help address the needs and challenges of smaller organizations. Understanding the conceptual framework of Six Sigma methodologies provides employees and potential leaders with a positive problem-solving paradigm through which to participate more fully in organizational change and long-term growth.
