Providing Critical Process Assessments to Identify Improvement Opportunities

Assessments of a value chain can be commissioned. Process analysis techniques are used to examine processes targeted by the organisation. In conjunction with the business the assessment is carried out. Process documents, analyses, metrics and issues are reported and a workshop facilitated to interpret the report and plan improvements. Such work helps identify strategic improvements needed by the organisation.

Excellence Framework Assessment of Approach to Organisational Improvement for Further Development

An overall assessment of the organisation’s ‘System for Improvement’ can be commissioned as a means of identifying key strengths and opportunities to further improve the organisation’s whole approach to Lean Six Sigma or process Improvement. Criteria from the world wide Business Excellence Frameworks are used in this assessment. In conjunction with the organisation the assessment is completed, a report developed and a workshop facilitated to interpret the report and plan improvements. Support can be provided for those organisations wishing to apply for national Business Excellence Awards. Assessments can also be targeted to specific aspects of the organisation in terms of Departments or in terms of organisational systems.

Supporting the Design of an Organisational Strategy for Lean Six Sigma or an Organisational Improvement Campaign

Drawing on the knowledge gained from research and practice on success factors for Six Sigma programs, design support can be provided to help with the development of an overall strategy for Lean Six Sigma and developing a culture for driving sustainable improvement.

Facilitating Planning for Improvement

This involves helping set up appropriate processes and systems of information that enables planning for improvement at an organisational level. It also involves facilitating a management team in Planning for Improvement as an annual activity that would be part of the business planning process. Support for planning can also be at the Improvement Project or Program level.

Coaching Sponsors on Project and Program reviews

Pro forma approaches to good sponsorship, role descriptions and running project reviews are available. Coaching a sponsor or the management team on conducting different kinds of Project reviews (sponsor reviews, management team dashboard reviews etc) and establishing such processes can be provided. This support work can be tailored for an individual manager or for a management team.

Setting Up a Project Management Office

Pro formas, advice and coaching can be provided to help establish an Organisational Improvement Project Management office for governance and support for improvement projects. This includes advice on profiles for Yellow, Green and Black Belt Roles, the selection and recruitment of Belts and the design of on line project repositories for future teams to access and use. Tools like Quality Companion have been used to aid organisations in past consultancy work. Often the relationship between individual projects are not managed or planned appropriately. A project office can assist in this way.

Coaching Green and Black Belts and Improvement Project Teams

Coaching to facilitators and teams on their specific projects can be provided as required. This can be in the form of a review or support when specific analysis tools or models are being used.

Facilitating Rapid Improvement or Kaizen Workshops

The Institute can provide facilitation support for the conduct of a Rapid Improvement or Kaizen workshop. The facilitator works with the organisation to understand the situation. This is followed by workshop preparation with all involved, the conduct of the workshop(s) and the provision of follow up support if required.

Provision of Black Belts to Support Organisational Improvement Projects
LSSBEI can provide you with Black Belts to help the organisation address significant improvement opportunities.

Developing Internal Coaching and Project Assessment Capability

This is a one day program specifically designed to help Green Belts and Black Belts within an organisation set up an internal coaching and assessment process. The program involves understanding competencies to be developed, processes for coaching and assessment, rating scales for assessment and reporting on projects. Skills are developed in assessing the project work of an internal Belt and providing feedback to them.

Advice and Support on Communication Practices to Reinforce an Improvement Culture

Advice on the communication processes that maybe used to promote and support an improvement program, its principles and achievements can be provided. This may include the development of specific pod casts required by the organisation, advice on setting up communities of practice, internal web sites to promote project stories and achievements and obtaining on line training. LSSBEI have experience in facilitating in house annual Improvement Project conferences and award processes.

Support in Use of Advanced Analysis Techniques

To help an organisation understand patterns of performance or uncover major causes of performance problems or understand elements of effective solutions, the Institute can facilitate the use of such tools as Control Charts, Capability Analyses, Failure Modes Analysis, Value Stream Analysis and the use of Design of Experiments.

Design For Six Sigma approaches can be used to aid organisations to develop new products, services or address new markets. Techniques such as Quality Function Deployment can be used to good effect here.

Facilitation of Innovation and Design Of Experiments in Developing Solutions

For complex Improvement Projects or Programs there may be a need to apply DOE to help discover innovative and effective solutions to address the problem or opportunity. LSSBEI can advise the organisation on the design and sequence of experiments as well as facilitating the work and aiding the analyses and interpretation.

Individual Special Interest Sessions

Within the broad field of organisational improvement, programs can be designed to suit specific interests or subjects the organisation may want to focus on as part of its overall strategy to develop a market focused improvement culture. For example, sessions on topics like the following can be developed to suit an organisation’s needs:

• Process Performance Measurement,
• Analysing Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty,
• Applying Design of Experiments,
• Creativity and Innovation techniques.