What can Higher Ed Learn from Motorola? A Structured Approach to Assessing and Improving Processes Kara Saunders, University Registrar Nigel Marriner, Associate Registrar Michelle Manuella, Assistant Registrar University at Buffalo MSACROA 84th Annual Conference November 3-5, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY Session #: 3.3.6; November 5, 2014; 2:00 PM
Agenda • Introductions • What is Six Sigma? • Steps of Six Sigma: • Define • Measure • Analyze • Improve • Control • Getting Started • Questions?
What is Six Sigma? • A methodology and strategy to make processes more efficient and less prone to error. • Sigma is a measure of variation – the goal is to decrease variation, which can lead to error. • An approach based on measures and metrics intended to decrease time and cost, and increase quality and productivity. • We applied Six Sigma through a program sponsored by the WNY United Way to our process for the posting of transfer credit to the student record.
Steps of Six Sigma Who doesn’t love acronyms?! Could we do our jobs without them! Here is one more to add to the mix!
DMAIC • • • • •
Define – Put parameters around your project. Measure – Understand your current process. Analyze – Know where your process breaks down. Improve – Identify what you can do about it. Control – Ensure you maintain your gains.
Define – Project Charter
Define • Process – What are you seeking to improve? Be specific in order to set boundaries. • Institutional goal – What institutional goal does this support? • Objective – What is your improvement goal? Make it specific and measurable. • Inputs/suppliers – Who or what else is needed in the process?
Define • Customers – Who is affected by the process and its improvement? • Schedule – Intended milestones • Budget – Will you need any funding? Do you have it? • Roles – Champion, Team Leader, Team Members, Team Resources
Define Lessons Learned: • Identify the right Champion & keep him/her posted. • Use your Team Resources – Get them engaged early and often. • Have the right people in the room – Know the org chart and roles & responsibilities. • Dedicate time to this project – Set aside 4 hours a week at the beginning, and scale back as you can. • Make sure people and units are ready for change – If not, take time to lay that groundwork first. • It’s ok to change your charter, but not too much.
Measure – Process Maps
Measure – Process Maps
Measure – Process Maps • Identify: • Steps • Outputs/Results of each step – Good and Bad • Inputs/Influences • Determine what is controllable and what is noise. • Lessons Learned: • Develop to whatever level of detail you need. • Consider what happens next – Don’t make decisions in isolation.
Measure – Constraints Identify Constraints • Who has the biggest pile or longest to do list? • Who are you always following up with? • Where are you seeing the most errors or negative results? • Which steps or sub-steps take the longest to complete?
Measure - Metrics Average # of Days from Transcript Receipt to Posted 90 80 70 60 50 Total
40 30 20 10 0 Aug. 2013
Sept. 2013
Oct. 2013
Nov. 2013
Dec. 2013
Jan. 2014
Feb. 2014
Mar. 2014
Apr. 2014
May 2014
June 2014
Measure - Metrics • For each goal, do you have a way to quantify where you currently are? • Start now (and go back if you can) so you will be able to show that your improvements had an impact (or not!). • Lessons Learned: • Ensure all offices are using the same fields for the same thing. • Manual collection is a lot of work, but it might be worth it.
Analyze - Cause and Effect Diagrams
Analyze – Cause and Effect Diagrams • For each outcome (good and bad), how significant is it? (0-5, with 5 being very significant) • For each significant step, input, or area of constraint: • What is the relationship with the outcome? (0-5, with 5 being strong) • Total these together, and you can easily see which of your steps or inputs are where you should focus.
Analyze - Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
Analyze - FMEA • How does this step/input go wrong? • What is the impact, and how severe is it? • What causes this to happen, and how often does that occur? • What do you have in place that prevents the cause, and how well does that work? • What can you do about it, and who is responsible? • Once you take that action, what is the impact to severity (none), frequency, and prevention? • The resulting difference clearly shows high priority action items.
Analyze • Lessons Learned: • Focus on the most critical areas. Accept that there will always be “noise.” • Listen to your gut. If a number doesn’t seem right, it may not be right. • But, also be open to surprises. You may find that some small thing is more impactful than you thought.
Improve • Do it! Move on your high priority action items. • Prioritize, set deadlines, and check in regularly. • Update your Champion, Team Resources, and those impacted. • If you care to (or your boss says you need to), bring in the data here. • Compare measures of your objectives that you identified in your charter. • Use charts where you can.
Improve • Lessons Learned: • Be realistic about how much you can accomplish simultaneously. Recognize it can’t all be done right away. • Tackle both types of projects: • One or two large projects with significant impact and • Some small projects with smaller impact that add up and can be accomplished quickly. •
Celebrate the hard work you’ve done, and recognize improvements as you see them.
Control - Control Plan
Control – Control Plan • Determine how you will monitor the process and outcomes to ensure your gains are maintained • How can you measure? • Who will do the measuring, and how often? • What is the point at which you want to intervene? • What action will you take when you reach that point? • Who is the individual responsible for this action?
Control – Control Plan • Lessons Learned: • Whenever possible, measure something that can easily be tracked in and pulled from your system. • Determine a means for checking in with the group and stick to it.
Getting Started… • American Society for Quality: http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/six-sigma/overview/ overview.html • Six Sigma training through WNY United Way: http://www.uwbec.org/content/pages/agencysixsigma • Online Coursehttp://www.goleansixsigma.com/free-lean-six-sigma-training/ • MOOC (massive open online course): Free courses offered by colleges, anyone can enroll https://www.coursera.org/ or https://www.edx.org/ • Amazon - books, training materials available
Getting Started… • Tap into your resources around you: • Institutional resources: Professional development through your HR department; courses offered by your school/ department of business/management • Colleagues? Family? Friends? • Email one of us • Kara Saunders
[email protected] • Nigel Marriner
[email protected] • Michelle Manuella
[email protected] Questions? Comments? Ideas?