Six Sigma Effects of Changes
The moment that got me interested in Six Sigma was when my boss got his Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. I had no clue what this was so I started looking for it online, in job posting’s, and in classes at University at Buffalo (UB). Turns out it was prevalent in all 3 of my searches. Every advanced position my company and other companies post in my profession (pharmaceutical manufacturing) is looking for a Six Sigma certification. UB offers an entire 400-level class that is called “Six Sigma Quality”. There are many online classes and articles about this prestigious certification. I was reading the book “Six Sigma and Beyond” and it introduced one of its change methods that I would like to share with you.
A sentence in the first paragraph struck me when it said “If unsafe working conditions are discovered, it is not necessary to wait until all analytic efforts have been carried out to improve the working conditions” (Stamatis). This is important because safety of employee’s should be the #1 concern of every boss. First off, it’s the main cause of lawsuits. Secondly, if an employee feels safe and valued, he or she will work much harder.
The methods of the change plan that was in the aforementioned book made a lot of sense to me because it forces you to stay on track. Collecting and analyzing the data and knowing how the proposed change will effect your outputs is critical. Once you know that it is worth it and you execute the change, determine if your goals have been achieved. Everything should be documented throughout the whole process so that you have concrete proof of your intentions and the results. The final step is continuous monitoring and updating after the change is in place. New updates are coming into effect all the time and it is important to stay ahead of the 8-ball in all professions. At my work we have what we call “PM’s” or Preventative Maintenance. These are to ensure that the change cycle stays up-to date and the equipment is performing to the best of its’ ability.
WORKS CITED
Stamatis, D. H. (2002). Six Sigma and Beyond. Boca Raton: St. Lucie Press.
