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The Hoshin Kanri Planning Process

8/10/2018

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The Hoshin Kanri Planning Process

The Hoshin Kanri planning process is a management methodology that is based on the ideas of Professor Yoji Akao and it was popularized in Japan back in the 1950s. According to the Professor, "Each person is the expert in his or her own job, and Japanese TQC [Total Quality Control] is designed to use the collective thinking power of all employees to make their organization the best in its field."
​
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hoshin kanri planning
Based on these ideas, the Hoshin Kanri planning process shows the way an organization should drive its action every day to reach their strategic goals. So, in Hoshin Kanri words, this means to make everyone committed to working towards in the same direction known as the "true north".​​

The 5 Principles Of the Hoshin Kanri Planning Process:

#1: The Performance: ​

The organization needs to have a clear leader that can help everyone move towards the ultimate goals or the True North. These include the identification of bottlenecks as well as potential issues. ​

#2: Communication: ​

​Communication is a crucial principle within the Hoshin Kanri planning process. After all, without a clear communication from the leader, there isn't a common goal and vision.

#3: Analyze The Present Situation: ​

According to the Hoshin Kanri planning process, it is crucial that the organization knows exactly where they stand at the moment so they can understand how they can improve. With this in mind, it is important that transparency is kept at a high level so that all the efforts can be put on improving the KPIs. ​

#4: Using The Right Resources: ​

hoshin kanri steps
While you should be able to find a lot of areas within your organization that need improvement, it is important that the management knows how to prioritize them. So, it is important that you create a custom weighted scoring system that allows you to easily evaluate the priority, risks, and complexity of a specific improvement. ​

#5: Increasing The Engagement:

This is another important principle of the Hoshin Kanri planning process. After all, it is important that everyone within the organization is truly committed and engaged in achieving the True North goals.
​
While the Hoshin Kanri planning process may sound very easy, the truth is that many organizations need to complete a series of steps in order to completely adopt the Hoshin Kanri methodology.


So, if you are considering implementing the Hoshin Kanri planning process in your organization, here are the Hoshin Kanri steps that you should follow:

Step #1: Establish the Vision and Know The Current Situation

During the first step, it is crucial that you check the values, vision, and mission of the company and see if they are aligned with what you want for your organization. This is the time that you have to look at the different processes and see if there are any changes that need to be made so that you can reach your future goals as well as what is working well.

Here are some of the questions that you should be able to answer during this step:

  • What are your long-term plans?
  • What is your current mission and vision of the organization?
  • How does your daily management system work and how does your organizational structure work?
  • What procedures and policies are already in place and what are the ones that need to be rearranged or to be eliminated?

Step #2: Come Up With Breakthrough Objectives

Simply put, breakthrough objectives are the goals that will allow your organization to be challenged in different ways and they usually take between 3 to 5 years to reach. Some breakthrough objectives can include the adoption of a different service delivery model, introducing new products, entering new markets, among many others.

During this step, you can use different tools to help you identify growth opportunities. One of the tools that tend to be more used is the four quadrant of growth that is a simple adaptation of the Ansoff Matrix. By using this tool (or a similar one), you will be able to discover objectives in different areas by comparing consumers and non-consumers (the people who are currently using your services or products and the ones who aren't) and the current and new jobs that you may require. ​
quadrant of growth that is a simple adaptation of the Ansoff Matrix

Step #3: Set Up Annual Objectives

Setting up annual objectives is also important since it will help you reach your breakthrough objectives within the 3 to 5 years. Let's say that you want to launch a new product. So, one of your annual objectives may be to make a complete market research study as well as to define all the product requirements.

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​Step #4: Using Workable Targets

​Now that you already defined the breakthrough objectives as well as the annual objectives that you need to have to reach the first ones, it is now the time to determine what each team, department, and individual need to accomplish. One of the things that you need to have in mind is that the goals that you define need to be measurable and should be able to be closely monitored by leadership.
The Hoshin Planning X-Matrix
One of the tools that tend to be used during this step os the Hoshin Planning Matrix also known as the X Matrix. This tool allows you to immediately know all the objectives as well as cascading priorities. In addition, you can also use value stream maps and summary reports that can help you manage the progress towards the goals that you have defined.
​
Discover more about value stream mapping.

Step #5: Execute Annual Objectives

This is the step on which you start with the improvements that will allow you to reach your yearly goals. In order to achieve them, you can use a wide variety of tools that include A3, PDSA, DMAIC, Kaizen events, among others. ​

Step #6: Keep Monthly Tracks

One of the most common mistakes organizations make when they are using the Hoshin Kanri planning process is that they focus all the energy on the yearly goals and they forgot to keep track on what is being done each month. So, by having monthly reviews, the Hoshin Kanri planning process avoids this mistake ensuring that the forward progress is being maintained. ​


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Step #7: Annual Review

By the end of the year, it is now time to make the annual review. This consists in assessing the entire organization's progress.

During this time, you need to discover if there is any need to make adjustments to times and goals that were previously defined as well as it is the perfect time to ensure that all the resources are well allocated. ​
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Six Sigma Project Examples You Should Consider

8/10/2018

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Six Sigma Project Examples You Should Consider

When you are looking at the Six Sigma methodology for the first time or if you don't really understand how to use Six Sigma in practice, there is nothing better than checking out some six sigma project examples.

Discover everything you need to know about Six Sigma projects.

When you are looking for a good project, you should follow some guidelines:
six sigma project examples
  • You shouldn't have a pre-determined solution for the project.
  • You should be able to easily identify the process inputs and outputs.
  • When you are looking at a Six Sigma project, you need to make sure that you ate able to put yourself in a perspective where you can understand the variation in the process inputs. In addition, you need to be able to control them and eliminate the defects.
  • In case you already know the answer, all you need to do is to apply it.

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Now that you have some basic guidelines about Six Sigma projects, it's time to check out some six sigma project examples. ​

#1: Internal Defects:

gemba walk
When you are looking for internal defects in the process, you should consider looking at anything that you can recycle or rework in-house, as well as any scrap materials, parts or issues.

#2: External Defects: ​

This is another area of the process that is usually up for a Six Sigma project. In this case, you should look for anything that hasn't been rejected or audited by you but you know that it doesn't meet regulations, anything that you can cover for by having someone in the customer's plant, or even anything that you can inspect and that contains to protect the customer.

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#3: Efficiency: ​

communication-within-the-organization
When you are looking for the best six sigma project examples, you should definitely consider taking a look at the efficiency of the processes that your organization uses. These can include a lot of things: a process with freight costs, a process where you are running slower than what you anticipated or expected, a process that requires added labor to make the required cycle, a machine or process with downtime, and when you are making fewer parts than expected. ​

#4: Materials Use: ​

When you notice that a process is using more material or that the amount of material varies is also suited for a six sigma project. ​

#5: Understanding What IS Behind The Process Variation:

When you have materials incoming, you should definitely try to discover whether there is a variation as well as how big this variation is. The truth is that this can have a huge impact on the output. In addition, you can also apply Six Sigma to determine if there is a way that you can compensate for these changes (by controlling other variables), among others.

Discover everything you need to know about Kaizen and Kaizen Blitz.

#6: Maintenance:

six-sigma-and-gemba-walk
Having all the machines working properly is one of the best uses that you can give to Six Sigma. After all, if you are able to have all the machines working without interruptions, you will end up with the output that you anticipated. So, you should look for ways that can prevent a high replacement cost as well as a high failure rate.​

One of the best things that you can do to choose a good Six Sigma project is by using the Gemba walk. In case you are not familiar with the term, all you need to do is that it is a process that is based on the personal observation of work where it is happening. So, instead of sitting in a conference room and discussing what might be doing wrong or what could be done in a better way is to go directly to the source and observe directly what is happening. The Gemba walk has been used successfully by Toyota for many years.
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How To Use Six Sigma In Healthcare

8/10/2018

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How To Use Six Sigma In Healthcare

While a lot of companies use Six Sigma, the truth is that it is a challenging strategy to use. The reality is that Six Sigma can be used in all industries. However, many people wonder how it can be used in healthcare.
​
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Six Sigma In Healthcare

Six Sigma In Healthcare
There are many factors that affect the use of Six Sigma in healthcare. After all, just think about the lack of funds, the different professional groups, the overworked and understaffed employees, not to mention all the procedures that are incredibly difficult to be controlled or managed. Nevertheless, the reality is that the employment of Six Sigma in healthcare is worth every penny. After all, the main goal would be to deliver the best care to more people at the lowest cost possible.

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When we are talking about the healthcare industry, you need to talk about more than just doctors and nurses. You need to remember that there are other professionals involved as well as other areas of the healthcare industry. These include pharmacies, medical supplies, laundry, ORs, radiology departments, the labs, among many others. So, as you can see, the healthcare industry is a very complex network of interdependent and interconnected processes that can make the implementation of Six Sigma a bit harder.


One of the things that you need to understand is that the healthcare industry in the US is striving for a change. And there are many different factors pointing in that direction. Here are some of these factors:
lean six sigma-use in healthcare
  • The shortage of staffing has been increasing, especially nurses. While there shouldn't be any problem with physicians, nurses are still needed.
  • The low financing is also a problem. Even though the government has been trying to make changes, the truth is that we can say that the budget for the healthcare industry has no clear limits.
  • Baby boomers are aging and with them comes a higher demand from the industry.
  • Litigation continues to increase year after year. ​

Take a look at the statistical process control charts.
So, how can we use Six Sigma in healthcare?

Overall, Six Sigma is a methodology that intends to improve and manage all the processes so they can be more efficient and less costly. The truth is that when businesses are able to perform better, they have faster turnaround times, lower costs and fewer errors.

However, when we are looking into the healthcare industry, we can't only consider the decrease in the costs or the increase of the efficiency. We also need to consider that the use of Six Sigma in healthcare would have other benefits:

  • By using this methodology, the senior management would be able to finally quantify and measure the different processes such as purchasing sutures, filing claims, registering patients, or even transplanting organs

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how to apply 6 sigma in healthcare
  • Six Sigma could help with a unification of the different processes used by the different physicians. The truth is that if this situation continued, Six Sigma wouldn't be able to evaluate and compare the different data. However, with the uniformization, Six Sigma would be able to identify the best practices as well as it would be able to manage all the required changes.
  • There is also the need to be a higher consolidation of hospital chains. The truth is that some hospitals just don't want to give up on all their power (especially the boards). However, with a consolidation of hospitals, we could then implement the same accounting system which would allow Six Sigma to look at the different organizational units and compare them.
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This Is How Six Sigma Is Defined

8/10/2018

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This Is How Six Sigma Is Defined

The truth is that you probably already heard people talking about six sigma. But how is six sigma defined?

One of the things that you need to know is that the way how six sigma is defined evolved over time. In fact, Six Sigma was developed for the first time by Motorola in 1986. At the time, it was a quality control program. However, in 2016, the concept changed a bit. So, how is six sigma defined today?
how is six sigma defined
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When you look at Six Sigma today, we can say that it is more a general business-management philosophy that is focused on multiple aspects. These include improving the products and services, sustaining these same products and services, improving customer retention, and meeting customer requirements. So, overall, we can say that Six Sigma is mainly focused on customers.

One of the things that you also need to know about Six Sigma is that the methodology can be applied to all industries. Since it focuses more on qualitative measurements and not on qualitative markers, this allows any business to implement Six Sigma.

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what is 6 sigma
​Now that you already know how is Six Sigma defined, you need to understand that Six Sigma practitioners follow the DMAIC approach. This approach consists of 5 different steps that companies need to take to implement the methodology. Since you already understand what is 6 Sigma, it will be easier for you to learn the 5 steps that companies need to take to implement it:

#1: Define - Define The Problem: ​

During this step, the project team needs to outline the complete project that aims to fix any problem within the organization. This project should be able to focus on the team but also on the leadership of the organization.

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#2: Measure - Quantify The Problem:

six-sigma-dmaic
As you already know what is 6 Sigma, it is not much a big of a surprise that the next step is to measure the problem that is occurring within the organization. This is a very important step since you will end up comparing these results with the results after the implementation of the Six Sigma methodology. So, the team will need to start collecting relevant data with two main goals in mind: improving quality and reducing lead time.
​
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#3: Analyze - Identify The Cause Of The Problem

Now that you already discovered the problem and the team collected all the necessary data, it is time to start the analysis phase.

During this step, there should be some brainstorm between the different team members. This will allow the team to develop different hypotheses as for the reasons why the problem exists. This analysis is extremely important because when it is not done the right way, it may lead organizations to lose a lot of time and waste a lot of resources. The truth is that this is when you are discovering the root of the problem. And this is the only way that you have to find solutions that can help you solve it. Remember that the ultimate goal of Six Sigma is to improve customer experience.

#4: Control - Maintain The Solution

six-sigma-belts
Now that you noticed a problem, found its root, got the solution and put into practice and is working, the team just needs to maintain the improvements in place. However, during this stage, it is also important that the team creates a Response Plan in case that is a performance dip.
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Top Free Online Courses With Printable Certificates

8/10/2018

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Top Free Online Courses With Printable Certificates

One of the most important things nowadays is that you should get a good education. And the good news is that it has never been so easy as it is today. After all, you have a wide range of free online courses with printable certificates. So, all you need to do is to search for the areas that interest you the most and get some new skills or improve the skills that you already have.

Looking for information about Six Sigma?

While there are many different online courses, not all of them offer you a free certificate. There are many that don't have any certification at all and others that you need to pay to get your certificate. So, we decided to gather a list of the top free online courses with printable certificates.

Here are the top 4 free online courses with printable certificates:

#1: Microsoft Azure Virtual Bootcamp by Catapult Systems

free online courses with printable certificates
One of the best things about this course is the fact that it is a free online course with printable certificate. In addition, if you like to be on top of what is happening, the Microsoft Azure shouldn't be anything new for you. Nevertheless, it is different when you have the ability to gain some skills and knowledge about it.

With the Microsoft Azure Virtual Bootcamp, you will be able to learn Cloud technologies that are based on the Microsoft Azure platform. This free course will take you 7 weeks to complete and you will have 2 to 3 videos each week. In order to get your free certificate, just add VirtualCode in the promo code label in their application.


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#2: Cisco Certified Network Associate by Cybrary

Another great free online course that can interest you is the Cisco Certified Network Associate by Cybrary. The truth is that Cisco certifications tend to be quite tough. And as if this wasn't enough, their fees are usually high as well.

So, one of the best things you can do is to take the Cisco Certified Network Associate by Cybrary. With this course, you will be able to learn a wide range of topics. Most of these are actually covered in the CCNA curriculum and they include, among many others, the configuration and troubleshooting WAN and LAN environments.

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#3: Digital Marketing Certification by Google

Digital Marketing Certification by Google
In case you are looking to become an expert online, there is nothing like learning from the best. And with this we mean Google.

With the Digital Marketing Certification by Google, you will finally understand how you can start your own online business and make it grow. So, besides getting a wide range of skills that can be helpful for you to create and grow your own business, you can also add a good free certificate to your CV.

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#4: Introduction to Computing using Python by Georgia Tech

Introduction to Computing using Python by Georgia Tech
When you are looking for the best free online courses with printable certificates, you need to check out the ones offered by Georgia Tech, especially the Introduction to Computing using Python.

As you know, Python is a programming language that is widely known and used. Even though this course serves more as an introduction to this language, the truth is that it covers topics such as object-oriented programming, control structures, data structures, procedural programming, among many others.

Sign Up Here.
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