Performance Improvement Programs

Download the MS Word Version 

I. — Introduction to Quality Tools and Methods

Top performing organizations are striving to find increasingly better ways to improve performance and enhance productivity. The most frequently cited problem in the use of improvement methods is choosing the right tool for the right situation. This 2-day workshop will help you meet these challenges by presenting key tools and a framework for identifying which performance tools you should use to achieve better results.

Objectives

At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Select the appropriate tool for identifying and implementing process improvements
• Describe the goals of the following quality tools
  1. Affinity Diagram
  2. Brainstorming
  3. Cause and Effect Diagram
  4. Decision Tree
  5. Decision Matrix
  6. Flowchart
  7. Force Field Analysis
  8. Interrelationship Digraph
  9. Nominal Group Technique
  10. Pareto Chart
  11. Process Mapping
  12. Benchmarking
  13. Cycle Time Management
  14. Design for Manufacturing and Assembly
  15. Process Reengineering
  16. Quality Function Deployment
  17. Six Sigma
  18. Statistical Process Control

II. — Six Sigma Implementation

Six Sigma has been deployed with spectacular results by some of the world’s top companies. Six Sigma can be defined at two different yet closely related levels.

• First, at the managerial level, one could regard Six Sigma as a customer-driven, improvement process that reflects the framework for managing quality throughout the organization. This means that resources and company commitment support an ongoing effort to reduce variation in every aspect of the business, for example, contract proposals, product design, material and components from suppliers, internal processes, products and services, and administrative support.
  
• At the operational level, Six Sigma can be linked directly to the measurement and statistical reporting of quality metrics for a process. It is what the process can do. This is different from what you would like it to do --- meet customer requirements. At six sigma, a virtual “zero defects” approach to quality, only 3.4 defects may occur for every million opportunities to create a defect! This equates to a yield of 99.99966 percent! A defect can be anything from a faulty part to an incorrect customer bill.
  

Objectives

At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify processes for six sigma level quality
• Explain how six sigma contributes to total customer satisfaction
• Demonstrate the need for asking questions and gathering information during the produce or service design process
• Explain the performance indices for variable characteristics Cp and Cpk
• Describe how DPU can be used to: analyze current performance, predict the quality of products, plan and design processes, and benchmark against best-in-class
• Explain how cycle time and inventory reduction contribute to total customer satisfaction
• Apply the six steps to ±six sigma
• Complete a planning guide for implementation of the six steps to ±six sigma
  

III. — Project Management

The Project Management workshop focuses on project planning, implementation and management and is intended for senior managers responsible for project success.

Objectives

At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Define key steps in project planning
• Define key steps in project management
• Implement project planning and organizing tools
• Implement project management tools including action item development and tracking
• Plan for regular communication regarding project planning and implementation
• List key elements of effective project meetings
• Describe a process for identifying stakeholders, getting buy-in and establishing accountability across functional groups