How would you apply Lean Sigma concepts to quality management? For example: The

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Question

How would you apply Lean Sigma concepts to quality management? For example: The administration wants to increase maternity services by 25% by December 2016: numbers of babies delivered and treated; pre-natal and post-natal services, including high-risk pregnancies. What measurement studies are needed (numbers of pregnancies/deliveries per month for the past two years [January 2013-January 2015]); profitability studies; demographic studies; third-party reimbursement)?

What assessment protocols must be conducted (numbers of normal and high-risk deliveries; cost/risk analyses; etc.)? What improvement steps (cost analysis to build more ob-gyn facilities; high-risk equipment purchases; recruiting more board certified high-risk obstetricians, nurses, and staff, etc.) must be taken to reach this goal?

Explanation / Answer

Lean Sigma concepts to quality management-

Lean Six Sigma is a managerial approach that combines Six Sigma methods and tools and the lean manufacturing/lean enterprise philosophy, striving to eliminate waste of physical resources, time, effort and talent, while assuring quality in production and organizational processes.

Lean Six Sigma was introduced by Michael George and Robert Lawrence Jr. in their 2002 book Lean Six Sigma: Combining Six Sigma with Lean Speed. Lean Six Sigma refers to the eight types of waste it strives to eliminate as "DOWNTIME," which is an abbreviation of "defects, overproduction, waiting, non-utilized talent, transportation, inventory, motion and extra-processing." Simply put, any use of resources that doesn't create value for the end customer is considered a waste and should be eliminated. Lean Six Sigma training uses "Belt" levels similar to Six Sigma.

Application to quality management

Lean Six Sigma utilizes the DMAIC phases similar to that of Six Sigma. five phases: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control.These phases each contain a set of tools and techniques that guide the problem solver through the improvement process from start to finish.Lean Six Sigma projects comprise aspects of Lean's waste elimination and the Six Sigma focus on reducing defects, based on critical to quality (CTQ) characteristics. The DMAIC toolkit of Lean Six Sigma comprises all the Lean and Six Sigma tools.

The training for Lean Six Sigma is provided through the belt based training system similar to that of Six Sigma. The belt personnel are designated as white belts, yellow belts, green belts, black belts and master black belts, similar tojudo.

For each of these belt levels skill sets are available that describe which of the overall Lean Six Sigma tools are expected to be part at a certain Belt level. These skill sets provide a detailed description of the learning elements that a participant will have acquired after completing a training program. The level upon which these learning elements may be applied is also described

What are "Belts"?

A "Belt" signifies experience. Practitioners are given a "Belt" title (Black Belt, Green Belt, Yellow Belt) that corresponds to their level of experience.

This roughly corresponds to their hierarchy in martial arts, with darker colored belts indicating more experience (more training, more knowledge and skills).

Black Belt

A Black Belt has expert knowledge and skills related to the DMAIC methodology, Lean methods, and team leadership.

Black Belts should be able to lead any team across the organization in executing Lean Six Sigma projects. Black Belts may also conduct Lean Six Sigma training and act as coaches and mentors to other Belts-in-training.

Black Belt training can be obtained from a variety of sources but is typically between 140 and 160 hours in duration and includes instruction in the use of statistical data analysis, designed experiments, team leadership, and project management.

Black Belt Certification - the recognition of both knowledge and the practical application of skills - is offered by MoreSteam, the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and other organizations and consulting firms.

Green Belt

A Green Belt has strong knowledge and skills related to the DMAIC methodology and Lean methods, but typically does not have experience with advanced statistical tools such as design of experiments (DOE).

Green Belts may lead simple projects under the guidance of a Black Belt or may work as a team member on a large project team.

Green Belt training can be obtained from a variety of sources, but is typically less than 100 hours in duration and includes instruction in the basic use of statistical data analysis, with emphasis on team problem-solving techniques.

Green Belt Certification - the recognition of both knowledge and the practical application of skills - is offered by MoreSteam, the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and other organizations and consulting firms.

Yellow Belt

A Yellow Belt is trained in the general Lean Six Sigma concepts and basic tools.

A company deploying Lean Six Sigma may choose to designate project team members as Yellow Belts after completing a required training course, or may use the designation for employees responsible for data collection for a Green Belt or Black Belt project.

The Yellow Belt body of knowledge is defined quite differently by different organizations. In some cases, it may represent only the most basic concepts and language of Six Sigma, with an overview of the DMAIC process. In other cases, Yellow Belts are trained in a more complete set of basic tools, typically representing 15 to 25 hours of training.

Champion

A project Champion is a high-ranking manager who will work with a Black Belt to ensure that barriers to project success are removed and the project team has the organizational support it needs to be effective.

Champions are not expected to be experts in the statistical tools or even experts in the project's specific subject matter. Instead, they must possess a breadth of organizational knowledge to ensure that the project team's work is aligned with the organization's strategic objectives and interfaces effectively across the organization. A champion must also have the organizational clout to 'make things happen.'

White Belt

A White Belt has received a small amount (several hours) of awareness training. Enough to be dangerous!

Most White Belts are executives or staff who need to know the very basics of process improvement. White Belt training is used to assist change management and cultural buy-in from professionals who won't use the tools but may be impacted by projects.

The key principles of Lean Six Sigma

Lean Six Sigma is a powerful, proven method of improving business efficiency and effectiveness. In a nutshell, here are the key principles of Lean Six Sigma Business Transformation to bear in mind:

Application of lean sigma-

For example: The administration wants to increase maternity services by 25% by December 2016:

1.numbers of babies delivered and treated;

2.pre-natal and post-natal services, including high-risk pregnancies.

What measurement studies are needed

(numbers of pregnancies/deliveries per month for the past two years [January 2013-January 2015]); profitability studies; demographic studies; third-party reimbursement)?

What assessment protocols must be conducted

(numbers of normal and high-risk deliveries; cost/risk analyses; etc.)?

What improvement steps must be taken to reach this goal?

(cost analysis to build more ob-gyn facilities; high-risk equipment purchases; recruiting more board certified high-risk obstetricians, nurses, and staff, etc.)

Area

LEAN SIGMA TO INCREASE MATERNITY SERVICE BY 25 PERCENT

Objectives

Reduce waste

Create value

FOCUS

Value stream

Approach

Quality balance

Improvement

Continuous and Simultaneous

Typical goals

Reduce cost

Improve quality

Reduce cycle time

Reduce inventory

Improve delivery

Typical tools

Vaue stream mapping

Kaizen improvement

Error proofing

Moving to pull

Simple flow

Training

Quaity function deployement

Sometimes the answer is simple. Here the number of women choosing the hospital for their maternity services grew to a point where management nearly embarked on an expansion.

-Lean principles revealed that overcrowding was caused by unusually long waits after patients were discharged. The problem was resolved by adding a discharge nurse, which cut 10 hours off the average stay and eliminated the need for expansion.

Implementing Six Sigma to Fulfill the Strategic Plan

A major improvement was a new approach to issues. Instead of making assumptions about a problem, Six Sigma healthcare teams used their new knowledge and skills to gather and analyze real data and create sustainable solutions.

Work-Out sessions allowed staff to use common tools to create more focused and productive meetings, as well as make employees feel empowered to make decisions and manage change.

Areas identified for improvement included human resources, efficiency and growth, emergency department performance and patient satisfaction.

Tangible Results from Employing Six Sigma and Work-Out Principles Include:

These results have helped increase the enthusiasm for Lean Six Sigma in healthcare, and spurred ideas for new projects and inspired improved performance throughout Doctors Hospital.

Conclusion-