Does DMAIC Work in a Fire-Fighting Situation?

Dear Captious:

My experience in a similar circumstance has been that Six Sigma works even in a rush situation ... in fact, it works even better!

All that you might miss out in a "quick fix", non-structured approach will easily get addressed using the DMAIC approach. Otherwise, you will (and I can bet on it) miss out on some critical part that was the real reason(s) why you are missing out on meeting your customers' objectives.

If you need specifics, I would be glad to answer those in specifics.

Thanks and regards,

Harjot

What you have described is part of the containment strategy,which is typically identified

in the define phase of the DMAIC methodology!

This action stops the bleeding,but is not necessarily the piloted solution!

Keep It Simple,

PF, CE/with C,N,X and SOP. You will "Define" the problem areas very quickly as you "stop the bleeding". Then continue MAIC.

Process Flow, Cause & Effect and Standard Operating Procedures: The KISS method works.

Marty

 

I was told the story from a blackbelt that a chemical plant that manufactured acetominifen, which should by white like Tylenol, started having product come out with a yellow color.  Chemically, it was OK, but the customer expectation is not yellow.  All shipments had to cease, thus the firefighting started.  A team was put together to analyze all of the possible things that could cause the yellow color.  Management decided to do all of them, which included replacing very expensive valves, etc.  The problem was fixed, but no knowledge was gained about the process.

A month later, the yellow color came back.  Choices would be to go through the expensive process of replacing everything for production, or to use DMAIC.  The 2nd choice was done this time and it was discovered that the yellow color would be gone by adding an inexpensive and save chemical at a certain point in the process.

The point is that fire-fighting can stop bleeding at an immediate cost, but there is also a long-term cost of the problems happening again.  DMAIC, which may take a little longer up-front, thus costing you in the present, will more than pay for itself in the future.

If you need firefighting, don't assume the fix is permanent when the fire goes out.  The point is that the fire doesn't really go out and smolders to come back another day.

Marty,

Help me w/ some defintions if you could...C, N, X & SOP...

(C)ontrollable, (N)on-controllable, X???, (S)tandard (O)perating (P)rocedure

All types of inputs to process steps?

Thanks,

Deets

Captious,

There is always the obligation to protect your customer. In a firefighting situation there may be more drastic or urgent steps taken than if you were in a situation where the customer was not at risk.

As far as it not working in a firefight? Lets see do I need to clearly define the problem (measure)? Yes. Do I need to identify potential causes (analyze)? Yes. Do I need to improve the problem (Improve)? Yes. Do I need to control the problem (Control)? Yes. The steps seem to fit so maybe the tools don't work in a firefight? Near as I can tell addition, subtraction, addition and division work in a firefight so the tools should still work.

Maybe you need to take a look and see if it works for you in a non-firefighting situation. The root cause might be something different than your original hypothesis.

Like I said before. I worked for a guy named Marty Rayl who kept a mirror on his office wall. Frequently he would stand us infront of the mirror so we could get a better look at the potential root cause.

Good luck.

Mike,

I love the story about the mirror in Marty's office.  At the risk of being intrusive, where did the two of you work together?

Thanks,

Deets

fire fighting is the old way of doing business. Usually however you have the attention of the entire facility to make it happen. Take that opportunity to gather the data you need put out the fire, then come back to the process for the remainder of your improvment efforts.

Hi,

Speaking of utilizing DMAIC in a fire fighting situation.  Let us look at it this way and this might clear things up.  In the first training wave a Black Belt takes a typical 4-6 month to complete training as well as project closure till they handover to the stakeholders. 

Then when they get on the ssecond project obviously the management is not going to sit around and wait for a 4-6 month but the Black Belt himself (herfself) can click through in less than 2 months.  When they get really good at this it should not last longer than 30 days for a manufacturing type problem resolution and maybe 15 for a transactional type likewise.

The message is why do we need to run everything under the banner of DMAIC painted all over the organization.  Use the tools and fix the problem.  Your hindrance is not the resistance to six sigma the tools, meetings etc but the availability of data that you can get your hands on and the availability of downtime for a DOE (design of experiments) if need be and some budget to cover those expenses if you do create some defective parts.  In th etransactional area it money is never an issue unless product defects are expected.

Thus let the tools and DMAIC rigor become a background drop and the change in behavior (using data to make decisions) take priority.  Then you come across a person who can solve problem regardless of (fire fighting or normal) rather than someone who needs the official banner of the DMAIC wave. 

Maybe you are doing this and if you are that is the best approach and works all the time as you are cutting on cycle time for the formality to kick in. 

I recall one message a senior VP provided even before Six Sigma in GE.  This Belgium guy said "if you are investing time on anything that is Non Value Added (example ppt slides) before you close the project YOU are wasting time." 

Thus all tools used need to be done with the minimum time and maximum impact.  I suggest that the team does it on paper, scratch a map, complete an FMEA, plan the MSA on paper and execute it.  One conclusion could be (especially in a fire fighting situation) staying away from fancy charts and ppt slides while you are in the D, M, A, I and C phases.  Do it when the customer's issue has been resolved or at a time when it comes across as truly value added. 

I have heard several people complain that they can't get their FMEA's or process maps or project reviews done on time due the heavy complexity on excel or ppt or visio etc.  That is because they have forgotten to apply the lean techniques to their own process.

This is a clear example of NVA activity when the problem resolution needs our attention. 

So DMAIC should work in any situation if it is done with a "Lean" mentality behind it such as eliminating the 7 elements of waste in your fire fighting situation and you have to get there with a major learning for your team who comes along.  This would be a great way to demonstrate your lean tool box utility.

Good luck!

Shree

This question goes back to the old debate of adapting the methodology to your project or your project the methodology.  Precede DMAIC with something like GE’s Workout ™ will give you the quick hit that firefighting often times requires but will also identify the long term approach of fixing the problem for good.  We often time get into the firefighting mode which invokes the old adage, “We never have time to do it right but we always have time to do it over!”  Adapting your project to a quick DMAIC methodology gives you the rigor of the process to drive to root cause.

 

Bill Vermilyea

Strategic Solutions Exchange Group

Deets,

Marty (Dr. Martin Rayl) was an original piece of work. Looked like an adult size Papa Smurf. He was the Director of Quality, Motorola Automotive and Industril Electronics, Northbrook, Illinois.

As painful as it was from time to time, the story is true.

Let me give you another Marty story. When you sat in a meeting and brought up an issue with someone else in the room, Marty would ask if you had discussed it with them prior to the meeting (tried to resolve it without his help). If not it was what he called a "shit ball." You didn't get to throw shit balls in Marty's meetings and for those political snipers who tried to grandstand in front of him they always came out worse no matter what the issue. Best Guy I ever worked for.

Thanks.

Mike,

I always appreciate the "gems" that people find in the course of their work.  The stories about Marty are much appreciated and applicable as well!

Deets

Hi ! Harjot

Could your please cite some examples on DMAIC working in fire fighting situations.

Best Regards

Hamid

In about 1984 Bob Galvin noted that he could make more money by selling off Motorola SPS and putting the money in a Savings and Loan. Later, Schroeder and others presented the Five Imperatives, which were based on the original DMAIC process.

There are several stages to resolve urgent business issues (fires.)  DMAIC advocates using a focused approach and creating a control environment that is consistent with the organizational risk appetite. 

Stage 1:  Containment - Action taken to repair the immediate event. The goal of this work is to mitigate damage from the event.

Stage 2: Preventative - Action taken to prevent recurrence of the condition noted in the event.  There are three levels of preventative action:

     Inspection (level 1) inspect and remove the cause when it happens.

     Warning (level 2) flag the cause condition and take action to avoid its recurrence.

     Elimination (level 3) remove the root cause - "mistake proofing"

Obviously, the effectiveness of the preventative action is better as the level increases.  Each organization chooses the risks it takes either consciously or unconsciously; as a Black Belt one of your roles is to help the organization understand the risks it is taking or preventing when an action is chosen.