Build Business Improvement Support by Accelerating Projects

Using an accelerated approach, projects can take as little as one week to complete. This requires good planning, participation by the key stakeholders and a commitment to rapidly working through the DMAIC logic to make sustainable improvements to process performance.

For many middle and senior managers who are considering business improvement initiatives, the thought of committing resources to a three- or four-month Six Sigma project can be a daunting. Many managers feel they are already working “flat out” and don’t have the people to spare.

Others understand the reality that projects can sometimes stretch out to eight or 12 months, as team members are periodically withdrawn from project work to take on other tasks within the organization. As projects take longer and longer to complete, the credibility of the improvement initiative begins to erode, and even the project team leaders themselves can start to lose their desire to finish the project work.

However, something can be done to minimize the chance of this occurring. By following an accelerated approach, involving highly structured and dedicated team meetings, practitioners can work to keep their projects within a reasonable time frame, and in turn build support for their Six Sigma deployment.

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