QualiBytes_01to20

qb What is Six Sigma ?

QualiByte Six Sigma is a structured problem solving methodology aimed at Reducing Variation and
Eliminating Wastes.
Your weekly Quality Nugget It is a management philosophy which backs a data driven approach in pursuit of perfection.
Six Sigma is a statistical expression denoting 3.4 defects per million opportunities.
1 Six Sigma concepts were pioneered by Motorola and GE in late 80s and 90s.
Process sigma level is a measure of its capability to deliver desired output consistently.
Watch this space for Most processes work at 2 to 3 sigma levels or 95-99% efficiency.
more such interesting If process needs to be taken to higher than 5 sigma levels, introduction of a high degree of
automation is required.
information. Dabbawallas of Mumbai are a classic example of a process running at Six Sigma levels.
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based on QualiByte
series.

Happy Learning !!

qb What is Quality ?

QualiByte In simple terms, “Absence of defects is Quality”.

Your weekly Quality Nugget A few other definitions and explanations of Quality are:
• Quality is ”The standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind;
2
the degree of excellence of something." E.g. in context of "an improvement in product
Watch this space for quality“ i.e. Class, Grade, Rank etc.
more such interesting • ISO 8402-1986 standard defines quality as "the totality of features and characteristics of a
product or service that bears its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs.“
information. • In manufacturing, quality is defined as “a measure of excellence or a state of being free
There will also be a quiz from defects, deficiencies and significant variations.”

based on QualiByte Remember, while we strive to make our processes deliver high quality products and services,
series. it is the Customer who defines Quality !

Happy Learning !!

qb What is Lean?

QualiByte “Lean" is a philosophy that considers the expenditure of resources in any aspect other than the direct

Your weekly Quality Nugget creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful and aims to improve the speed of the process by

3 elimination of wastes. 5 Principles of Lean

Watch this space for Henry Ford (Ford Motors) and Kiichiro Toyoda + Taichi Ohno Identify Customer Value Stream
more such interesting (Toyota Motors) were pioneers of Lean thinking. Define Customer Mapping : Map

information. Needs (Value) the current
There will also be a quiz process

based on QualiByte Eliminate Wastes Standardise work,
series. and create flow Define standard
WIP and Pace
Happy Learning !!
(Takt time)

Henry Ford learned the Ford used standardization of Design and implement
concept of moving parts resulting in faster
assembly line from •Kanban System
Slaughter House conversion of raw material into •Establish Pull
final goods. He called it “Flow •Line Balancing (Heijunka)

Production”

qb 1+1 = 11

QualiByte Surprised ? Yes, it is possible !! It is said that “Whole is greater than sum of the parts!”

Your weekly Quality Nugget Strength of Six Sigma is in reduction of variation and removal of defects.

4 Strength of Lean is in waste elimination and increasing speed of the process.

Watch this space for Imagine the combined power of these two effective concepts in form of “Lean Six Sigma” !!
more such interesting
Impact of combined approach is multifold and more sustainable compared to application of
information. individual approach.
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50% 50% 50%
based on QualiByte
series. 40% Lean Six Lean Six

Happy Learning !! 30% 40% 40%

Sigma Sigma

30% 30%
% IMPROVEMENT
% IMPROVEMENT
% IMPROVEMENT
20% 20% 20%

10% 10% 10%

0% 0% 0%
TIME TIME TIME

qb Who is a Customer?

QualiByte A customer is anyone who receives a product – either a good or a service – from an organization or a
department or an individual. Customers can be broadly categorised as:
Your weekly Quality Nugget
• Internal customers could be members of same department or a different department within the same
5 organization who requires your goods or services for performing their duties.

Watch this space for • External customers, on the other hand, are the entities outside your organization that actually buy or
more such interesting use your organization's products or services.

information. Want to develop a Customer Focused approach? Here’s how!!
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• Understand customers needs. Understand what features they would like to see in the product /
based on QualiByte service.
series.
• Find out how they measure success of your product / services.
Happy Learning !! • Understand how can you make their life easier through your product/ service offerings.
• Based on the above learnings, build the necessary characteristics into your product / services to

improve your offering and thus your equity.

qb What does a Customer want?

QualiByte It is the Customer who ultimately decide the value
of any product or service when they choose to
Your weekly Quality Nugget buy!!

6 Value as per customer depends upon Cost, Quality,
Features and Availability (CQFA) of a product /
Watch this space for Service.
more such interesting
Simply put - the Product / Service should meet
information. their expectations or needs.
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Noriaki Kano’s ‘Kano model’ is often used to
based on QualiByte analyse customer requirements. This model is
series. based on three categories of customer needs.

Happy Learning !! Needs Underlying message Approach to be taken
Threshold Must Have Include in product for sure
Performance Continue to increase utility
More is better Differentiate product vis-à-vis
Excitement
Surprise and Delight competition

qb What is Benchmarking?

QualiByte Benchmarking is the process of comparing the current process and performance metric with
the best within and outside the same industry to drive improvement.
Your weekly Quality Nugget Benchmarking can be basis Time, Cost, Quality, Resources utilized, Flexibility.
Some typical types of Benchmarking are-
7 • Process benchmarking: Operating systems like billing process, customer complaint process.
• Performance benchmarking: Product and service e. g. technical quality, service features.
Watch this space for • Project benchmarking: Project management e. g. techniques of planning, scheduling and
more such interesting
controlling.
information. You can review your own process / performance and compare them with best performing
There will also be a quiz processes within your own function, within SSO or even outside our organization.

based on QualiByte
series.

Happy Learning !!



qb What is CTQ?

QualiByte Critical To Quality or CTQs are those elements which are important to be achieved in order to
deliver what is critical to the customer or Critical to Customer Requirements (CCRs).
Your weekly Quality Nugget
CTQs may include the physical dimensions of height, width, depth, and weight or intangibles like
9 TAT, defect rate, accuracy etc.

Watch this space for CTQs can be identified by using tools like CTQ trees and VOC. CTQs are used to drill down broad
more such interesting customer requirements to more measurable and quantifiable elements.

information. CTQs need to be aligned with Critical To Process (CTPs) which are relevant from business point of
There will also be a quiz view. They are derived from Critical to Business requirements (CBRs) and Voice of the Business
(VOB). Such an alignment will give us a win-win situation.
based on QualiByte
series. VOC Customer CCR CTQ CTP CBR Business VOB
Issues Issues
Happy Learning !!
Can you look at your own process to identify CTQs?

qb Identifying a Six Sigma Project

QualiByte A Six Sigma Project involves dedicated team effort using Six Sigma methodology towards a
clear, definable purpose, usually specified in terms of costs, schedule, and performance
Your weekly Quality Nugget requirements.

10 Six Sigma Projects must be aligned closely to organizational objectives. A project is identified
as a collaborative effort of Champion and Black Belt. The exercise must start with comparing
Watch this space for the current performance with the desired state to create a list of gap areas.
more such interesting
Identifying Prioritising Selecting a Best Project
information. Project Ideas basis Org/Dept Project methodology initiation
A quiz based on
QualiByte series is Priorities chosen
coming soon.
Happy Learning !! Some of the sources of a project are Customer Surveys, Complaints, Competition
Benchmarking, VOC, Value Stream Mapping etc.

Can you look at your own process to see if you can identify a Hi-impact Six Sigma Project?

qb Six Sigma roles and responsibilities

QualiByte Success of a Six Sigma project depends upon the positive role play by all key members involved in it, which are
Champion, Process Owners, Master Black Belt , Black Belt, Green Belt and Team Members. Every role carries clear
Your weekly Quality Nugget responsibilities which can be broadly summarized as follows.

11 Champion / Sponsor Identifies individual Projects to achieve business goals. Provides resources, removes
roadblocks. Key Driver for Cultural transformation.
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more such interesting Master Black Belt Six Sigma technologist and internal consultant.
He promotes quality culture. Counsels Senior Managers and Black Belts.
information.
There will also be a quiz Process Owner A subject matter expert of the process. Directly receives the benefits of the project and
responsible to manage the improved process.
based on QualiByte
series. Black Belt A full time professional in Six Sigma. Uses Quality tools in facilitating problem solving
projects. Trains Green Belts and team members.
Happy Learning !!
Green Belt A part time professional who leads improvement projects, has 2 weeks training on the use
of basic statistical tools

Yellow Belt / Team Professional having awareness about Six Sigma methods. Has expertise relevant to the

Member project and Is part of team.

qb WhaAt ries yPoroucleissteMnianpgp?ing?

QualiByte In Six Sigma, a process is defined as a series of steps or actions performed to achieve a specific purpose. A process describes the
way things get done. Your work involves many processes.
Your weekly Quality Nugget
Process maps facilitates you to visualize the sequence of actions that comprise the process.
182
Depending on the detail of analysis required, there are three levels of process mapping (Think of these levels as you would see
Watch this space for something on ground when you are parachuting down from a plane):
more such interesting
Level 1: Macro Level Raw material Customer’s Process order Processed Customer
information. requirement Order
There will also be a quiz or SIPOC (3000 ft.) supplier Increasing Detail

based on QualiByte Level 2: Process Approach Coounter Order Burger Want fries with No Want a drink? No Pay
series. Flow Diagram or PFD burger?
(50 ft.)
Happy Learning !! Yes Yes

Order Fries Order drink

Level 3: Detailed Process Inputs (KPIVs)
Level or Micro Level
Listing of Steps (0 ft.) Process Step VA/ NVA Input Type of Input Characteristic of Input C/N Spec
Processing Order VA Burger Type C Medium
Process Sa l t C More

Process Carrot

qb SIPAOreC?yoWuhalitsties nSiInPgO?C?

QualiByte A SIPOC methodology is in effect a high level process map. The idea behind the SIPOC methodology is to view each
process as a different organization in itself. Each process therefore has its own suppliers, inputs and corresponding
Your weekly Quality Nugget customers and outputs. First, lets have a quick review of the elements of a SIPOC -

183 Supplier Input Process Output Customer

Watch this space for Entity that provides All that is used to Steps or activities carried One or more outcomes or Entity that uses the
more such interesting input(s) to a process produce out to convert inputs to one physical products output(s) of a
process.
information. one or more outputs or more outputs. (5 to 7 emerging from a process.
There will also be a quiz from a process. steps)

based on QualiByte A SIPOC diagram can be the springboard to other critical activities in process improvement. In particular, it can be used
series. as the starting point for,
1. Identifying sources of variation
Happy Learning !! 2. Metric identification - OLA (Input) KPI, SLA (Output) KPI
3. Determining a relationship between the variables
4. Generate improvement opportunities and projects
5. Create control plans
A variant of SIPOC - “Integrated SIPOC” links all components of a SIPOC together. You know exactly which inputs go into
which process steps, which suppliers are providing you which inputs, which process steps generate which outputs. The
advantage of this variant is help in identification of how to control and monitor this process going forward.

qb TAr ue syt otuh el i sPtreonciensgs?!

QualiByte Yes, BUT you will trust your process only when you know it properly. Process Flow Diagram is a graphical
representation of a process and a great tool to understand its steps thoroughly. A flow chart provides a
Your weekly Quality Nugget common framework, discipline and language, allowing a systematic way of depicting the Business processes.

184Document Simple as well as complex interactions between various Start / End Document
stakeholders can be represented in a logical, highly visible and
Watch this space for objective way by use of Process maps.
more such interesting
It helps defining where issues or improvement opportunities Process Step Decision
information. exist. It also helps in faster and effective decision making
KTeheepreRweaildl ianlgso, QbueaaliQquuiizz process.

wbiallsebde oconmQiunagliaBgyatien Various shapes are placed in a sequence to denote process Sub- Database
sseoroiens!. steps. Visual representation helps in better comprehension of process
the flow of information and data.
Happy Learning !! Sample Flow Chart Shapes
Try to create a map of your process using this symbols. You will
surely understand it better and more importantly – trust it!

qb D r i l l i n g Adroew nyotuh el iPsrtoecneisnsgF?u r t h e r…

QualiByte • If you need to study the process in more detail than Flow Chart, Input Output (I/O) Worksheet is used to Track Input
used in each Process Step, which gives a micro-level view of the process.
Your weekly Quality Nugget
• The I/O Worksheet is constructed to provide details for each process activity that makes up the target process.
185Document • Each activity in the process uses some or all of the process "Inputs“ including Supplied Components, Resources, and

Watch this space for Management Controls.
more such interesting • Any of the Input factors (or X's) might influence process performance, and hence, must be recorded.

information. Sample Input
KTeheepreRweaildl ianlgso, QbueaaliQquuiizz Output Worksheet

wbiallsebde oconmQiunagliaBgyatien Remember:
sseoroiens!. • One process step could have one / more input(s) of some / all of the types
• Types of Inputs are selected from dropdown menu in the prescribed template
Happy Learning !! • One Input would have one / multiple characteristic(s) relevant for the Y. Hence, specifications are key to get desired

output.

qb Different Data Types / Measurement Scales

QualiByte • Being data driven is key characteristic of Six-Sigma problem solving methodology. Hence, it is important to

Your weekly Quality Nugget understand data and data types properly.
• Data is set of qualitative or quantitative variables, usually in a raw or unorganised form.
16 • There are Four type of Data or scales of Data Measurement as explained below:

Watch this space for Increasing Information Data Types Description Examples
more such interesting Nominal Discrete, Unordered Categorical Data Pass/Fail, Brown/Black,
Ordinal No interval information, Data points Male/Female, Yes/No,
information. Interval can be counted Attribute Data, Present/Absent
There will also be a quiz Ratio Discrete, Ordered Categorical Data Good/Better/Best,
No interval information, Data points Small/Med/Large
based on QualiByte can be counted Likert Scales, Scale of 1 to 5
series. Continuous, data can be measured Profit
Equal intervals; No absolute ZERO Temperature
Happy Learning !! Where ZERO does not mean absence Delay in schedule
Continuous, data can be measured Time
Equal intervals; Absolute ZERO Length
Where ZERO means absence Pressure, Concentration

qb Population V/S Sample

QualiByte First a Fact: In most instances, it is not practically possible to analyse all information or data points we may
have. Challenges we face while studying all data points are :
Your weekly Quality Nugget
• Its too expensive. Population SAMPLE OF SIZE THREE
17 • Its too time-consuming.
• It can be destructive (e.g., taste tests).
Watch this space for
more such interesting But there is a way out. Lets see how.

information. In statistics the term “Population” means all members of a defined group that we are studying or
There will also be a quiz collecting information on for data driven decisions.

based on QualiByte A part of the population is called a ”Sample”. It is a proportion of the population, a slice of it, a part of it
series. but has all its characteristics. A sample is a scientifically drawn group that actually possesses the same
characteristics as the population.
Happy Learning !!
Sampling is process of collecting a portion of all the data and then using that portion to draw conclusions
or make inferences. Hence, sampling is an effective technique to draw sound conclusions from a relatively
small amount of data.

qb Choose Wisely : Sampling Methods

QualiByte Selection of Sampling method is very critical in collecting correct information about the population being analyzed.
Based on approach, sampling methods are broadly classified into two heads:
Your weekly Quality Nugget
a. Probability Sampling: where sample is selected strictly by chance and all the possible samples have the same
18 chance of being selected.

Watch this space for b. Non-Probability Sampling: sample selection is not strictly by chance and sample selection is such that some
more such interesting possible samples have higher chance of being selected. However, there is higher chance of biased samples.

information. A few types of sampling methodologies are as under:
There will also be a quiz
Probability Sampling Non Probability Sampling
based on QualiByte Simple Random: Sample is chosen randomly from a Convenience Sampling: Sample is chosen based on proximity,
series. given population convenience or accessibility.
Judgmental Sampling: Sample is chosen from a cluster which
Happy Learning !! Stratified Random: Population is stratified & Number as per the judgment of researcher, represents the population.
of Samples chosen from each stratified areas is such Quota Sampling: Sample is chosen from each cluster to
that they are proportional to the population. represent the cluster irrespective of its proportion in
population.
Snowball Sampling: Sample is chosen if it meets certain
criteria required for analysis.

qb Don’t fail to plan!

QualiByte It is vital to have a proper data collection plan in place before starting any analysis. Check sheet: Recording
counts or readings on
Your weekly Quality Nugget The focus of data collection plan is: “Gathering data that gives as much information as check sheets or forms.
possible on the current process so as to fully understand both how it works and how well it
19 works”. Checklist: Very useful
for inspecting
Watch this space for Following are critical elements for a successful data collection plan :
more such interesting machinery or validating
• Operational definition of the data to be collected: Specific data that is needed and / auditing the
information. rationale for collecting the data. It must be aligned clearly with problem on hand. checkpoints.
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• Methodology for the data collection plan with consensus from all the stakeholders Automated data
based on QualiByte involved. Sources to be clearly defined and cost effective measurement system to be put capturing: Directly from
series. in place where required. a measuring device to a

Happy Learning !! • No. of observations needed to capture natural variability and seasonal variations of data. database.
Time period, interval to be decided.
Sample Data
• Execution: Clear and easily understandable SOPs must be prepared for data collection. Collection Tools
The plan has to be monitored to ensure consistent and accurate execution.

• Post collection checking: Collected data to be checked to see that it is reasonable,
reproducible, repeatable, accurate and stable.

But do remember – Data by itself is useless, it is useful only if you apply it.