Project blog Control phase.docx

7/28/2019 Project blog Control phase.docx

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Lean Six Sigma - Control Phase

As with any Six Sigma project the time and energy spent investigating and identifying process

improvements can be short lived if they are not consolidated into the daily routine and standard

operating procedures. There are a number of initiatives that can assist with this transition and imbed

the new arrangements into the way things are done around here.

In the course of this project we identified 3 main input areas for investigation and improvement

Man, Method & Machine.

In terms of improvement to the Method we reviewed and updated the standard operating

procedures, work instructions, checklists, flowcharts and process maps to reflect best practice and

most especially assign responsibilities which appeared to have been blurred overtime.

A detailed training program has been rolled out to all process personnel to understand their new

responsibilities. This formal training has facilitated the communication of these methods,

procedures, and responsibilities and is supported by a buddy system for each Filler operator upon

completion of the classroom material.

There is no doubt that the investment in the machine played a significant part in the process

improvement and is crucial in sustaining or improving process performance in the future. There are a

number of internal and external factors that will influence this in the future including budgetary

constraints, market conditions, capacity / demand etc.

As with most business related projects they will eventually be evaluated in financial terms, is there a

payback / return on investment? While the initial findings are very encouraging the predicted impact

of the improvements, the project deliverables will be continually verified, especially the financial

return. For this project the metric is very transparent raw material yield.

Standardisation & Visual Management:

While the scope of this project was confined to the activities associated with Line 2 it is intended

that Lean Six Sigma would be deployed across the plant. As a pilot project it not only had to be

successful it needed to make a visual statement.


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This performance information is on general display and has generated considerable interest as the

performance of Line 2 has improved.

In addition to being very visual it also depicted the metrics by which success or failure was measuredand this is understood by everybody in the plant.

While the organisation had a 5S programme in place prior to this project commencing it had lost

some momentum. The Line 2 team revamped the display board below and conducted a Red Tag

event to tidy up the area.


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On-going Process Control:

While we continue to collect process data on a daily basis and plot it against the revised control

chart developed in the Improve phase it was felt that we needed a more immediate response

mechanism. The control chart highlights process variation over time and will be particularly useful in

detecting machine wear which is a significant determinant of variation in our process.

Pre-Control:

In order to avoid tampering with the process we have adapted a technique originally developed by

Dorian Shainin in the 1950s for controlling a process based on tolerances. The Filler operators have

been shown how to use this technique for verification purposes in order to determine if they should

adjust the bowl pressure on the filler. Again, it has been added to the existing QA sampling process

whereby samples are taken every 30 minutes for testing. For this purpose the tolerance has been

determined as 2010 & 1990, upper & lower respectively. In reality the operator will only make an

adjustment if output falls into the red zones. To date the emphasis has been on the upper zone as

historically the tendency has been to over-fill each unit.


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Reconstructed from diagram in Six Sigma Handbook (Thomas Pyzdek)

The image below is the control panel for the Filler and the pressure dial on the right hand side

indicates bowl pressure and can be adjusted by the operator if needed. Increasing the pressure

expands the bottle therefore increasing the amount of product filled and vice versa.

The heart of the mother ship!


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Line 2 Filler Carousel (96 positions)

Line 2 Filler Workstation


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The revised procedures and machine settings are filed in the holder top left and immediately

available to the operator. The sampling results and any adjustments are recorded in the log book in

the bottom left of the image.

Hand-over & Transition

While a project has a defined start and finish date in most instances there is life after the project has

been formally accepted by the sponsor and stakeholders. Very few projects have no on-going

activities that need to be monitored or controlled in some way and this project is no different.

Indeed it is not always possible to close out each issue before the project is formally close and we

have a number of open issues detailed in the issues log. The responsibility for completing these tasks

has been assigned to the project champion.

Control Plan:

The Control Plan has been used to develop the methods of control and to ensure that all potential

sources of variation are addressed.

This provides an overview of the activities that will be employed on a daily / weekly basis to ensure

that the key process characteristics are controlled through communication, detection and or

prevention.

The Control Plan recognises that the process drivers must be controlled in order to reduce process

variation and therefore consistently improve the process output.


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Key characteristics:

- Specifications- Measurements- Sample size- Sample frequency- Analytical tools- Reaction rules adjustments / who should be informed

A key part of the control stage is to continually monitor the effects of the process improvement. The

team is fully aware that this is a critical part of the DMAIC and should not be neglected if control is to

be achieved and maintained

Experience & Conclusions:

Firstly, I would like to thank the staff and management for letting me participate in this project. The

over-all experience has been hugely rewarding and I have made some good friends. I am particularly

pleased to have been allowed joined the golf society.

There are a number of tangible benefits that will accrue to the organisation in the months and years

to come which can be described in financial terms. But I would suggest that the greatest benefit if

properly exploited with be power of using multi-disciplined teams to focus on core issues. This

project has provided the vehicle for staff to make a contribution beyond their immediate area of

responsibility in a risk free supportive environment.

On a personal level it has allowed me to put into practice some of the Lean Six Sigma tools and

techniques I have learnt in an academic environment into a real work life situation.

Project blog Control phase.docx

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