Special projects
STEPS
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There are several acronyms on offer for the steps any special improvement project should follow
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However, each offers much the same steps – for example:
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DMAIC from Six Sigma = Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control
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PDCA from Dr Edwards Deming = Plan, Do, Check, Amend
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SREDIM from R. M. Currie and Work Study = Select, Record, Examine, Develop, Implement, Maintain
Organisation level projects:
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At organisation level, productivity improvement involves much more than squeezing the most out of existing resources
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It looks for opportunities to launch new products or services, to open up new markets or segments, or to restructure the business in some other major way
Process level projects:
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In most organisations, especially in the services sector where less attention has been paid to it than in manufacturing, the productivity of most processes could be improved by at least 20%, and many by over 50%
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In a majority of cases, it is the system or process that offers the potential for productivity improvement, not the workers employed – so the scope and means to exploit this potential should always be studied first, before consideration is given to ‘letting go’ workers
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There’s many approach options available for improving processes and tasks – some are more likely than others to produce the results required – cost benefit analyses (CBAs) of those short listed should always ensure they have proven track records
Task level projects:
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There are usually many different tasks involved within one whole process
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Often, the biggest sources of improvement lie between, not within, individual tasks, especially with waste of (paid) effort spent on work which is not RFT – Right First Time
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And it can make more sense to keep a task team idle rather than have it produce more for stock when there’s no more demand for it, say
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Equally, there’s little point reducing, never mind optimising, the time taken per task if it makes virtually no difference to an overall ‘order cycle time’
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But that doesn’t mean that productivity of a specific task doesn’t matter
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Why so?
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Because:
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Some tasks cost a lot to complete, so any improvement could be useful
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Some are on a process’s critical path and, if not ready to receive or supply work, will delay all others and have a major impact on the overall order cycle time
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Some work slower than expected, and so reduce overall capacity
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Some produce a high % of rework or rejects, further reducing overall process capacity and increasing costs
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Hence, there’s many approach options available to improve task level productivity – but some are more likely than others to produce the results required
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