8 Steps To Problem Solving by Mohit Sharma Book Review

This month’s book review focuses on 8 Steps to Problem Solving Six Sigma authored by Mohit Sharma

There was a need for me of a practical guidebook that would be of use to update my knowledge about the Six Sigma Black Belt Course. Additionally, it should also serve as a handy reference while doing a Black Belt project. I was convinced that this was the book I was looking for after reading Ankur Tyagi's review followed by a short discussion on the book with him.

Thus far, I have read and practiced the concepts from the first four chapters of the book, namely up until the chapter on Define the Project.

Listed below are some of the strengths of the book as I have observed them

• This book, despite being written on a topic as complex as Six Sigma Black Belt, is written in an easy and understandable language. 

• The book provides an explanation of each concept through a series of examples and case studies. Therefore, it will be possible for you to relate the examples to the material presented. I found this aspect of the book to be the most appealing.

• Each chapter concludes with a series of questions posed by the author to the reader. Before moving on to the next chapter, I distilled my key learnings from the chapter by answering those questions. This helped me retain the knowledge.

• The author outlines various do's and don'ts that Black Belts should follow while executing projects. By following these tips, you will be able to complete the project steps effectively and efficiently.

As a result of reading the chapters so far, I have learned or gained some insights as follows

• The customer will always present you with a practical problem; convert it into a statistical statement and thus it becomes a quality improvement or six sigma project.

• As a Black Belt (BB), it is their responsibility to help the customer reach his or her objectives but not necessarily to follow the instructions of the customer. There is a need for BB's to look at the problem differently, and that is what adds quality.

• For a project, the metric selected should be the smallest unit of the process since when the smallest unit is set correctly, the entire process will be correct as well. Make sure that you are working on direct metrics rather than derived metrics.

• One of the most important concepts of Six Sigma is to understand the relationship between Project Y and X, impacting the Y. If we refer to equation Y=F(X), Y is a dependent variable and X is an independent variable. If we change X, Y will be impacted.

• Although there is no set rule on how deep Black Belts can drill down into a drill-down tree to reach specific, actionable, measurable project metrics, it is generally advisable to drill down to at most five levels.

• The COPIS acronym stands for Customer, Output, Process, Input, and Supplier. Previously, it was known as SIPOC.

With my continued reading of the book, I will share more insights and key takeaways as I progress with my project.

Book Summary Quality Fables 2: Next 25 Lessons Learn't Revealed

In Quality Fables, real experiences and real people are the basis for the stories. Essentially, they are narratives that highlight a significant point or lesson learned from an interaction.

Following my reading of Quality Fables 1, I am now sharing the next 25 lessons that stand out to me most from Quality Fables 2 by Suresh Lulla Sir.

26) A simple solution can solve a complex problem

27) It is imperative that every leader visits customers to understand Fitness for Use (FFU).

28) It is the consultant's role to facilitate structured thinking within an organization, not solve the organization's issues

29) Corporate responsibility extends to quality

30) Improve quality of life for workers and deliver dignity to them through quality improvement projects

31) A leader must ultimately be held accountable for the performance of the product on the ground

32) A quality management system can be used to meet challenges

33) Best practices from one industry must be analyzed and adapted for applications in another

34) An effective quality improvement team should include everyone affected by the problem

35) Quality management systems such as ISO 9001 can be implemented only when process stability is achieved

36) In a market with higher supply than demand, quality thrives

37) Risk assessments should include support services as well

38) If quality improvement projects are linked to strategic goals, breakthrough results can be achieved

39) It is essential that upper management has first-hand experience with waste

40) Make sure each team member is committed to diagnosing and resolving the problem

41) Every change in business environment should be tracked to determine customer buying behavior

42) Quality is centered on the customer. As a result, it thrives in a competitive environment

43) A relentless pursuit of perfection drives leaders to look for out-of-the-box solutions

44) Every action taken by a company expresses what it stands for

45) Customer loyalty is built on customer service

46) Customer trust is the foundation of repeat business, and quality is about establishing that trust

47) Problem solving training should be mandatory for the entire organization

48) A quality system reduces errors, time, and costs

49) Instead of focusing on training as a strategic goal, it is best to focus on it as a means to achieve strategic goals

50) Educate the purchase department about process capability studies

25 lessons that stood out to me the most after reading Quality Fables 1 by Suresh Lulla

1) Customer focus is a must-do for companies, it’s no longer a choice

2) Managers who meet customers gain the best education

3) Customers are lifeblood of any business, so it is vital to keep a customer-focused culture for survival and success. Every manager should hear voice of the customer at the end of the day

4) Employees of any level can delight customers

5) You need to first gain people's commitment before you can change their behavior

6) Leading by example will earn trust of your employees

7) Aim to communicate with target audience in a unique way
8) See the problem for yourself

9) The intelligence gathered in the field plays a crucial role in all subsequent activities

10) In order to plan strategically, we must schedule priorities. In order to plan operationally, we must prioritize tasks

11) A low failure rate can hide a high cost of poor quality (COPQ)

12) Get Head of Finance's support when you want to implement a company-wide quality management system. The COPQ is equal to the profit or even more for an organization. It is possible for the Head of Finance to give Quality Management a boost

13) Purpose of Quality Control is to correct mistakes we might make when fires occur sporadically. Quality Control requires reactive skills. Reducing chronic high costs & poor quality is the goal of quality improvement, and it requires proactive skills

14) By improving quality, the costs associated with poor quality and customer dissatisfaction can be reduced

15) Having a large after-sales service department implies asking if the product or service is reliable and of high quality. The solution lies in improving processes, thereby reducing costs

16) The by-product of quality improvement is cost reduction

17) The key concepts in the training are internalized when training starts at the top

18) It is important for leaders to have the ability to teach, coach, and counsel others

19) To get better at anything, study what the world-class do. There may be others who have already solved the same or a similar problem. This is benchmarking. Whenever we want to improve something, we need to be "different" in the way we do it. This is innovation

20) A deep understanding of a topic is necessary to answer a question accurately

21) Defy the standard, do away with cost centers

22) Belief in Quality is a religion in Japan, and the Japanese work towards zero defects

23) Japanese think ‘process and systems’

24) It is an art to listen. Even a guru encourages feedback from his students

25) Reputation should not be sacrificed to make profit reports, A company with principles will safeguard its reputation. Reputation is a brand's guardian

Book Review Enigma of Lean Demystifying Mysteries of Lean. Author – NC Narayanan

 After Learning Six Sigma, Lean was next on my list. So, when I read details about this book on social media, its fascinating title, and the fact that this book also discussed about RMAOR approach to implementing Lean in an organization, I decided that had to read this book. This book was my introduction to the subject of Lean.

Best part that I liked about the book is it’s highly structured & organized content. Author has written the book in a simple & easy to understand language. The book starts with Why adopt Lean followed by how Continuous Improvement (CI) & Quality Philosophy evolved. It also introduces the readers to Lean Thinking & Evolution of Lean. There is also a chapter dedicated on Myths of Lean.

In part 2 of the book, the author proposes a new methodology for lean application called RMAOR (Recognise - Map & Measure - Analyze - Optimize - Repeat) with step by step roadmap and tools and techniques that can be applied. Six Sigma makes use of the DMAIC problem-solving framework, but Lean does not. Hence RMAOR approach is proposed by the author.

By reading this book, it helped gain clarity on concept of Lean and how it is different from Six Sigma.

The key learnings from the book that I want to share with you are: 

• Lean is a strategy for reengineering an entire organization for breakthrough improvements. In many cases, lean interventions are performed with tools, but there are no ways to do things or beliefs, which is why organizations don't see any lasting results. A lean approach is more than a tool; it is a philosophy that is applied through methods and tools to accomplish a company's financial goals. 

• Implementing 5S, Kaizen, and TPM on the shop floor may serve as a good starting point to enroll and involve people in continuous improvement culture, but may not have any breakthrough effects. Only when Lean is applied as a top-down organizational strategy to gain a formidable competitive position does it enhance profitability and growth.

• Six Sigma minimizes variation and defects, while Lean improves manufacturing/service efficiency. Many organizations solve a single problem at a time with one tool, like six sigma. Such approaches do not last long and yields only marginal improvements.

• The main challenges in implementing Lean are cultural changes rather than technical ones. During the transformation process, leaders and change agents must ask, “What are the expected outcomes?” as well as “Why is the transformation necessary?” before taking action to transform the organization. The choice of the ideology, methodology and tools should follow, after answering the above-mentioned questions.

In my opinion, the book offers a comprehensive understanding of Lean and is a great way to learn more about it and thus gain new skills.

Healthcare’s Evolving Role in Service Excellence.

On 23^rd July 2022, attended a session organized by Service Knowledge Base (SKB) on Healthcare’s Evolving Role in Service Excellence. Speaker was Netra Tandon, Head Service Excellence, Aster DM Healthcare.

The key takeaways are:

Service Excellence is a value system on which the success of any brand depends. Creating a unique patient experience will allow hospitals not only to win the game, but it will allow them to change the rules of the game altogether. Service is valued more especially by a healthcare customer, who is willing to pay 4X the price. Recent studies say emotions play a larger role than analysis in service settings. Decisions of patients to choose hospitals are 70% emotion based - trust, transparency, confidence, integrity, etc.

A successful Service Excellence framework is to establish a formal voice of the customer program, document and deliver on service standards, hire the right talent, equip employees to deliver on excellence, and create valuable and memorable experiences.

Every customer journey & feedback is unique. It is very important to know what customer is saying about the healthcare service provider. This can be achieved e.g. by senior leaders performing “Manager on Duty” roles at IPD, and OPD intermittently to know what the customer is saying. Customer Experience is the key to exceeding customers’ expectations in the Healthcare sector. Business leaders need advanced analytics, the ability to deeply understand customers, get insights, and tell compelling stories. Technology plays a great role in healthcare - establishing communication touch points e.g. text messages indicating the status of reports, automatic reminders for the next appointment with the doctor, etc. it’s also about continuity of care once a patient leaves the hospital so they have a quality outcome. These are called PROMs (Patient Reported Outcome Measurement) and PREMs (Patient Reported Experience Measurement). From there, patients can more proactively drive their own wellness plans.

As a customer or patient-focused business, healthcare employees must live and breathe company values, be committed to helping customers solve problems, and be willing to go above and beyond to serve their needs. To achieve service excellence, total employee involvement, teamwork & active cross-functional participation is very important.

Service Recovery - Winning Back a Customer is very important for Healthcare Sector. Healthcare has adopted many best practices from the hospitality industry. Service Wallet is one such concept wherein a frontline employee can spend a certain amount in a day without waiting for approval from seniors to enhance the service experience. A small gesture like sending a bouquet of flowers with an apology note goes a long way.

How do you know if your customer service is living up to customer expectations? The answer is in KPIs. Some Key Performance Indicators in Service Excellence Journey for Healthcare Sector are C-SAT, NPS, Customer Retention Score, Average Resolution Time, Complaint Escalation Rate, Customer Effort Score, People Competency Development, Develop Effective / Efficient Quality Management System.

Why Service Excellence is required in Healthcare? Health industry and its components owe it to the clients they have decided to serve. With excellent, value-based services, there will be more clients, and there will be maximal utilization of services, resulting in enough revenues and income to continue to operate and to expand when and as needed. An advice for those who will manage Service Excellence in hospitals - the journey should start early and one has to be very perseverant as there are a lot of challenges and new things to learn.

The session concluded with the speaker recommending a few books to read on service excellence. They are Service Culture Handbook by Jeff Toister, Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsien, Be our Guest by Theodore Kini, Human Sigma by Jim Asplund & John Fleming.

Corporate lessons from political happenings in Maharashtra

1.  Top Boss must be accessible to ALL: MLAs rebelled due to inaccessible CM.
2. Wrong business Alliances can break your company: SS entered into an alliance which was against the political ideology. Cultural integration became an issue, ultimately failed.
3. If unemployed, be ready to accept one level down position: Devendra Fadanvis assumed the post of Deputy CM after serving as the CM in his last stint.
4. Experience is superior to the inheritance: 2/3 of the MLAs supported Mr. Shinde who is a home grown talent of the party over the political heirs of Late Shri Balasaheb Thackeray.
5. Do not neglect your middle management: a neglected middle manager can be the future CEO of another company.
6. When the other party needs an alliance: negotiate hard- NCP and INC grabbed meaty portfolios in previous govt. They were aware about the shorter life span of the alliance.
7. CEO can't be on WFH.
8. Never underestimate your competition no matter how long you may have been in the field of politics. Devendra Fadnavis whose age is even less than the number of years Sharad Pawar has been a politician, yet he had this time going for him.
9. Always keep your eyes and ears open and be alert to all the happenings around you. The home minister of Maharashtra was caught unawares of the movement of state MLA's from one state to another in the middle of the night.
10. Gone are the days when you could be a chief minister or a minister of state for full five years. VUCA times is applicable to politicians as well. We have seen in the last 3 years that Maharashtra state has had 3 CM's, one for 2 days to another one for 2.5 years and now another one helming the affairs for the moment.
11. The sky is the limit for those who can dream and work towards it. Even an Auto Rickshaw Driver can become CM of a state that is the financial capital of the country.
12. We, as voters need to vote for a party based on what they have done for the state and it's people and what they can do in the future. Should not vote based on ideologies, freebies and populist measures.
    
    
    

Business Process Management (BPM) and how it delivers value to an organization

I listened to Anshuman Tiwari discussing all aspects of Business Process Management (BPM) and how it delivers value to an organization in a podcast hosted by Daniel Rayner that aired on 30th May. This is what I learned from the conversation:

Why do some organizations treat process-centricity well, while others do not?

Nobody wants to fail, and companies with more success tend to have a clear focus and don't experiment with new ideas all the time. The problem with less focused or less cognizant organizations is that they don't see any significant results in one or two quarters, no change in profitability, so they decide that it's not worth it and give it up. The more clear-headed and focused organizations know that they will suffer short-term pain, but they will come to appreciate it after a certain period of time, and then the fruitful period will arrive. As individuals build habits, organizations also require time to build habits, which is why it takes a long time. This is the main reason why some organizations are successful with processes-centric approaches, while others fail.

What drives an organization to adopt a process management approach, and what are the most common reasons for doing so?

Organizations that multiply and add departments, locations, products & services tend to have processes that are patchy or like Band-Aids, holding things together. It is common for companies to design processes in silos. Consequently, a lot of stuff is passed from department to department, for example, sales give items to operations, operations says it’s waiting for someone, etc. Eventually, it becomes overly complex to handle. Therefore, the end result is poor quality products or services that dissatisfy customers. Therefore number one driver when companies are looking to adopt a process management approach should be simplification combined with customer experience.

The second is cost because as you add parts to your process and everyone has to be paid, the process becomes more costly as a result because you are putting more in to get the same value out. Eventually, the process that is added is giving less return. 

The third driver is people being employed.

In view of limitations in the number of word characters in a LinkedIn post, part 2 of this conversation will appear tomorrow.

What challenges will an organization face as it embarks on this process management journey? 

Alignment, Infrastructure & Response

Organizational alignment is the biggest obstacle. Process Management is about taking steps to achieve an intended outcome and planning, improving, and controlling the process. It seems that processes have the highest priority in operations-related functions. Functions like sales, after-sales, HR, finance, procurement, etc. seem to be uncoordinated. If operations is only going to BPM, then the business part is already out and the process is also limited. So in a way, only a limited process is being optimized, a shorter process. Most process improvement projects are more effective when they are multifunctional.

It is also important to create an infrastructure that manages processes because nothing will happen by itself. People may notice you, but you won't get anything accomplished.

People engagement is another challenge. Picking and training the right people for BPM is the key to overcoming this challenge. Organizations need to recognize that every employee does not have the temperament to be an improvement professional. Some may be good at planning, others at compliance, hence recognize who is good at what and train them accordingly. 

How do you get different functions aligned to process management and ensure that it’s not just confined to one area or function?

Seek out quick wins and influencers. It can be done by starting where you are, don't wait for instructions from Senior Leadership, find some quick wins, and you will see you will always have takers, see them as examples, make them heroes, and eventually, they will do the talking for you, to bring more people in. 

Try to solve problems that affect a large group of people, since these will become your ultimate examples. E.g. Solve problems for HR or for Finance because their problems impact a large number of people and when people see that change, they will begin to think that this works, so maybe we can support this. Don’t go in for specalised solutions as nobody will get to know

Conclusion

Process management today - The last 2 to 3 years have shown that technology is critical, the world is fragmented and remote teams will work together in the future, this will continue in the foreseeable future

Process mining is going to become very important because a good process mining software can run incognito without any people intervention and can tell you how your processes are operating and where are the pitfalls. This is equivalent of you walking around the process and doing the Gemba. Process Management is more Gemba & Conversation, Are you visiting this part, are living this part, are you talking to people as compared to doing it on Powerpoint, Visio, Email, etc…