Problem solving road map to guide anybody who must improve a process that is slow, defective, inflexible, unresponsive, costly and risky. Do you have any like that in your organization? Of special use for teams following Lean Six Sigma methods (green belt and black belt projects). Follows DMAIC structure integrated with Lean thinking and tools. ASSOCIATED KEYWORDS: Shewhart, Deming, Ohno, Ishikawa, lean, toyota, tps, toyota kata, lean six sigma, project management, six sigma, green belt, black belt, champion, coach, master black belt, deliverables, road map, project management, project plan, DMAIC, LSS, Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control, Sustain, project charter, business case, team, problem solving, milestone, tollgate, baseline, process map, SIPOC, gemba, 7 wastes, 8 wastes, gemba walk, waste walk, spaghetti chart, flow chart, RACI, swimlane, VSM, value stream map, quick wins, operational definition, gage r&r, basic quality tools, check sheet, run chart, histogram, data statification, first time yield, FTY, rolled throughput yield, RTY, COPQ, hidden factory, rework, SPC, Western Electric rules, pareto, prioritization, input, process, output, box plot, scatter plot, correlation, causation, system, 5 whys, cause effect, fishbone, FMEA, hypothesis testing, root causes, quick win, drive out fear, respect for worker, kaizen, 5S, poka yoke, brainstorm, TRIZ, roles, responsibilities, PDCA, PDSA, pilot, roll out, implementation, status, implementation plan, business process management, BPM, KPI, target, performance, response plan, control plan, SOP, inverted pyramid, organization, sustain, plan, budget, communication, training, change, management, adoption, business, capability, prosperity, value, realization, results, replicate, integrate

1. DEFINE
1. Project Charter
5 types of operational problems
ProjectOpportunity
Business Objective(business-Y)
Business/process target and current gap
BusinessCase
Outcome Metric(project-Y)
ProjectObjective
Business areas, customers and products in scope
Out of scope
Anticipated challenges
SIPOC
Customer segments
SKUs
Stakeholder attitudes, data access issues, competing initiatives
Business unit or plant orproduct or customer segment plan
Last periodoperational report
Hard savings
Soft savings
Project Benefit
Timetable to benefits
Team structure
SIPOC
Project Team
Company, vacationscalendar
Sponsor/championand coachapproval
ProjectSchedule
DefineTollgate
Project status
Deliverableschecklist
Fit-for-purposerules
Voice of the customer, Voice of the business, CTQs
2. Current Process Map
3. Current Performance
Waste walk
SIPOC
Gemba
Go see …
8 wastes, VA/NVA
Swimlane flowchart
Value Stream Map
Quick Wins
RACI
Process issues list
Material (raw, in-process, finished) data
Customer orders and Information data
Production performance
Cost data
Safety reports
Customer satisfaction
Production data
Checksheets
Run charts
Histograms
Data stratification
Speed, flexibility anddefects issues list
Stability issues list
Basic statistics
Introductory SPC
Western Electric Rules
First-time yield
Hidden Factory, COPQ
Capability analysis
Cost issues list
Run charts
MeasureTollgate
Project status, quick wins
Deliverableschecklist
Operational definitions
Data collection plan
Gage R&R
Data collection
Target performance, specification limits
Update project charter: objective, benefit, team, and schedule
MEASURE
5. Numerical Analysis
4. Fishbone
All issues lists andcapability analysis
Pareto analysis
Prioritized issue list
Input, process and outputrelationships
y=f(x)
Workshop facilitation, 5 why’s
85/15
Company as a system
Quick wins
Candidate root causes
Cause-effect (fishbone) diagram
Likely root causes
Box plot
Pareto analysis
Scatter plot
Correlation
Root causes
SME validation, FMEA, hypothesis testing
AnalyzeTollgate
Project status, quick wins
Deliverableschecklist
Update project charter: objective, benefit, team, and schedule
ANALYZE
7. Pilot
Lean and Six Sigma methods
Root causes
Benchmarks, best practices
Respect for worker, drive out fear
Kaizen method
5S
Poka yoke
Redesign principles
SME input
Brainstorm
TRIZ
6. New Capability New Prod/Serv.
Process map
Roles, skills requirements
Forms and tools
Technology
Functional requirements
Product & Service design
Part & step design
Process design
PDSA
Solution pilot
Adjust solution design
Management approval
Solution design, SOP
Implementation insights
Initial training docs
Implementation plan
Solution roll-out
ImproveTollgate
Project status
Deliverableschecklist
IMPROVE
9. Sustain solution
8. Future metrics
Solution design
Implementation plan
Process management
SPC-driven control(surprise, disappointment)
KPI’s
Performance targets
Response plans
New input, process, output performance indicators
Project objective
Solution pilot
PDSA
Updated SOP
Planning to sustain
Budgeting to sustain
Organizational support(career, compensation)
Project business case
Inverted pyramid
Communications plan
Training plan
Adoption plan
ControlTollgate
Close project
Deliverableschecklist
Estimate business benefit
New performance
CONTROL
10. Business impact
Value realization(accounting)
Business results
Replicate solution
Adjust solution
New business opportunity or threat
Improved business capabilities
SUSTAIN
PROBLEM SOLVING FLOW
•Quantified objective
•Team identified
•Signed by sponsor
1Project Charter
•What you observed
•End to end
•With issues mapped
2 Current Process Map
•Duration
•Errors
•Cost
•8 Wastes
3 Current Perfor- mance
•Ask 5-why’s
•Deliver quick wins
4Fishbone
Define
Measure
Analyze
Potential root causes quantified
5Numerical Analysis
•Future process map
•Roles defined
•Forms & tools
6New Capabi- lity
•Updated solution
•SOP
7Pilot
•KPI’s
•Targets
8Future metrics
Improve
Control
•Communica- tionplan
•Training plan
9 Sustain solution
Dollarize new performance
10Business impact
A Job Aide
Job Aides
Templates
1-10. Main Deliverable
Legend
Project Documents
MEASURE
ANALYZE
DEFINE
Sequence
IMPROVE
CONTROL
SUSTAIN
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