ONE GOOD IDEA
BY EMMA DANIELSSON
Structure With Speed
Risk maps simplify Green Belt projects
SIX SIGMA TRAINERS tend to teach
long. While clarifying this idea, the team
Green Belts (GB) the most advanced
wrote down all the steps on a reposition-
tools in the Six Sigma toolbox and end up
able note (see Figure 2).
Steps / FIGURE 2
Tool too soft
with unfinished projects and exhausted
GBs. The secret is to fulfill the need for
Prioritization
structure in a project without drowning in
The project team will put the idea in the
details.
risk map based on the team members
the ideas have been placed in the map,
show which inputs are most likely to affect
the team will verify and improve them
the project goal. Each input is then clari-
one at a time, starting from the upper
fied and prioritized in a risk map.
right corner.
Risk maps are not rocket science
Clarification
most GBs grasp the tool quickly and
Often, there are a number of possible
adjust it to fit their project needs. This
ideas about how each input can affect the
should be encouraged, since a custom-
project goal and each idea can include
made map makes it easier for the team to
several steps. The project team will agree
agree on where to place each idea.
Consider, for example, a team analyzing
How often does
it happen?
In the example related to length variation, a custom-made map was created
reasons for length variation. Tool hardness
(see Figure 3), and the team could simply
was one of the inputs graded high in the
ask themselves the question on each axis
cause and effect matrix (see Figure 1).
and place the repositionable notede-
The team discussed the ways tool hard-
pending on the ratingswhere judged
ness can affect the length. One of their
most appropriate on the scales.
ideas was that sometimes the tool is too
Length variation
map / FIGURE 3
Every hour
the effect when it does happen. When all
risk map. The cause and effect matrix will
Every day
and effect matrix in combination with a
on one idea at a time and write it down.
Length too long
estimation of how often it happens and
For the tool too soft idea, the team es-
Every week
One way to do this is to use the cause
Increased tool wear
How large is
length deviation
each time?
1 m
10 m
100 m
ing potential failure mode and effects
analysis (pFMEA) in GB projects with the
soft, making it wear down too fast, which
timated that one product ended up being
simplified risk map, the average number
leads to the machined part becoming too
10 m too long every hour because of a
of ideas analyzed decreased from 22 to
Cause and effect
matrix / FIGURE 1
Key process outputs
Process step
10
Length
Cost
Process input
Tool hardness
eight. Due to the fast analysis process,
wear. Hence, the
the project goals could be reached in a
note was placed in
shorter period of time.
the orange section.
Six Sigma cause and effect matrix
Rating of importance to customer
soft tools premature
no sales pitch is neededthey embrace it
additional ideas to
because it matches the complexity of their
the map and, in the
projects. QP
next step, decided to
Total
When introducing the risk map to GBs,
The team added five
start with tests and
105
actions for the two
Machine settings
45
ideas in the orange
Tool placing
35
and red sections.
Cooling temperature
15
When replac-
EMMA DANIELSSON is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt at SKF in Gteborg,
Sweden. She has a masters degree in
production and operations management
from Chalmers University of Technology
in Gteborg. Danielsson holds a Green
Belt, Black Belt and Master Black Belt
from SKFs Six Sigma program.
May 2015 QP 63