Guidelines For Implementing Six Sigma In Small Businesses
http://www.sixsigmaonline.org/articlelive/articles/525/1/Guidelines-For-Implementing-Six-Sigma-In-Small-Businesses/Page1.html
Six Sigma Training Assistant
Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.http://www.sixsigmaonline.org
By Six Sigma Training Assistant
Published on 05/13/2008
Over the years, the Six Sigma quality improvement methodology has proved so very effective and versatile that its use has spread to almost all types of businesses- including relatively small-sized business enterprises.
Guidelines For Implementing Six Sigma In Small Businesses
Initially, most small businesses were quite wary of implementing Six Sigma because they sincerely believed that since Six Sigma was originally devised for use in large industrial units, it could never be used in a small sized business.
These negative perceptions started changing only when some small businesses embraced Six Sigma wholeheartedly and proved to the outside world that Six Sigma works just as well in a small-sized business as it does in large business enterprises.
Why Small Sized Businesses Still Need To Be Cautious
It is a fact that successful Six Sigma implementations in small businesses have now become the norm. This is certainly good news for those small businesses who have still not implemented Six Sigma, and are just considering its merits. However, small businesses should not use that as a reason for complacency, because not all of the doubts expressed initially were uncalled for.
Some doubts were supported by valid reasons, and this is why small businesses should not lower their guard when dealing with Six Sigma implementations. Better still, they should follow the prescribed guidelines and make use of tips and strategies as suggested by the experts.
To-Do List: Learn To Take Risks
Most small businesses experience a regular shortage of men, material and financial resources, and this is why it is difficult for them to manage risks that are normally associated with all Six Sigma implementations. However, since the benefits of Six Sigma can never be derived without taking a few risks, small businesses should first try to develop a positive attitude towards risk-taking.
Taking untoward risks is, however, not recommended because in most small businesses there is hardly anything to fall back on if something goes terribly wrong. The right thing to do is to start with a small pilot project that has minimal risks - and whose failure will not affect the day-to-day functioning of the business.
Based on the results derived through the pilot project, businesses can then decide whether to go for bigger implementation projects or try out another pilot project. If the results are positive, further implementations can be sanctioned; and if not, then they should try to identify the reasons for that and devise solutions for the same.
To-Do List: Make the Best Use of Available Resources
All Six Sigma implementations require a constant supply of essential resources that are often hard to come by for small businesses. Large businesses also face similar problems, but since most of them have easy access to both liquid and capital funds, they effectively take care of these problems. Small businesses, however, cannot do the same - and this is why they need to improve their existing work processes and to increase their overall work efficiency. It is only then will they be able to fulfill the basic requirements of Six Sigma implementations.
Apart from these, small businesses should also try to seek regular guidance and support from top management, to ensure that the implementation team does not commit any grave tactical errors while deploying Six Sigma.
It will also help in boosting the morale of employees, whose tacit support and co-operation is vital for successful Six Sigma implementations.
These negative perceptions started changing only when some small businesses embraced Six Sigma wholeheartedly and proved to the outside world that Six Sigma works just as well in a small-sized business as it does in large business enterprises.
Why Small Sized Businesses Still Need To Be Cautious
It is a fact that successful Six Sigma implementations in small businesses have now become the norm. This is certainly good news for those small businesses who have still not implemented Six Sigma, and are just considering its merits. However, small businesses should not use that as a reason for complacency, because not all of the doubts expressed initially were uncalled for.
Some doubts were supported by valid reasons, and this is why small businesses should not lower their guard when dealing with Six Sigma implementations. Better still, they should follow the prescribed guidelines and make use of tips and strategies as suggested by the experts.
To-Do List: Learn To Take Risks
Most small businesses experience a regular shortage of men, material and financial resources, and this is why it is difficult for them to manage risks that are normally associated with all Six Sigma implementations. However, since the benefits of Six Sigma can never be derived without taking a few risks, small businesses should first try to develop a positive attitude towards risk-taking.
Taking untoward risks is, however, not recommended because in most small businesses there is hardly anything to fall back on if something goes terribly wrong. The right thing to do is to start with a small pilot project that has minimal risks - and whose failure will not affect the day-to-day functioning of the business.
Based on the results derived through the pilot project, businesses can then decide whether to go for bigger implementation projects or try out another pilot project. If the results are positive, further implementations can be sanctioned; and if not, then they should try to identify the reasons for that and devise solutions for the same.
To-Do List: Make the Best Use of Available Resources
All Six Sigma implementations require a constant supply of essential resources that are often hard to come by for small businesses. Large businesses also face similar problems, but since most of them have easy access to both liquid and capital funds, they effectively take care of these problems. Small businesses, however, cannot do the same - and this is why they need to improve their existing work processes and to increase their overall work efficiency. It is only then will they be able to fulfill the basic requirements of Six Sigma implementations.
Apart from these, small businesses should also try to seek regular guidance and support from top management, to ensure that the implementation team does not commit any grave tactical errors while deploying Six Sigma.
It will also help in boosting the morale of employees, whose tacit support and co-operation is vital for successful Six Sigma implementations.