NECS Sustain Tools

GROW AND ACHIEVE YOUR
HIGHEST POTENTIAL ®
SUSTAIN STEP
According to the SBA, as a small business, you are a very important part of the American economy and you create about two out of
every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. Despite your importance in the American economy you struggle to “GROW AND
ACHIEVE YOUR HIGHEST POTENTIAL.” ® There are a number of challenges facing every small business, today.
The NECS methodology was designed to address challenges facing the small businesses and enable them to “GROW AND
ACHIEVE YOUR HIGHEST POTENTIAL.” ®
5/25/2017
NECS - WWW.NECS-MA.COM
781.929.1148 - gjcomeau@necs-ma.com 1
Reduce
Waste
Reduce Late
Product or
Service
Deliveries
Improve
Customer
Experience
Follow the NECS Methodology to:

Following the NECS FAST® Methodology: results are possible
within 3 to 14 days and continued benefits can be achieved for
weeks and months into the future. NECS FAST® uses a nine-
step problem solving process that focuses on data and root
cause analysis.
Focus
•Management identifies the project (problem selection)
•Problem Statement
•Form team and scope the project
•Identify data sources
•TOOLS – JIT training for team, problem statement, V.O.C., Spaghetti Diagram, Value Stream Map (as-is), Line Chart, etc.…
Analyze
•Collect data
•Analyze data for root cause
•Determine solutions based on data
•Pilot solution & Implement
•TOOLS – Ishikawa, Why Technique, Pareto, Matrices, etc.…
Sustain
•Permanent Solution based on data
•TOOLS – Value Stream Map (future), Line Chart, Pareto, etc.…
Test
•Monitor for results
•Tell the story
•TOOLS – Line Chart, Value Stream Map, Metrics, QI Story, etc.…
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT
STAKEHOLDER/LEADERSHIP ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY/PLAN
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY/PLAN
TRAINING STRATEGY/PLAN
Sustain Step

Step 6 & 7 of the nine-step problem identification and
problem solving process - Process Improvement team,
based on the data, will develop possible solutions, test a
number of solutions, and implement a solution.
1. Management
identifies
opportunity
2. Form team and
scope project
3. Map & Analyze
current process
4. Define desired
outcomes for
improved process
5. Identify Root
Causes and
Proposed Solutions
6. Prioritize, Plan
and
Test Proposed
Solutions
7. Refine and
Implement
Solutions
8. Measure Progress
and Hold Gains
9. Acknowledge
Team and
Communicate
Results
5/25/2017
1 & 2 - Management Team 3, 4 & 5 - Process Improvement Team 6, 7, 8 & 9 - PI Team & Management
Identify quick hits and get a 20% - 30% savings.

In step 6 & 7 of the nine-step problem identification and
problem solving process - Process Improvement team
develops the solution and conducts a pilot to verify the
solution.
 SUSTAIN – during the sustain step, the team working with
NECS, will pilot and finalize the solution:
 Based on the data the team has developed potential solutions using
the data and selected the best solution based on the pilot or pilots
 The team will pilot the most appropriate solution and gain buy-in from
the key stakeholders before fully implementing
 The team will create an implementation plan for management approval
and implement after the plan has been approved
 TOOLS – Line Charts, Value Stream Mapping (future), Pareto,
etc.…
5/25/2017

The third step of the NECS methodology, FAST®, for “Growth
and Achieving Your Results ®” is Sustain. The Process
Improvement team will map out the future state, use data
collected from any pilots that may have been conducted to
create line charts or Pareto Diagrams, etc. During this step
there are three possible tools that could be applied:
 Value Stream Map – a tool for analyzing the current state of your value stream and designing the
future or desired state for your value stream
 Line Chart - The line chart (or line graph) is one of the most widely used monitoring displays. The
chart can show the number of your customer complaints by week, for example
 Pareto - A bar chart (Pareto diagram) that visually represents the distribution of occurrences being studied.
It is possible that other tools, such as the spaghetti diagram or voice of the customer, etc. will be used
by your team.
NECS will provide JIT training for your team to show them the tools and how to use them. NECS will be
with your team every step of the way to ensure that your team is able to go through the steps and come
up with a solution.
Each member of your team will receive an NECS Toolbox that provides descriptions and
applications for the tools.
5/25/2017

Value Stream Map – a method for analyzing the current state
and designing a future state for the series of events that take a
product or service from its beginning through to the customer.
1. Map out the current process or
future state tasks (high level) from
the supplier to the customer
2. Record the time for each task
3. Record the time between each task
4. A Value Steam Map can be used in
manufacturing or service
5. A tool to identify the waste of
waiting
5/25/2017

Line Cart – a tool used to observe data for
trends or patterns over a specified period of
time. This tool is used for the current state
and the future state.
1. Decide on the process
performance measurement
to monitor
2. Collect the data making sure
there are enough data
points
3. Create the graph:
1. Horizontal axis will be the time
2. Vertical axis will be the
measurement, quantity, etc.
4. Plot the data
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New Recruit Trend
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
19
Week
NumberofNewrecruits

Pareto - A bar chart (Pareto diagram) that visually
represents the distribution of occurrences being
studied. The most frequent occurrence is
represented at the far left, with other occurrences
represented in descending order to the right.
5/25/2017
1. Define the categories to be used in your
Pareto diagram. You can get these from
the Fishbone or the Why activity
2. Sort the data into categories. Arrange the
categories in descending order as defined
by the data
3. Make a bar graph based on the data,
showing the highest category to the
lowest category
4. Check your diagram for a Pareto pattern
(in which the highest categories are
responsible for most of the effects)
5. Use the Pareto diagram as a guide to
action or to further analysis
6. The Pareto can be used for the current
state and the future state

KEY POINTS
 Always use DATA throughout the problem solving process
 The Value Stream Map is used to show the future process flow. This
provides the team with an opportunity to preview and evaluate the future
business process.
 The “Pareto” will be used to compare the the future state with the current
state to insure improvements are made
 The Line Chart will be used to compare the the future state with the
current state to insure improvements are made
 Verify with DATA - every step of the process
5/25/2017

Find out how you can get what you want and
benefit from NECS’s BUSINESS PROCESS
IMPROVEMENT and PREVENTION for RESULTS
 Send an email to:
 Gary J. Comeau – gjcomeau@necs-ma.com
OR better still
 Call NOW 781.929.1148
 The discussion and consultation are free – you have
nothing to lose and PROFITS TO GAIN!!!
5/25/2017
A Small Business Solution Using Lean / Six Sigma

ADDENDUM
5/25/2017

5/25/2017
BUSINESS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT and PREVENTION for RESULTS - Lean and
Six Sigma are the two most important improvement methodologies that interact
and reinforce one another; and they are much faster if Lean and Six Sigma are
implemented and work together. Lean focuses on simplification and
streamlining; while Six Sigma focuses on optimization. The Eight Speed Bumps
can be addressed by applying Lean and Six Sigma. The NECS FAST® approach
combines both improvement methodologies to get you the RESULTS you want.
1. Over production (the most common type of
waste)
2. Excess inventory caused by over production.
3. Waiting — People or Products
4. Unnecessary movement of work products.
5. Unnecessary movement of employees.
6. Unnecessary or incorrect processing. (people
watching a machine that can be taught to monitor
itself)
7. Defects leading to repair, rework, or scrap.
8. Human Capital

The nine-step problem identification and problem solving
process that leads to a plan and results in 3 – 14 days. Step 1
& 2 are for the Management Team; Steps 3, 4 5 & 6 are for the
Process Improvement (PI) team and steps 7, 8, & 9 are for the
PI team and Management. NECS is involved in every step.
1. Management
identifies
opportunity
2. Form team and
scope project
3. Map & Analyze
current process
4. Define desired
outcomes for
improved process
5. Identify Root
Causes and
Proposed Solutions
6. Prioritize, Plan
and
Test Proposed
Solutions
7. Refine and
Implement
Solutions
8. Measure Progress
and Hold Gains
9. Acknowledge
Team and
Communicate
Results
5/25/2017
1 & 2 - Management Team 3, 4 & 5 - Process Improvement Team 6, 7, 8 & 9 - PI Team & Management
Identify quick hits and get a 20% - 30% savings.

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