Lean Six Sigma Manual

Lean Six Sigma
for Colleges
A team based approach for process
improvement in Colleges

Table of Contents

Background............................................................................................................................. 5
Introduction to Deploying Lean Six Sigma Projects In Colleges

Using this Manual ................................................................................................................... 8
What are LSS Projects?........................................................................................................... 9
What are the different types of Project? ............................................................................. 10
The DMAIC process structure .............................................................................................. 12
Commonly asked questions about LSS................................................................................. 14
Management of Lean Six Sigma Projects within Colleges

Process Management Structure ........................................................................................... 16
Communication and Timing of Projects ............................................................................... 17
Role of the Principal and VP’s .............................................................................................. 18
Role of the College Champion .............................................................................................. 19
Role of the Project Manager ................................................................................................ 20
Project steering committee.................................................................................................. 20
Selection of College Champions and Project Managers ...................................................... 22
Project Team Selection and Make Up .................................................................................. 24
Project Selection and Strategic Alignment........................................................................... 25
Project Sequence and Timelines .......................................................................................... 27
Project Charters

Using Project Charters.......................................................................................................... 30
How to Prepare LSS Projects

Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 37
Potential Pitfalls ................................................................................................................... 37
Facilities and Project Logistics .............................................................................................. 40
Collection of initial supporting data ..................................................................................... 42
Initial Training

Purpose................................................................................................................................. 44
Content ................................................................................................................................. 45

Page 2 ©Scott-Jardine 2012

Delivery................................................................................................................................. 46
Running Project Meetings

Using the DMAIC Process to Structure Meetings ................................................................ 49
Generating and Testing Ideas............................................................................................... 52
Safety Issues ......................................................................................................................... 53
Team Rules ........................................................................................................................... 54
Recording Activities and Actions .......................................................................................... 55
Keeping the Team on Track .................................................................................................. 56
Example Meeting Agenda .................................................................................................... 57
Process Mapping

Introduction to Process Mapping......................................................................................... 59
Purpose................................................................................................................................. 60
Using Current and Future State Maps.................................................................................. 61
Manual Process Mapping as a Tool ...................................................................................... 63
Basic Flowcharting Symbols ................................................................................................. 64
Using Bizagi Software ........................................................................................................... 66
Examples of Process Maps ................................................................................................... 68
The Final Presentation

Purpose................................................................................................................................. 71
Structure............................................................................................................................... 72
Who Should Attend? ............................................................................................................ 73
Celebrating Success .............................................................................................................. 74
Sustainment and Project Follow Up

Measuring Success ............................................................................................................... 76
Using RAG Reporting ............................................................................................................ 77
Example RAG Report ............................................................................................................ 78
Project Close-Out ................................................................................................................. 79
Roles and Responsibilities .................................................................................................... 80
Follow up Communications .................................................................................................. 81
Glossary of Terms

Glossary of terms ................................................................................................................. 83


© 2012 Scott-Jardine

Limit of use

The use of this publication is limited to Bromley, Bexley and John Ruskin College. Permission is granted to
these bodies to use, reproduce and transmit this manual for use within the confines of the named colleges.
However, outside of the named colleges, no part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage
and retrieval system without permission in writing from the authors.

The AoC, as the overseeing body of the project, is also granted permission to use this manual within the same
limits of permission

Limit of Liability

Individuals using and/ or reading this manual are responsible for their use of the information contained. The
authors make no guarantees with regard as to the accuracy or completeness of the book and specifically
disclaim all warranties of fitness for a particular purpose.

The manual does not constitute professional or legal advice and the reader is advised to seek competent
advice in any particular matter in relation to any matters regarding the reader’s business or personal affairs.

No responsibilities or liabilities are assumed by the Authors whatsoever


Background
Colleges are faced with an increasingly difficult task: improving the outcomes for students
despite reduced budgets and against a backdrop of continued economic uncertainty.

Achieving maximum value for money from existing resources while improving quality and
performance is critical to success.

As with other parts of the economy Colleges can harness the benefits of Lean and Six Sigma
to streamline their internal processes.

Lean and Six Sigma have been found to be very successful approaches to improving quality
and increasing efficiency in a wide range of processes. They use the skills and experience of
staff in the organisation and use a structured team based approach to deliver the benefits.

Through the AoC shared services initiative a Lean and Six Sigma programme was undertaken
with Warwickshire and Coventry Colleges in 2011. Significant benefits were seen from this
programme across the processes studied which covered pre-enrolment, enrolment,
examinations, and registration.

Following on from the success of this programme, a further programme funded by the FE
Innovation Fund agreed with the AoC was implemented called ‘Embedding process
efficiency gains using Lean and Six Sigma’. This programme was deployed in Bromley College
(including Orpington Campus), Bexley College and John Ruskin College.

The programme commenced with an initial trainings session for the staff across all the
Colleges. The training focused on the basic tools and techniques of Lean and Six Sigma also
the removal of waste and improvement in the reliability of College processes. This was
followed up by the practical application of the tools and techniques within four projects that
were identified by the Steering Committee.

Cross College teams were formed and the structured DMAIC process was used to progress
the projects and identify improvements in the relevant processes. The processes studied in
this programme were enrolment, fee collection, payroll and student services.

At the end of the projects, final presentations were made to College leadership and staff.
Also the key actions that would be undertaken to secure the improvements were identified.

As part of the overall programme it was agreed a toolkit would be developed to help College
Managers and Leaders to undertake their own improvement projects.

This manual is the result of that work and is designed to help you to introduce
improvements into your College through team based improvement following the DMAIC
roadmap that is defined later in this manual.


Introduction to Deploying
Lean Six Sigma Projects
In Colleges


Introduction to Lean Six Sigma
You have embarked, or are about to embark, on an exciting journey within your College.

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a team based process improvement tool that, when deployed
correctly, will not only generate savings and improve customer quality, but will also
generate excitement with those people and departments who are involved.

The fundamental concept you should always keep in mind is that Lean Six Sigma is a process
of continuous improvement. It’s a ‘journey’ and not something that is undertaken once.

As on any journey, along the way you will see ups and downs. You will be met with a whole
series of challenges, but again by its very nature Lean Six Sigma is exciting and most of all,
fun.

Waste exists in its various forms in every part of day to day working. Lean Six Sigma is a
framework that provides structure to the process of identifying and eliminating that waste
and puts in place measures to continually strive to look for mare opportunities to improve.

We don’t know what we don’t know.

We can’t act on what we don’t know.

We won’t know until we search.

We won’t search for what we don’t question.

We don’t question what we don’t measure.

Hence, we just don’t know.”

Dr. Mikel Harry


Using this Manual
Although many of the tools and techniques are similar to those used in other sectors, the
deployment process within the College environment is different. This manual draws upon
the leanings from the Lean Six Sigma project run with Bromley, Bexley and John Ruskin
Colleges(2012) and a similar project run with Warwickshire, Coventry Henley and Stratford
Colleges (2011).

This manual is aimed at those who are involved with the implementation of Lean Six Sigma
(LSS) within the College environment. Its aim is to act as a guide to assist in the smooth
running of the complete process and explains the set-up, planning, execution and follow up
phases of a Lean Six Sigma project.

This manual is not meant to be a complete guide to the ‘ins and outs’ of Lean Six Sigma. This
is not something that can be learnt from a book or a manual, because every project is
different. Each process on each campus will have its own nuances meaning the route to
improvement will be different each time.

Knowing which tools to use and at what time comes with experience. Put simply the more
improvement activity you do the more you will start to see and, by default, the better the
results.

It is strongly advised, before you start using this manual to deploy the Lean Six Sigma
process, that you have been involved in and experienced at least one Lean Six Sigma project
to help you understand the DMAIC process and also the cultural change processes that take
place within the project group and your wider College audience.

This manual can also serve as a guide to Principals and those involved in the steering group
and governance process of Lean Six Sigma deployment. Its seeks to help them better
understand their roles in improving their Colleges processes though the effective
deployment of the Lean Six Sigma methodology at a senior level.

Most importantly, the manual also identifies some of the lessons learnt and some of the
pitfalls to be aware of as you move through the process.


What are Lean Six Sigma Projects?

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a structured approach that helps manage and improve the quality,
performance and cost of a process.

Lean Six Sigma Projects are essentially planned interventions to look at how a specific
College process is performing.

Every process has 2 types of activity.

Value Added activity

These are the parts of the process that transform something closer to what the customer
wants. I.e. if a student walks into the student services area, asks a question and is given an
immediate correct answer. This would be deemed as Value Added.

Non Value Added activity

These are the parts of the process that do not transform something closer to what the
customer wants. i.e. if a student walks into the student services area, asks a question and
the Student services adviser has to get up, move to a computer, log on, look through 3
screens of data to find the answer, all of this additional activity would be deemed as Non
Value Added.

Non value added activities are in effect waste; and make up between 95% and 99% of all
process time. However in day to day life, people simply get used to this type of activity and
it becomes the norm. It becomes hard to see.

LSS projects are designed to focus of the identification and removal of waste for the process
in question. Not all waste can be removed quickly, but we have seen in all the Colleges’
projects to date that a very large number of small changes can be made quickly, easily and
at little or no cost, to improve the process in question, both in terms of quality and
efficiency.

LSS projects should focus on one specific process with clear start and finish points. The
project should have clear goals that are aligned to the overall business improvement plan of
the College and each project should follow a prescribed set of steps.


What are the different types of Project?
Although the majority of this manual focuses on larger scale LSS projects, we should not lose
sight of the bigger picture.

The longer term goal is to support a marked shift in the culture of the College. The goal is to
move away from the ‘Silo’ mentality that can be seen in certain parts of Colleges and move
toward more self-directing work teams.

This means that we need to consider how LSS activity over the longer term needs to look.

Lean Six Sigma is dynamic. Its deployment needs to be adapted over time to match the
maturity level of the ‘acceptance of change’ within the College.

Initial LSS projects

Initially LSS projects using cross functional teams are by far the best way to start the LSS
journey. This is because normally the improvements that we are trying to make tend to be
in processes that affect more than one department and tend to be quite complex and
require consideration from all areas concerned. Also the longer timescales involved (6 to 12
weeks) tend to match the pace of change at the starting point of the LSS programme.
Colleges (like most other organisations) tend to be quite bureaucratic with slow-downs in
the change process.

However as more projects are undertaken, the organisation will start to become more
accustomed to the culture of change and the timescales involved will start to reduce.

Interim LSS projects

Once a good proportion of the staff have been through the process a number of times they
will become more accustomed to the process. This provides a number of opportunities to
change the dynamics of the LSS projects.

 Timescales can be challenged and reduced.
 Local teams can start making smaller local improvements.

This will set the ground for the final stages of the cultural change process.

Team based LSS activity

Team projects are short, narrow focused improvement projects that are aimed at making
small incremental changes to local processes.

This type of LSS activity is primarily run by staff within the team who are familiar with the
change process.


Although the DMAIC structure is used, it becomes much more relaxed. However the project
charter is still vitally important to the process since is allows the project to be correctly
focused, checked and confirmed.

Typically in order for a local team to reach the point where it can successfully manage its
own LSS project, the team will have in place its own performance metrics and the team
would have the capability analysing and deciding where its own issues lie.

Quick wins

From the very start of the programme, small quick gains will be identified. These are
typically known as ‘quick wins’ and represent the simplest and quickest way to make quick
gains for the benefits of the customer, the College and the area concerned.

Many of these ‘quick wins’ will be identified by the project team aside from the main
project. It is key that these are captured and acted upon in addition to the main project
goals.

Quick wins normally by definition should be just that, quick and easy to accomplish, with
minimum effort. As a guide no more than 2 hours work involving no more than 2 or 3
people.

Quick wins normally fall outside the full structure of the DMAIC process, since they can be
undertaken quickly with a low risk factor.


The DMAIC process structure
The method used most widely in a College environment for structuring the improvement
project is based on the Six Sigma DMAIC approach.

The benefit of this approach for a College is that it allows the project to be broken into
sensible chunks of work that can be progressed alongside normal day to day activities.

The DMAIC structure provides a visible framework for the project phases that enables the
best chance of success.

DMAIC is the project phases DEFINE, MEASURE, ANALYSE, IMPROVE and CONTROL.

All process improvement projects with some degree of complexity and impact go through
these phases and it is best practice to adopt this approach when introducing an
improvement project.

The team can use this structure for each meeting and in principle have one session per
phase as the project moves forward.

DEFINE

The DEFINE phase is critical to the success of the project as it sets out the nature of the
project, the scope of the work, objectives, key performance indicators, timetable and team
members to deliver the project. The Project Charter is the key output from the define
phase.

It is critical that the project is aligned with the College strategy and that clear benefits can
be identified.

See Project Charter Chapter 4 for full details

MEASURE

The MEASURE phase is about how the process is assessed.

What has happened in the past and what happens now?

What data do we have from the key performance indicators about the current process and
how it is performing?

The critical part in a College for this phase is the mapping of the process being studied as
defined in the project charter. The process map should be created by the team based on the
actual process and highlight issues, concerns and opportunities within the current process.
Each process step is identified and mapped in sequence and allocated within the
appropriate area of responsibility so that the full complexity of the process can be assessed.

See Process Mapping Chapter 8 for full details.


ANALYSE

The ANALYSE phase is about understanding the current process and identifying
opportunities to eliminate unnecessary steps and handoffs. The team work together to
develop a clear understanding of the existing process, along with the limitations, constraints
and delays that occur when the existing process is employed.

The team generate ideas on how the process could be improved and start to assess the
effect an alternative may have.

The team review any data collected about the process and establish if these are the best
and most appropriate key performance indicators for the process being studied.

IMPROVE

The IMPROVE phase is about selecting a new and improved method which addresses the
issues raised with the current process. Through process mapping a new better process is
designed which provides a more robust, reliable and efficient process. A new standard
procedure is established and the correct performance measures identified.

The risks with the new process should be assessed and if practical the new method should
be trialled to make sure that the new process works as expected. Any further improvements
should be identified at this stage.

CONTROL

The CONTROL phase is about ensuring the new process is introduced correctly and
monitored to ensure the improvement is sustained. The new standard method of working
should be introduced with the appropriate training of the staff using the new process.

The key performance measures that have been identified for the process need to be
monitored regularly to ensure the new process is working well and any issues raised are
quickly addressed.


Commonly asked questions about LSS
These are a few of the ‘stock questions’ that are commonly asked by staff during projects –
and the stock answers:

What is Lean Six Sigma?

LSS is the blending together of two toolsets, Lean and Six Sigma.

The Lean part of the process provides to tools for the identification and removal of waste.

The Six Sigma part of the process provides the structure to the project by the use of the
DMAIC process.

Do I have to fit this into my already busy day?

The simple answer is yes, but if the additional workload becomes too much, explain this to
your line manager, Project Manager or College Champion, who will work with you to find a
solution.

What’s in it for me?

Generally most people find the opportunity to get involved in change very rewarding. The
chance to have your say and fix those small niggles is something that the LSS process gives
you that you would not normally get in day-to-day College life.

It is also far better to be involved with change than have change imposed on you.

I thought this only worked in automotive and manufacturing?

Absolutely not, this approach has been used in almost every business sector including the
NHS, the courts of justice, local councils and increasingly even in central Government.

Colleges are different, our problems are unique.

Like every other business, Colleges have waste in all processes. The focus of LSS is to remove
waste, so in reality Colleges have the same opportunity to improve as every other
organisation.


Management of
Lean Six Sigma Projects
Within Colleges


Process Management Structure
The process management structure to support a Lean and Six Sigma (LSS) programme in a
College consists of the Steering Committee a College Champion a Project Manager or
Managers and Team Members.

In order that the LSS programme delivers the maximum benefits, it is vital that the LSS
structure it fully integrated with the Senior Management Team. This will allow the LSS
toolset to be deployed far more strategically and breakdown silos within the organisation

The Steering Committee is the College leadership team that provides the direction and
support for the programme. The programme should consist of a number of individual
process improvement projects that support the College goals.

A College Champion is a senior College leader who has the respect and authority of staff and
is able to sponsor projects and is a key member of the Steering Committee.

The Project Manager is the College expert on Lean and Six Sigma who has been trained to
deliver improvement projects using the DMAIC structure.

The Team Members are a cross section of College staff formed as a team to undertake the
project. Team Members should be trained in basic Lean and Six Sigma tools by the Project
Manager at the start of the project to enable them to contribute fully to the process.

A College can have a number of Project Managers undertaking a project each or one Project
Manager undertaking several projects. The projects will vary in time, resource and
complexity and the Project Charter is used to set out the details and scope of the project.


Communication and Timing of Projects
Consideration must be given as to the best time to launch a Lean Six Sigma Programme
before starting any form of communication with the general populous of the college.

This is because LSS is, as we have mentioned before, a cultural tool. The success of the
programme to a large extent will be judged by the level of engagement of the staff and their
willingness to get involved with an initiative that will invoke change across the College.
Some of that change will involve changes to staff roles, to a greater or lesser extent as waste
is removed from the processes and workloads need to be rebalanced.

In the current climate, staff are understandably, fearful of job losses. So any change
programme if not launched correctly will be viewed very negatively and will evoke high
levels of emotion.

Experience shows that this will be very damaging for any LSS work going forwards.

So the launch of LSS activity needs to be set against the correct backdrop and the initial
message needs to be very clear and strong.

The ideal launch timing the start of LSS activity is at a time of relative stability. No significant
restructuring should be planned at the same time as a LSS project is running. Consideration
should be given to the risk of any planned staff changes being linked to LSS activity.

Once the timing has been agreed, the message as to what LSS is and its role in the College
needs to consistent from all sources - SMT, governors, LSS Steering committee and line
mangers.

The explanation must be simple and tangible, not conceptual and abstract.

The more directly a person of department is going to be effected by a project, the more
personal the communication should be.

Where possible the message about job security must be clear.

Nobody will lose their job as a direct result of a Lean Six Sigma project.

Of course this statement needs to be set against the backdrop of the rest of the activity in
the College. If there is a cut in funding, a merger or a change in the College’s course offering
that’s different, and no guarantees can be made about those situations. But people
generally understand this so long as the message is fair and clear.

Every communication should emphasise the benefits of LSS activity. Focus on the long term
benefits to the College, rather than the short term disruption that running the project
brings. If the staff understand the bigger picture, the more likely they are to understand the
benefits.

So in summary, assess the best time to launch the LSS activity, allow time for effective
communication and plan the message.


Role of the Principal and VP’s
Although it is recognised that College Principals and VP’s are very busy, time must be put
aside to demonstrate support of the Lean and Six Sigma process.

Lean and Six Sigma by its very nature is a cultural transformation tool and that is designed to
harness the power of teamwork to provide solutions to process issues. With this in mind, it
is important that top level support for the process is both seen and demonstrated. This way
the project teams will feel valued and ultimately produce better results.

The key roles in the process are as follows:

• Being the ultimate lead for the programme

• Ensure that the required resources and priority are given to the programme

• Deliver the message that the process is seen as an integral part of the way forward

• Review progress on a regular basis

• Support Project Managers, who are responsible for the success of a project

• Remove barriers to progress

The most powerful tool is ‘Go and See’. If possible the Principal or nominated VP’s should
‘drop in’ on the occasional team meeting for a short while and lend support.

Another vital part of the process is the final report out presentation. This meeting is where
the teams present their findings and actions to a wider audience.

This meeting should be attended by the Principal and VP’s and should be used as an
opportunity to both thank and praise the team for all their hard work. This presentation
should also be used to gain commitment from the team to make the changes work going
forward and challenge further improvements to the process.


Role of the College Champion
The College Champion (CC) is responsible for ensuring that the LSS process runs smoothly in
the College. They are also responsible for promoting Lean Six Sigma across the College at all
levels.

Normally the College Champion is a member of the Senior Management Team reporting
directly to the Principal.

The College Champion should assess and agree all projects prior to their start and check that
any potential projects are aligned strategically to the College business plan. They should also
check that a project will not cause any conflict with other planned initiatives such as
planned IT changes or planned changes in departmental roles of structures.

Other responsibilities include.

 To work across all of the projects with their College to ensure no issues exist.

 Be the centre of communication for all project activity within their College

 To help facilitate the process locally with The Project Managers

 To work with the Project Managers to provide the Principals regular updates

 Assist in the removal of barriers within the College

 Chairing the Project Steering committee


Role of the Project Manager
The Project Manager (PM) has a pivotal role in the entire process. They should be viewed as
the internal leader of the process right from the outset through to the end of the process.
Their task is to be one step ahead at all times, guide the team, but not direct.

The PM should be involved right from the conception of the project and should assist in the
definition of the project and be involved in the completion of the Project Charter. Once
agreed, the PM then becomes responsible for the maintenance and delivery of the charters
contents.

Where Initial training is required in Lean Six Sigma tools a techniques, the Project Manager
is responsible for either providing the training or arranging for the training from another
source.

As the Project leader The PM is also responsible for the following parts of the process:

 Being the centre of communication for their project

o Day to day communication with the team members

o Arranging for the actions of the team to be documented and distributed in a
timely manner

o Providing the Principal and the College Champion with regular updates

 Facilitating the process locally, arranging rooms and equipment

 Assisting in the removal of barriers with the College Champion.

 Ensure actions are followed up between sessions

 Become the local expert, lead from the front

Other smaller but equally important tasks include:

 Assist group to find solution – not providing solution

 Challenge assumptions, Remain subjective

 Maintain credibility of process

 Pick up on and diffuse conflict within / outside of the team

 Keep team on track, maintain the focus

 Make sure all contribute, and make it enjoyable for team, maintain team morale and
ensure that the team is empowered.

 Being “one Step” ahead at all times


Project Steering Committee
In a College the management direction and support for the LSS programme is provided by
the Project Steering Committee.

The Steering Committee is made up of the senior leadership team of the College including
the Principal and Vice Principals with other senior staff from the cross College functional
areas. The size of the Committee would typically be between 5 and 8 and meet on a
monthly basis. The Steering Committee should be chaired by the College Champion who is
responsible for the overall process.

The role of the Steering Committee is to drive the improvement programme, recognise the
need for change and be committed to the use of Lean and Six Sigma to bring about the
change.

The Steering Committee appoints and supports the Project Managers who are responsible
for the delivery of the improvement projects.

They also approve new projects ensuring they are aligned with the objectives of the College
and the potential benefits are worthy of the time and resource to be spent on the project.

The Steering Committee must also review the progress of projects on a regular basis and
help remove barriers to progress.

The Steering Committee will ensure that at completion projects are correctly closed out and
the benefits are identified, measures put in place and a plan available to ensure
improvements are sustained.

The chair of the Steering Committee would be expected to act as the ‘College Champion’
who would actively sponsor projects and directly support Project Managers with the issues
and obstacles that may arise during the course of the project between formal reviews with
the Steering Committee

The Project Manager or managers would be expected to present their project progress at a
slot during the Steering Committee meeting.


Selection of College Champions and
Project Managers

The correct selection of College Champions and Project Managers is critical to the success of
the LSS improvement programme. It is vital that the College leadership team carefully
consider these appointments and consider the candidates against the criteria described
below.

Candidates for College Champions should be:

 In a leadership position
 Involved in strategic planning for the College
 Able to remove roadblocks such as time, resources, and personnel
 Committed to using LSS as a tool to drive improvement and cultural change
 Have enough capacity to undertake the role and the responsibilities that go with
it

Some of the ideal personal qualities for the College Champions are:

 Excellent communicator across all levels of the College
 Well organised and structured approach
 Strategic and creates a clear vision of the future
 Resolving- good at resolving problems
 Positive- takes an optimistic view
 Change Orientation- readily accepts new challenges
 Reliable- conscientious about meeting deadlines and honouring commitments

Candidates for Project Managers should be:

 Respected within the College at all levels
 Able to be the lead person on LSS in the College
 Committed to using LSS as a tool to drive improvement and cultural change
 Have enough capacity to undertake the role and the responsibilities that go with
it

Some of the ideal personal qualities for the Project Manager are:

 Insightful-quick at getting to the core of a problem, good at identifying ways to
improve things
 Analytical- seeks solutions to problems, asks probing questions


 Empowering- good at finding ways to motivate people, inspiring and encouraging
to others
 Interactive- engaging and a good communicator
 Resolving- good at resolving disagreements
 Positive- quickly recovers from setbacks
 Change Orientation- readily accepts change
 Organised- plans well and is focused on hitting deadlines

Both the College Champion and the Project Mangers need to have the drive, determination
and the passion to drive change. Both roles should not be underestimated. Done well, the
roles will take up considerably more time than first thought. Do not compromise on the
selection process. Consider carefully all aspects of the role, not just a person’s availability.


Project Team Selection and Make Up
Total team size, including the Project Manager, should be between 6 and 10 people.

Because a good mix of team members facilitates creativity, idea generation, and fresh
viewpoints, it is suggested that the rule of thirds is applied when defining the team and
selecting the team members.

One third of the team should be directly related to the process that it to be worked upon.

One third of the team should be related to the process in some way, such as IT, teaching
staff or a ‘customer’ or the process.

One third should be ‘fresh pairs of eyes’. That is to say they are not closely related to the
process (although they may have some knowledge of it). Their role is to question the norm
and look at the process from an outsiders view point.

Each project team must have at least one member who is very familiar with the process.
This will assist the team in process mapping and also allow answers to questions to be
quickly gained. Ideally, he or she should have spent some time working on or supervising
the process. Such people are extremely valuable resources because their detailed
knowledge facilitates making changes.


Project Selection and Strategic Alignment
There are a number of reasons that a project can be selected. Typically a College tends to
select projects at the point where the College is experiencing some problems with a
bottleneck process such as the enrolment of students at peak periods or problems with the
balancing of staff hours. This is perfectly acceptable since the Lean Six Sigma process will
assist in addressing these issues.

However the best way of selecting projects is to link them to the overall strategic plan for
the College. For example as the business plan is developed to the next academic year there
is a problem foreseen with rooming or the register creation process. Using the Lean Six
Sigma approach these can be looked at measured and improved ahead of time.

The main objective when selecting a project to be undertaken is that it will produce tangible
results. That is to say that the College staff and the Customers (students) will see a marked
improvement in the quality of the service, the ease at which a process is performed, or a
financial benefit.

The project gains ideally must be measurable.
Other criteria to consider
 Linkage to overall strategy
 Have a cross reference to College objectives
 Have a positive Impact on the customer experience
 Improve overall service quality levels
 Demonstrate bottom line savings
 Improve system synchronization across functional silos
 Creation of a model processes
 The project must have measurable outcomes
 The project is designed to address particular performance issues
 Are we processing in line with customer requirements?
 Does the process incur a lot of additional cost (overtime)
 Is there a lot of stress in the process
 Does the process visually looked disorganized when you walk through it
 Can someone from the area easily describe the process to you
 Does the process have a record of high customer dissatisfaction
 The delivery performance is off target
 Does the process have a continuing history of backlogs
 People resource
 Realistically achievable


When scoping the project, it is better if the overall objectives are smart, narrow and deep.
This way the process will be investigated more fully and the end result will be more
complete.

Selecting a project that is too broad will result in ‘scope creep’ and it is likely that the team
will struggle to identify the true start and finish point of the project.

The best way to test if the project has been well defined it to complete a Project Charter.

The project charter will assist in discussing and agreeing the start and finish points, the
overall objectives and the key milestones of the project.

Project areas that can be considered within a College environment include:

 Pre-Enrolment / Marketing
 Enrolment
 Registers and attendance record processes
 Examinations
 Fee collection
 Student Services
 Curriculum Planning, Timetabling and Course Set-up
 Room Utilisation and Room Allocation


Project Sequence and Timelines
The main input to the programme is from the College strategic and annual goals and targets.

The sequence to be followed is:

PLANNING AND PREPARATION

SELECT THE RIGHT PROJECTS

 Clarify the big picture using the strategic plan
 Identify the need and formulate goals
 Agree the budget
 Establish potential improvement areas gather data on current performance
 Prioritise projects based on the benefits, resources required and timing
 Select key projects with buy-in from College leadership
 Put in place effective Key Performance Indicators

SELECT AND TRAIN THE RIGHT PEOPLE

 Ensure the right leadership and project ownership is in place
 Recruitment if required
 Develop training plan for those involved
 Ensure the right support structure and resources are available
 Ensure suitable communication plan is developed

IMPLEMENTATION

IMPLEMENT IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

 Kick off workshops
 Staff Training
 Project Charter to define the process
 Measure process
 Analyse the process
 Identify waste
 Improve process
 Implement solutions
 Control process


PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT

 Frequently review progress and remove barriers
 Check impact and benefits
 Continuously communicate progress

MAINTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT

SUSTAIN THE GAINS

 Implement effective control plans
 Conduct training in the new process
 Ensure the right measures are in place
 Assess results
 Review the benefits and effectiveness regularly
 Communicate success
 Transfer learning to other departments

It is important to close the loop and assess the gains. If more gains can be seen, consider
planning another project.


Project Charters


Using Project Charters
The Lean Six Sigma project charter is a document that details the improvement opportunity
to both the team and top management of the College.

It should explain why the project is important and how it supports the goals of the College.

The initial charter detailing the scoping and expectations of the project should be completed
ahead of any work commencing with the team.

This document is then studied in detail and finalised during the define phase of the project.

It is very important to understand that it is a living document, that is, it may be revised as
needed during the course of your improvement opportunity

The statements in the project charter should describe the anticipated improvement that is
expected from the team. It should be worded in concise terms.

Completing the form

Clearly define the project title, Ensure that the Project Manager is appointed (3) and in fully
involved in the creation of the project charter.

Enter the process and project description box (1 & 2). Try to keep the language common and
unambiguous. What is the opportunity being addressed? Why is the project important?
What is the problem? What is the effect of the problem? What is the effect of the solution?

Creating an outstanding project objective statement (3) is easy if you follow 5 simple
concepts. The acronym for a good project objective statement is SMART:

 Specific- do not use confusing or ambiguous language anywhere within the project
charter. Clearly describe the process, together with clear start and finish points.
 Measurable- define in terms of percentage improvement or reduction, monetary
gains, throughput, productivity, etc. This gives the team an objective to reach... and
a basis for comparison after completion of the project.
 Attainable- attempting to set too high of a goal is the beginning of a poor plan. Set a
goal that is achievable within 3-4 months. If the overall goal cannot be reached
within that timeframe, set an interim goal. This will help keep your team motivated.
 Relevant- the team's goal should correspond to the problem at hand, business
objectives, or perhaps Critical to Quality elements that have been identified.
 Time-bound- list when the team expects to achieve this improvement goal

A good objective statement always begins with a verb. Use terms like increase, reduce, or
improve to begin your statement.

Outline the results expected in the results box (4), again quantify the expectations.


In completing the Team members box (5), who is on the team and who else is involved? The
team members should be discussed and identified as early as possible to ensure that the
team is balanced. The Project Manager should then work with the College department
managers to ensure that the people identified can be released to join the team. The final
team members should be entered onto the charter at the initial team meetings in the define
phase.

In the project scope box (6), what is the scope of the process? What is included and what is
excluded? What rules will the team follow? Ensure that both the start point and the end
point are entered on to the form and are clearly defined. A Statement like:

‘From the point where the student first contacts the College to the point when the student
signs the enrolment form’.

Would be ideal since it is specific and easy to understand at all levels

The benefits to the end customer (7) should be identified since one of the key objectives of
any project is that the customer should see a noticeable improvement in Quality, delivery or
cost.

Key milestones should be entered into the schedule box (8). These should be either entered
at the initial phase of by the team during the define phase. These dates should coincide with
the completion of each phase of the project and should be marked by some from of a sense
check between the Principals, VP’s and Project Manager. This will ensure that any issues or
scope creep are picked up before it is too late. This sense check will also allow any barriers
or difficulties to be managed effectively.

The support required box (9) is a thought provoking box that is aimed at considering and
special support that may need to be put in place ahead of time. IT support and capacity is a
typical issue that needs to be considered as well as covering key members of staff whilst
they are working on the team

The Project Manager is responsible to the upkeep of the project charter and should be
constantly confirming that the teams direction is in line with the direction set in the charter


TEAM PROJECT CHARTER
Project Title

Project Manager
Start Date Target Completion Date
Element Description Team Charter

1. Process: The process in which
opportunity exists.

2. Project Description: Describe the Project’s Purpose
and scope.
Also the Location of the
project to be improved
3. Objective: What improvement is targeted
and what will be the impact on
key measures
All objectives must be SMART

Specific, M easurable,
Achievable, R elevant and
Time Bound
4. Results: What is the improvement in
performance are anticipated
and when?
5. Team members: Who are the full-time members
and support consultants?

6. Project Scope: Which part of the process will
be investigated? Define the
start and finish points
7. Benefit to External Who are the final customers,
Customers: what benefits will they see and
what are their most critical
requirements?

8. Schedule: Give the key milestones/dates. Project Start

M- Measurement “M” Completion

A- Analysis “A” Completion

I- Improvement “I” Completion

C- Control “C” Completion

Note: Schedule appropriate Safety Reviews
Safety Reviews if required
Project Completion

9. Support Required: Do you anticipate the need for
any special capabilities,
hardware, trials, etc?


Example Project Charters


TEAM PROJECT CHARTER


©Scott-Jardine 2012

How to Prepare LSS Projects


Introduction

The Process of running LSS projects should not be under estimated.

By their very nature this type of project is resource hungry, so without the correct level of
up front planning, the resulted will be eroded and the general perception will be that the
LSS project is just another ‘flavour of the month’.

Time spent on upfront planning and getting the support structure in place will pay dividends
in the medium to long term. To the people involved the process must feel well organised
and the perception must be that the whole senior management team is behind the LSS
process and want it to succeed.

As mentioned in other areas of this manual, the Steering committee and the SMT must be
clear on the overall direction of the process and must also have a very clear idea of the
projects that are to be tackled and the expected outcomes.

The purpose of this section of the manual is to identify some of the key issues, potential
pitfalls and also some of the logistical considerations that need to factored into the LSS
planning.


Potential Pitfalls
Under planning

Not being prepared ahead of project meetings may well result in time at project meeting
being spend ‘planning’ instead of doing. This will cause slippage against the project plan and
the DMAIC process. The result of this is less time being available in the Improve and Control
phases.

Attendance

Project Managers and team members are expected to attend both the initial training and
also the project meetings. It is therefore vital that during the planning phase the workload
of potential participants is considered. Should a member of the team drop out partway
through the process this will have a negative effect on the rest of the team and also the
project will risk falling behind.

Ownership

The Project Manager should relinquish ownership for the project whilst the project is
running. Although there may be strong characters in the team or senior College staff, the
PM remains directly responsible for the activity and its success. However the PM should
plan for transfer of ownership to the areas and people responsible for the process as the
project draws to a conclusion, since without this ownership being with the area responsible,
sustainment will fail.

Conflict

By the very nature of the process, people may well become a little uncomfortable with the
process. After all it’s about change, something most people find hard. To avoid conflicts, the
PM like all the other members of the team should listen carefully and ask questions when
not clear about something or when not clear about a task assignment. If all the team works
together and sticks to the rules, the risk of conflict should be minimised

The tendency to fear mistakes

‘It sounds like a good idea, but what if it goes wrong?’ This is a comment that is frequently
made in different forms. An experienced PM will be able to guide the team through the
change process without the risk of causing major disruption to a process. If there is a risk
assess the risk and arrange a trial.

Work on the basis, if we try and it works then we have gained. If the change is unsuccessful
then we have learnt something. By doing nothing we will have learnt nothing.


As a senior management team, reward attempts to change; don’t punish failure and don’t
reward clinging to the status quo.

Getting everyone involved.

The team size is really designed to keep the process manageable. Too many people and
some will become detached.

The PM must be aware of people feeling left out, becoming quiet or starting to become
negative. When this happens take action to get the individual ‘back’ into the team.


Facilities and Project Logistics

Training room

The room used for the initial training should be large enough to present the PowerPoint
training material.

The room is best set in a U shape to allow people to interact.

As a minimum the Training room should also have:

 A PC and projector (ensure that someone has the password)
 1 flip chart / spare paper / pens
 Blu tack
 Enough tables and chairs to accommodate everyone.

Project meeting rooms

These should be large enough to accommodate the team with space to spare. The project
meeting room also needs to have enough wall space to facilitate the building of a manual
process map.

As a minimum the project meeting room should also have:

 A PC and projector (ensure that someone has the password)
 1 flip chart / spare paper / pens
 Post it notes for process mapping
 Blu tack
 Sellotape
 Enough tables and chairs to accommodate everyone.

Catering

One of the biggest moans during project meetings is the failure to provide drinks and
snacks. Although this is an additional cost, this must be weighed up against the benefits of
saving time and team bonding.

The best balance is to provide tea / coffee / water at the start of the sessions and also again
at break time. Biscuits and occasionally cakes also are welcomed by the teams and make
them feel valued. Normally if the session runs over a lunch period, this is not normally
provided.


Transportation

Consideration must be given to the transportation arrangements of the participants when
project meetings are on differing campus to those they normally work. Participants that
work part time or differing hours also need to be considered.

Experience shows these issues need to be considered in the planning phase of the LSS
project and discussions need to be held with the participants and line managers where
applicable to find the best method of ensuring all participants can attend for the full
duration of the project meetings.

Meeting timings

Generally speaking, project meetings need to be between 3.5 and 4 hours duration in order
that the process can work correctly.

Location for the final presentation

The venue for the final presentation needs to be considered and booked well in advance.
This should be a hall (or similar) that can be laid out theatre style and accommodate all the
participants plus guests. If a celebration buffet is to be offered (recommended) then this
needs to be laid out prior to the presentations of set in an anti room so that the
presentation is not disturbed.

Allow time ahead of the presentation for the project team(s) to see the room and do any
last minute changes they may need.


Collection of initial supporting data

The collection of relevant supporting data is very important all the way through the LSS
project process. Initially when deciding if the project is suitable for application of the LSS
project approach, enough data should be collected to provide evidence that the process is
an opportunity for improvement and the potential benefit justify the time and resource to
be spent on it.

It is important that if there is not a valid data collection method in place, one is put in place
ahead of the start of the project.

Quite often in College data is available, but is not generally used or in the general domain.
The best starting point nearly always is the IT or MIS departments as a lot of data tends to
be captured automatically and stored on various systems.

Once sufficient data has been analysed and the steering committee are happy that the
project is valid, the Project Manager can work with the team to further collect and analyse
data to understand patterns and trends.

The original data should be considered the ‘benchmark’ or starting point. Any
improvements can be validated against this original data.


Initial training


Purpose
The purpose of the initial training is to ensure all members of improvement teams have a
basic understanding of the LSS tools that will enable them to work together on the project
and deliver the charter objectives.

The delegates should understand the overall goals of the LSS programme and the process
structure in place to deliver those goals.

It is the opportunity for the Project Manager to demonstrate their competence and
understanding of LSS and build rapport with other members of the team they do not usually
work with.

If initial training is carried out correctly it will ensure all team members are behind the
project, understand why the LSS process is used and can use the tools proactively during
team meetings.


Content
A set of initial training slides were generated for the Colleges and these should be used for
the initial training.

The essential content to cover in the initial training is:

 Introduction
 Agenda
 Background to the project
 An overview of Lean and Six Sigma
 What is Lean
 Just in Time
 Quality
 Smoothing
 Value added V’s non value added
 The seven classic wastes
 Causes of waste
 Waste in Colleges
 A flow simulation exercise
 Workplace organisation and 5S
 Standard work
 Six Sigma
 The project roadmap
 Project charters
 The workshop process
 The College Champions role
 The Project Managers role
 The Team Members role
 Summary and next steps


Delivery
The initial training should take between 3 and 4 hours and be delivered to groups of
between 8 -16 people.

It is normal to have a break of around 15 minutes about half way through to suit, based on
an appropriate place to stop.

Preparing for the Training

Ensure you have practiced the presentation and are fully familiar with the content.

Have examples to explain the slides and make them relevant

Make sure you have considered potential questions and how to handle them

If you are including practical exercises make sure these are well rehearsed and all the
materials are complete and available

Check the room is appropriate for the number of delegates

Ensure the overhead projector and screens are working before hand

Suitable table or lectern for your notes

Ensure a flip chart and pens are available

Make sure the environmental factors are right for training, temperature not too high or low,
lighting is sufficient, room location is not too noisy

Set up the tables and chairs in U shape if possible, angled rows for large groups

Delivery

Use good vocal techniques, vary the volume and pitch for emphasis

Ensure the pace is appropriate for the audience

Reinforce the message visually with positive arm and hand movements

Establish rapport by good eye contact with delegates, move about do not remain fixed to
one spot

With presentation slides remove the slide when not relevant, keep it on if you are talking
about it

Use flip charts for added points and questions, write large enough for all to see with dark
colour pens

Ask questions to check understanding and engagement


When answering questions from the delegates listen to the entire question, repeat the
question so everyone has heard it, clarify if you haven’t understood the question, and verify
that your answer has addressed the questioner’s issue

Set up a question board on the flip chart to record questions and then answer them if
possible and if not, use them as points to find out about and get back to the questioner or
group as appropriate.

Quite often participants request hand-outs of the slides. It is suggested that these are made
available AFTER the training session as this stops people reading ahead and allows the
trainer to take the opportunity of asking questions without the participants having the
answers in front of them!

It is also suggested that any hand-outs are in electronic form to reduce printing time and
cost.


Running Project Meetings


Using the DMAIC Process to Structure
Meetings

The DMAIC process helps provide a logical structure to your meetings. Each meeting can be
held as a stage in the process, which will help the team to focus and avoid too much
diversion and procrastination.

In practice each stage of the process may not take an equal amount of time, so some steps
may require two meetings or one meeting may be able to work on more than one step.
Clearly it depends on the size and scope of the project, but the Principal of a meeting per
step is a good starting point.

DEFINE MEETING

The first meeting will be about forming the team, getting to know each other and working
on the project charter to ensure it is agreed and finalised.

The meeting should start with an introduction by the Project Manager to the project and
background to it. Each team member should then have the opportunity to introduce
themselves and explain their role in the College and what is their previous experience of LSS
is if any, what are their expectations and what are they are looking to gain from the project.

Then the team should agree the team rules on how they are going to work together.

After agreeing the rules the team should go through the draft charter supplied by the
Project Manager and complete all the sections ensuring buy in from the team.

The Project Manager should allocate a team member to be responsible for capturing the
activities and actions for the team.

The initial measures for the process need to be clarified if not already in place.

Actions before the next meeting should be identified and agreed which will be around
bringing data, information, procedures and forms to enable process mapping to be
undertaken.

MEASURE MEETING

The measure meeting begins by going over the project charter and reviewing the data,
information, procedures and forms team members have brought to the meeting.


A good understanding of what happens now with the process needs to be established in the
team.

The critical stage for this meeting is the mapping of the process being studied as defined in
the project charter. The process map should be created by the team based on the actual
process and highlight issues, concerns and opportunities with the current process. Each
process step is identified and mapped in sequence and allocated within the appropriate
area of responsibility so that the full complexity of the process can be understood by the
team.

The process map can be created on flip charts with sticky notes as it is being developed.
However, if practical it is helpful to have a team member allocated to transferring the map
into the Bizagi software process map during the meeting.

ANALYSE MEETING

The analyse meeting starts by going over the charter and the actions agreed at the last
session. The meeting is then about understanding the current process and identifying
opportunities to eliminate waste by finding unnecessary steps and handoffs. The team work
together now with an understanding of the existing process to examine the limitations,
constraints and delays that occur when the existing process is employed.

The team should then brainstorm to generate ideas on how the process could be improved
and start to assess the effect an alternative method may have. Using the flipchart ideas are
captured and reviewed together with the team.

The team review any data collected about the process and establish if these are the best
and most appropriate key performance indicators for the process being studied.

IMPROVE MEETING

The actions from the last meeting are reviewed initially. The improve meeting is about
selecting a new and improved method which addresses the issues raised with the current
process. Through the brainstorming teamwork and process mapping a new better process is
designed which provides a more robust and efficient process. A new standard procedure is
established and any further or better performance measures identified.

In the improve meeting risks with the new process should be assessed and if practical
before the next session the new method should be trialled to make sure that the new
process works as expected. Any further improvement opportunities should be identified at
this stage.

At this meeting start to consider the final presentation and draft the plan for who is going to
say what at the end of project presentation.


CONTROL MEETING

The final meeting should again consider the original charter to ensure the solutions to be
introduced achieve the project charter requirements. Outstanding actions are reviewed and
the focus of the control meeting is about ensuring the new process is introduced correctly
and monitored to ensure the improvement is sustained. The new standard method of
working should be written, any relevant forms updated and the appropriate training of the
staff using the new process should be organised

A key output from the session is who, how and when, are the key performance measures
that have been identified for the new processes, to be monitored to ensure the objectives
of the project are delivered.

The final presentation should now be put together by the team to show the work
undertaken in the project, the outcomes and follow up actions.

A RAG report should be raised identifying the actions, time scales and who is responsible for
delivery of the action. This RAG report is then the used to monitor progress by the Project
Manager and should be reported on a regular basis to the steering committee.


Generating and Testing Ideas

One of the benefits of the LSS approach is its ‘bias for action’.

As mentioned before, as we move forward in the process, the expectation is that Staff and
teams across the College start to take ownership of the process, by getting involved in the
change process.

We need to get staff used to the idea of looking at an issue then not only generating ideas
to resolve the issue, but also looking at what they can do as a team to test and implement
solutions.

Clearly we are not going to ask staff without the necessary skills to resolve complex issues.
But the vast majority of issues people face day to day in College life are relatively simple and
quick to fix. These are the problems we would like to encourage staff to take ownership for
and not wait for someone else, somewhere in the College to fix.

With this in mind, throughout the project meetings, every opportunity should be used to get
people used to the idea of working as a team to discuss and generate ideas that are found
using the process map and also though general discussion.

These ideas should be captured by the team and where appropriate actions should be put in
place there and then to ‘move the solution forward ’by a member or members of the team.

For example, this maybe agreeing to discuss an idea with an expert within the College
before the next meeting. Or it maybe is agreeing to ‘mock up’ a change on a document
ready to the rest of the team to see in a week’s time.

Whatever is agreed it should be recorded and summarised at the end of the project
meeting. It should be then reviewed at the start of the next meeting.

The PM is responsible for facilitating this type of discussion. Do not fall into the trap of
providing the solution to the team. Let them discuss the issues and find the solution.


Safety Issues

Safety and the welfare of both College staff and students should be considered at all stages
of the Lean Six Sigma process.

This may appear obvious, but as the leaders of the process it vital that we assess all the risks
involved ahead of starting any activity.

As a guide line the following need to be considered.

 Are all the staff familiar with the environment?
 Do you have people that are from different Campus or Colleges attending?
 Fire drills, are there any planned?
 Fire evacuation procedures, do you need to brief the team
 Security, do you need to arrange passes?
 Car parking, do you need to arrange visitor parking?
 Location of toilets, do you need to explain this to visitors
 Are there any members of the team with special needs that need to be handled?


Team Rules

At the start of the project during the first meeting it is very helpful to get the team’s
engagement and commitment by developing some team rules that are agreed just for this
team.

This can be played as an ice breaker game, where each rule is put on a card and the team
are asked to put them in order of importance to the team. The team then adopt the first
eight as the rules for this team.

Alternatively they can be reviewed as a group discussion and the flip chart used to identify
the rules to be adopted by the team

Suggested possible team rules are:

 Keep an open mind to change
 Maintain a positive attitude
 Never leave in silent disagreement
 Create and maintain a blameless environment
 Practice mutual respect every day
 Treat others as you want to be treated
 Every voice counts equally no position or rank
 There’s no such thing as a dumb question
 There is no magic wand
 Understand the process and then take action
 Be enthusiastic about the teams challenge
 Meet your commitments to the team
 Stick to the team’s problem when we are trying to get work done
 Do the ‘little things’ that make teamwork fun
 Don’t interrupt; wait until I’m finished talking
 Do your fair share of the team’s work
 Say ‘Thanks’
 Don’t ignore peoples suggestions
 Offer help when someone is overloaded; even if they don’t ask
 Don’t say it’s not my job
 Ask what you can do for the team not just what the team can do for you


Recording Activities and Actions

At the start of the project during the first meeting the Project Manager should allocate one
of the team members to the role of group scribe.

This is an important role as this person is responsible for capturing all the ideas, issues or
questions raised during the team meetings as well as the actions agreed upon.

The items should be put up on to a flip chart for use during and after the meetings.

The session notes and flip charts can be used at the next sessions to ensure a good flow
from one meeting to the next.

The notes from the flip chart need to be recorded to ensure that nothing is missed during
follow on sessions as the project progresses to the next phase.

At the end of each session using the recorded details the Project Manager should send out
to the team the agreed actions to be undertaken prior to the next session.

An example of actions from a meeting:

Actions for next meeting

 Review the process maps and look for any further changes or amendments required
 Develop an action list for the process, identifying quick improvements, medium and
long term actions ready to present to next meeting
 Identify key metrics and data capture methods to monitor improvements and report
to next session
 Consider ideas for the final presentation to discuss next time


Keeping the Team on Track

The Project Manager is instrumental in keeping the team on track to deliver the project.

The Project Manager should ensure that they produce a structured agenda for each of the
project meetings and make sure it is available for each session.

It should clearly detail the key areas to be covered in that meeting.

A review of the charter at each meeting should be carried out to ensure the teams activities
remain in alignment with the original objectives.

At the start of each meeting ensure the actions from the previous session are reviewed and
closed out if completed or carried forward if not.

Be mindful of the time allocated to the meeting and the agenda for the session.

Remind the team of the task in hand and keep them focused on the relevant step in the
process.

Call a halt to discussions that are going around in circles or are not relevant to the project
progress.

Keep the team interested and engaged with positive debate, but ensure this is within the
scope of the charter and time allocated.


Example Meeting Agenda

1. Review Actions from previous workshop
2. Review Project Charter Objectives
3. Identify how proposed actions support charter objectives
4. Identify best practice points from project
5. Check process maps starting and improved process
6. Identify metrics and how improvements will be identified for follow up audit
7. Presentation ideas and start preparation


Process Mapping


Introduction to Process Mapping
Before we start mapping any processes, we need to understand what a process actually is.

Processes are simply sequences of actions designed to transform inputs into outputs. For
instance, baking a cake will involve taking various ingredients (inputs) and producing the
cake (output) using the recipe (process), Similarly, the steps required to deal with an
enrolment, from receipt of the initial application, to the student actually being signed up to
a specific course, will involve a process, or series of processes.

Process mapping is an exercise to identify all the steps and decisions in a process in
diagrammatic form which -

 Describes the flow of information and documents;
 Displays the various tasks contained within the process;
 Shows that the tasks transform inputs into outputs;
 Indicates the decisions that need to be made along the process chain;
 Demonstrates the essential inter-relationships and interdependence between the
process steps; and reminds us that the strength of a chain depends upon its weakest
link.

More complex processes have a number of interdependencies that may cloud the issue, so
it is vital to understand the start and finish point of the process to be mapped. Normally the
best reference for this is the Project charter, since if written correctly it will have these
indicated.

It is essential to involve College staff in any process mapping exercise. This may involve the
main project team asking others outside the team for their expert advice and guidance. Only
by asking the people who do the work will you be able capture the information required.
There may be some suspicion from staff about the ultimate aims of a process improvement
exercise and how change will affect individuals. Up front communication is vital as is the
openness about the exercise, its aims and expected outcomes. Communicating this openly
will reassure the staff and securing co-operation.


Purpose

Process mapping is a simple tool that helps all of the team to understand the working of a
process. Most processes within the College environment are relatively complex and few
people will fully understand the complete process from start to finish. So going through the
mapping process as a team will help build a common understanding and will provide a
framework where all of the team can ask questions and make comments.

When process mapping a College process it is important to remember to map what actually
happens not what you think happens or what you would like to happen.

Process mapping enables us to clearly and simply record existing processes, examine them
thoroughly and develop improvements by:

 Eliminating unnecessary tasks;
 Clarifying roles within the process;
 Reducing delays and duplication;
 Reducing the number of steps or hand offs in the process
 Improve the quality and reliability of a process

It must be remembered that making changes without truly understanding how the process
is working today, and why, can lead to costly mistakes.

If you do not measure a process, you will not be able to manage it effectively and if you
cannot manage a process, you cannot improve it.

It has been estimated that people can waste about 70 – 80% of their time by re-doing things
that are wrong, chasing things without result, querying incomplete instructions, doing other
people’s jobs and so on.

Process mapping enables us to clearly define the current processes in chart form, identifying
problem areas such as bottlenecks, capacity issues, delays or waste. Once identified, this
knowledge provides a solid basis from which to develop solutions and introduce and plan
new improved processes.

.


Using Current and Future State Maps

As mentioned before, process mapping is a simple tool to help us understand a process. The
normal process is to map the current state of the process, warts and all. This map is then
used to generate discussion as to possible improvements.

Once the current state map is completed the team must challenge every part of the process.
The basic questions that should be asked at every step of the process are:

 Does the step add value?
 Is the step sitting in the correct place
 Is the step being undertaken by the correct College department or person?
 Is there any delay?
 Is there duplication?

During the process mapping process we are looking at:

 Work arounds (symptom of a process not working correctly)
 Form layout, can it be improved?
 Over complicated paperwork and forms
 The number of departments involved
 The number of hand offs
 Correct equipment to undertake the process
 Physical movement levels (walking, transportation)
 Quality levels
 Overall lead time to correct the process
 Problems caused by other departments not doing their job correctly first time
 Problems caused by staff not following the process
 Bottlenecks
 Correct levels of data collection

Normally, the questioning of the process map leads to more unanswered questions rather
than answers. All unanswered questions and ideas should be recorded. If they are not, they
will be lost.

Once the team understand the current state map, the next step is to develop a future state
map. This can be one of two types:

 Interim future state
 Full future state.


For most teams and most College projects the interim future state is the best level of future
state map to use.

This is where the team consider what the future process could look like in a relatively short
time scale (3 to 6 months).

After completing the current state map and looking at the issues within it, the team then
produces a second map detailing the best process that they can envisage working.

In producing this second map the team must challenge all the waste that they can see and
come up with solutions. The interim future state map then serves as a target state for the
project team and the College to work towards.

Full future state

It is possible (depending on how open the team is to blue sky thinking) to build a future
state map. That is, one that is considered the utopia process by all the team.

Normally this vision would take some time to accomplish and may well be outside the scope
of the original project charter. However this type of map can be a very powerful tool to
communicate the long term vision for the process.

In order to build a full future state map the follow sequence of steps is suggested.

 Build the current state map
 Identify the opportunities
 Identify the value added steps in the process
 Transfer ONLY VALUE ADDED STEPS to the new future state map
 Understand why the process cannot work with only the value added steps
 Understand why the process cannot be undertaken by one member of staff
 Add back into the future state map, only non-value added steps that are deemed
vital to make the process function safely and at the correct quality level.
 Add back hand offs to other members of staff of departments only when they are
required for a specific reason ( lack of skill or training is not a good reason as this can
be fixed)
 Once the Future state map in complete, discuss it with all the necessary departments
and staff in the College.


Manual Process Mapping as a Tool

Process mapping is the first stage in the project team really understanding the process that
they are about to work upon. So allow a reasonable period of time for this part of the
project.

Initially process mapping is best done manually on a wall for all the team to see. The best
way is to first cover a wall in paper. If a wall is not available then use tables!

Identify the various departments within the College that are involved with the process and
also any external suppliers such as data processing bureaus. For each of the departments
and suppliers add a ‘swim lane’.

Starting at the agreed start point (as detailed on the project charter) begin mapping the
process using a 'POST-IT'.Each note should represent a 'step' in the process. Using the POST-
IT note approach saves a lot of pain when it comes to re-shuffling the sequence to get it
right!

Draw the process map to represent the process, as it actually happens - NOT what you
might prefer it to be!

Keep it simple to facilitate broad understanding of the OVERALL process. Too much detail
early on can be overwhelming and/or lead to confusion. If you agree that more detail is
required on a particular action, it is easy to highlight that box and produce a separate chart
showing the process taking place within.

Leave the Process map on the wall if possible. This enables reflection and re-thinking.
Continue until consensus is reached. Rarely is the process map completed without re-work.


Basic Flowcharting Symbols
The two most important symbols are:

1. A rectangle, representing an activity or task:

2. A diamond, representing a decision:

You may also find it useful, when considering process improvement to label certain
actions on your chart to highlight -

Delays

Transport/movement

Filing

Electronic storage


For workflow, simply join the processes up with a line and an arrow to indicate the direction
of flow.

For electronic communication use the following symbol.

You may also find it useful, when considering process improvement to label certain parts of
the process or ideas on your chart.

For this the best symbol is an opportunity cloud.

Any ideals can be noted in the cloud and stuck to the appropriate part of the process to
ensure that the idea or discussion point is not lost.


Using Bizagi Software
Once the process has been mapped manually the agreed process needs to be recorded
electronically in order that it can be shared.

In order to do this it is recommended that a software package called Bizagi BPMN Process
Modeller is used.

Bizagi Limited is a privately owned UK company established in 1989. Its name stands for
business agility.

The software is used in all types of business sectors including the public sector, financial
services, energy, health, manufacturing, and many more.

Bizagi Limited offers two products:

 Bizagi BPMN Process Modeller
 Bizagi BPM Suite

For the purpose of process mapping in the College environment it is recommended that the
BPMN Process Modeller software is used

Bizagi BPMN Process Modeller is a freeware application to graphically diagram and
document processes in a standard format known as Business Process Modelling Notation
(BPMN). One of the main advantages of the software is that it allows non-technical users to
build process maps and diagrams by dragging and dropping shapes.

Once the process diagrams and the corresponding documentation have been created they
can be exported to Word, PDF, Visio, the web or SharePoint to be shared with people who
do not have the Modeller installed.

The software can be downloaded from: www.bizagi.com

If you are unsure if you have permission to download this software, please speak to your IT
or MIS department who will advise you. If you have the relevant permissions please follow
the steps below.

1. Select ‘Products’ from the ribbon at the top of the page.
2. Then under the heading of ‘Become a BPM expert’, find step 1 and click on
Download our free Process Modeler.
3. This will take you to a new page where you will see a button to download the
modeller. Click on this button.
4. This will take you to a page that says thank you for downloading Bizagi process
Modeller. The download should start automatically.


5. If you see a yellow security bar appear either at the top or bottom of the screen,
click run or OK. This should start the automatic download.
6. When requested, select the set up language - English (United States)
7. The software should now install.
8. When the download is complete, you should see a ‘InstallShieldWizard welcome
screen’. Click on the Next option.
9. Accept the terms of the licence agreement and click Next
10. On the next screen enter your user name and details click Next.
11. On the next screen you will be asked for the destination folder. Accept the
recommendation and click Next.
12. Click ‘Install’ to begin the final installation. The process should start automatically.
13. Once complete click ‘ Finish’
14. The process should have created a shortcut on your desktop. To start Bizagi Software
use this shortcut.

If you have any problems, please speak to your IT or MIS department who will help you.

Instructions correct July 2012

User video tutorials can be viewed at: http://elearning.bizagi.com/

A quick reference guide can be downloaded from:
www.bizagi.com/docs/BPMN_Quick_Reference_Guide_ENG.pdf


Examples of Process Maps

Examples of a manual current state map


Examples of a final Electronic current state map using Bizagi software


The Final Presentation


Purpose

The purpose of the final presentation is not only to share with the steering committee and
other College staff the outcomes from the project along with the lessons learnt, but also it is
also the ideal opportunity celebrate the successful completion of the project.

In presenting the outcome of the project, it is an opportunity for the team members to gain
support and commitment from the rest of the College staff for the new process that is to be
employed.

It is the opportunity to gain wider support for the LSS process and engage other staff that
have not yet been involved in an improvement project themselves.

From the steering committee and SMT point of view, the final presentation should be
looked at as an opportunity to say thank you and put weight behind the suggestions that the
project team has made.


Structure

The Project Manager is responsible for taking the lead in organising and leading the
presentation.

A mixture of flip charts, PowerPoint and other creative means should be used to keep the
presentation lively and interesting for the audience.

The presentation should last around 20 minutes and typically 10 slides would be expected.

Ensure each team member has the opportunity to talk at some stage of the presentation.

The structure of the final presentation should be as follows:

 Introduction of the team that worked on the project by the Project Manager
 An explanation of the Project Charter by the Project Manager
 An explanation of the process being studied using the process map by a team
member
 An explanation of any initial or historical data about the process by a team member
 The findings regarding the current process by a team member
 A description of the ideal process by a team member
 An explanation of the improvements to be introduced with the timescales and
measures to be employed by a team member
 Details of the expected results from the project by a team member
 Summary of the project by the Project Manager
 Opportunity to answer questions from the staff attending the presentation

At the end of the presentation and questions the most senior member of staff in attendance
usually the Principal or a Vice Principal should stand up and thank the team for their work
and commit to supporting the implementation of the improved process.

It should be remembered that the Final presentation is quite daunting for a lot of the team
members so the speakers must be comfortable with the content. Do not go into too much
detail and where possible keep the presentation light hearted.


Who Should Attend?

The attendance at the final presentation will be to some extent determined by the nature
and scope of the project.

If more than one project has been running concurrently than the presentation should be
timed such that all of the various teams can attend the same session.

This allows for the process to receive more gravitas and for the teams to view each others
work and presentations.

The Steering Committee and as many staff as practical should attend to show the Colleges
commitment to the project and using the LSS process.


Celebrating Success
A key aspect of the final presentation is to celebrate the success of the project and say
thank you for the team for their time and commitment to delivering the results.

The Principal or Vice Principal should give plenty of recognition to those who were involved
in the project and the effort of all involved should be celebrated.

If possible a small buffet is a good idea and should be timed to be either mid-session or after
the final presentation.

All staff involved in the presentation, whether it is as a project team member or as an
invited guest should be invited to the buffet. People should be discouraged from ‘sloping
off’ as this sends the wrong message.

The buffet is a time for the SMT, College Champions, and other invited guests to talk to the
Project teams and listen to their experiences and comments. This aspect is aimed again at
sending the message that the change process that LSS brings to the table is something that
the College as a whole values.


Sustainment
And
Project Follow Up


Measuring Success

In order to be able to understand whether a LSS project has been successful, some form of
measurement process needs to be put in place.

If written correctly, the project charter should define the various expected outcomes of the
project, by using SMART goals and targets.

In the planning phase the steering committee should check that data as to the starting point
is available. If not a measurement process needs to be put in place ahead of the
commencement of the project. Initial data then needs to be used to confirm the validity of
the project assumptions.

This initial data should also be used by the Project Manager and the team in the
measurement phase of the DMAIC process to further analyse the process.

Once the project has been completed the process in question then needs to be assessed
using the same metrics to measure the success.

Another reason to measure the process following the completion of the project is
sustainment. When changes are made to a process, people quite often find it difficult to
accept or get used to the change. If this happens the improvements and changes will start to
slip and the gains made will disappear. So it makes sense to keep monitoring the process
until the new process in embedded.

This is one of the key roles of the steering committee and the College Champions following
the completion of the project. Doing this will keep the focus on the project and reduce
slippage.


Using RAG Reporting

All projects have a number of unfinished or open actions at the end of the formal part of the
project. These need to be tracked to ensure that they are closed out in a timely manner.

One of the best ways to do this is to use a RAG report.

The term RAG comes from RED, AMBER, GREEN, the three colours that are used on this type
of report to indicate the status of a particular action item at a glance.

 RED: there are issues and/or risks that are impacting the project right now = we are
not delivering on time/scope/budget

 AMBER: there are issues and/or risks that will impact the project if not fixed = we
are at risk of not delivering on time/scope/budget.

 GREEN: the project is progressing according to plan = we are delivering on
time/scope/budget.

It is the Project Manager’s responsibility to decide on how the overall project is going. Make
sure you involve the team and discuss it with them.

The steering committee should have in place a process where they regularly review the
status of all the projects using this form of report.


Example RAG Report


Project Close-Out

A project can only be closed when all of the objectives on the Project Charter have been
met.

This should be done in a formal way with the Project Manager and the steering committee
holding a review and discussing the project as a whole.

As a guideline the Project close out meeting should discuss

 Has the Project met the targets set out in the Project Charter?
 Have all the action items on the RAG report been closed out?
 Are the correct KPI’s in place and being used?
 Are the customers of the process happy?
 Is the quality level the same or better?
 Feedback from the project team
 Feedback from the Project Manager
 Learning points

When all points have been satisfied, then the project can be formally closed.


Roles and Responsibilities

During the follow up phase of the project the steering group have the overriding
responsibility for the successful close out of the project.

Working closely with the Project Manager, The steering committee should ensure the RAG
reports are up to date and that the action items contained on them are closed out on or
before the closing date.

Should an action Item turn Amber or red, the steering committee should seek to understand
why and should assist by the timely removal of any barriers that exist stopping the progress
of that item.

The steering committee also have the responsibility for looking at the bigger picture within
the College and where necessary adjusting priorities and communicating the reasoning
behind the decision.


Follow up Communications

Lean Six Sigma projects are designed to generate momentum, get people talking and get
things done.

But unless something is put in place, this momentum will dwindle following the final
presentation.

The post project communication plan should be split into two parts:

 The project team communication plan
 College level communication plan.

The project team communication plan

Normally at the end of the allotted project time the team involved has built up good
working relationships and on numerous occasions have asked to keep in touch, both at a
personal level and also at a working level. It is normal for the team to be interested in the
project’s success.

Project follow up communications are key to ensuring that the team working and the
continuous improvement thinking process is not lost.

The Project Manager should plan to stay in touch with the team following the project
ensuring that they are kept up to speed with the success of the project. If it is possible the
team should meet up again on an occasional basis and look at the sustainment aspects of
the post project.

Using the project team in this way ensures the passion for the project is not lost and is put
to good use to ‘police’ the new process.

College Champions should also not lose sight of their part of this process. Joining the project
team to check sustainment will add extra drive and increase the levels of sustainment.

College level communication plan.

A plan should be put in place to share the success of the project with the wider College
audience. This can be done by whatever means is deemed the best by the College. Whether
it is by discussion in a meeting or by some from of electronic newsletter, is not so important.
The key is to recognise all the hard work of the team and communicate the success of the
project.

Take the opportunity to invite other staff to get involved with the Lean Six Sigma process,
perhaps by volunteering to join a later project team.

Again College Champions have a key role in this process. They should take every opportunity
to sing the praises of the process and check that the communication process is reaching all
departments in the College.


Glossary of Terms


Glossary of Terms

5S: A process and method for creating and maintaining an organized, clean and high
performance workplace. The 5S’s are taken originally from 5 Japanese words, Seiri,
Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke.
The main focus of the 5S process is to remove waste from the process and make the
process visual

5 Whys: The 5 why's typically refer to the practice of asking, 5 times, why the failure has
occurred in order to get to the root cause of the problem. There can be more than one
cause to a problem. In an organizational context, generally root cause analysis is carried
out by a team of people related to the problem. No special technique is required.

Abnormality management: The ability to see and respond to an abnormality (any violation
of standard operations) in a timely manner.

Autonomation: English translation of Jidoka. Imparting human intelligence to an Automated
Process so that it automatically stops when a problem arises.

BIZAGI software: is a free industry standard process mapping tool. Downloadable from
www.bizagi.com

Brainstorming: Consensus building about a problem or issue using group discussion. All
ideas are listed without comment or regard to feasibility.

College Champion: The person who Champions the Lean Six Sigma process within the
college at every level.

Cost of Quality: is a measure that sums all costs associated with poor quality or Process
failure, including rework or the introduction of work around processes, loss of reputation,
legal costs and other costs incurred in preventing or resolving quality problems.

DMAIC: A Six Sigma structured process that the project team follows. The sequence being:
DEFINE, MEASURE, ANALISE, IMPROVE, CONTROL

Final presentation: The presentation by the project teams(s) at the end of the project
where the team presents the outcome of the project to the wider College audience.

Fire fighting: An expression used to describe the process of performing emergency fixes to
problems.


Jidoka: Also known as automonation. The imparting of human intelligence to a machine so
that it automatically stops when a problem arises.

Just in Time (JIT): Defined as ‘giving the customer what they want, when they need it, with
the required Quality, whilst using the minimum amount of resources (labour, space,
equipment and WIP i.e. lowest cost).

Kaizen: (Translated ‘Kai’ – Change, ‘Zen’ – Good,) A continuous improvement vehicle for
driving quick hit value by implementing “Do now” solutions through waste elimination

Lean Six Sigma Breakthrough: a time sensitive rapid deployment methodology that uses a
focused team based approach to continuous improvement.

Lead Time: The total time taken to complete a process from start to finish. I.e. the time
from when a prospective student arrives at the door of the College to enrol, to the point
when the student actually leaves the College.

Lean process: A strategy that uses less of everything compared to the traditional College
process. The focus is on eliminating waste or Non Value Added activities within a process.

Muda: Any activity that adds to cost without adding to value of the product.

Mura: Variations in process quality, cost and delivery

Muri: Unreasonableness; demand exceeds capacity.

Non Value Add: Any activity that does not add form, feature or function to the process.
Non Value Added activities include transportation, process defects, inventory, handling,
queues, MIS issues, etc.

Pareto chart: A graphical technique used to quantify problems so that effort can be
expended in fixing the “vital few” causes, as opposed to the ‘trivial many’.

Pareto principle: 80% of defects come from 20% of the problems (i.e., the vital few
problems).

Poka Yoke: Japanese term meaning error prevention. Ideally this is an ‘engineered method
or solution which makes it very difficult or impossible to produce a defective’. Typically
this will be an IT solution such as a credit card number validity check or a student address
validity cross check.


Problem solving: The process of determining the cause from a symptom and then choosing
an action to improve a process.

Process mapping: The drawing out of the process steps involved in a particular portion of a
process or the totality of a process or work stream.

Project Manger: is the person in charge of a project within the College. Normally the PM is
trained in Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques to allow them to guide the team though
the process. The Project Manager reports to the steering committee and the College
Champion.

Project meeting: A team meeting, lead by the Project Manager, where the team works
though the issues of the project and decides on actions to move the project forward.

RAG Report: a reporting method that uses colours to allow the reader to see the overall
status of a project at a glance. The colours used being: RED, AMBER and GREEN.

Right first time (RFT): The process of carrying out a process without creating defects along
the way.

Root Cause: The reason, or fault from which a chain of effects or failures originate from.

Rework: Non Value Add work performed to correct a defect that has occurred.

Seven Quality tools: Defined by in the late 1960’s by Dr Kaoru Ishikawa, The 7 classic tools
are:
 Check Sheets,
 Scatter Diagrams,
 Histograms,
 Control Charts,
 Pareto,
 Fishbone diagrams
 Flow Charts.

Six Sigma: Started in Motorola, it is a technique that focuses on improving processes by
reducing variability. Six Sigma refers to a quality level of 3.4 defects per million
opportunities.

SQDC board: Is a visual control board used by a College departmental team to display
specific measures relating to SAFEY, QUALITY, COST and DELIVERY.

Standard Deviation: is a statistic that tells you how tightly data points are clustered around
the mean (Average) in a set of data.


Steering committee: The body that is charged with co-ordinating the Lean Six Sigma efforts
within the College. The Committee is responsible for checking the strategic alignment of
the various projects and making sure that the projects are completed to a satisfactory
level on time and on budget.

Takt Time: The required rate of a process needed to meet ‘true’ customer demand.
Calculated by dividing the total net daily operating time by the total daily customer
demand.

Value Add Activities: Any effort or operation that transforms a product or service closer to
what the customer requires.

Value Stream: All activities, both Value Added and Non Value Added, required to bring a
product or service from order to the hands of the customer,

Value Stream Map: (or Value Chain Map) A visual picture of how material and information
flows from suppliers, through the process, to the customer. It includes calculations of
total cycle time and Value Added Time. Typically written for the current state of the value
chain and the future, to indicate where the business is going.

Voice Of the Customer (VOC): A term used to describe the stated and un-stated customer
needs or requirements.

Waste: Anything that does not add value to the final product or service, in the eyes of the
customer. An activity the customer wouldn't want to pay for if they knew it was
happening. These are normally classified into 7 categories.

1. Defects
2. Over Production
3. Inventory
4. Over Processing
5. Motion
6. Waiting
7. Transportation

Work around: A temporary process that has been put in place normally because the
planned process is not working correctly. A Work around process is deemed as Non Value
add.

Work Sequence: The correct agreed sequence of steps that a process should be performed.


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