The Six Thinking Hats is a brainstorming technique developed by Edward de Bono that promotes parallel thinking, where participants focus on one perspective at a time using colored hats to represent different styles of thinking. This method enhances clarity and structure during discussions, allowing individuals to explore various viewpoints like optimism, pessimism, and creativity without the confusion of free thinking. The document illustrates its application in decision-making around inventory management, highlighting participant insights using each thinking hat.

1. Six Thinking Hats Brainstorming Technique Overview Travis Eck Senior Business Process Analyst

2. Parallel Thinking Six Thinking Hats is a brainstorming technique that uses a strategy called “Parallel Thinking”. Parallel thinking is a process where the focus by all participants at any given moment is in the same direction. This leads to exploring a subject where all participants can contribute in parallel. In the Six Thinking Hats, each hat represents a different style of thinking. The participants explore all perspectives by wearing each of the hats one at a time.

3. Six Thinking Hats The Six Thinking Hats brainstorming process is developed by Edward de Bono. The process is used for exploring different perspectives towards a problem to come up with a solution. Each hat is named for a color and indicates both emotional states, as well as frames of mind (optimistic, pessimistic, objective etc.). This directs and limits the way participants explore an issue.

4. Color of the Hats White Hat : Focus of facts and data when available - analyze past trends and extrapolate from historical data Red Hat : Focus on emotions and feelings - gut reaction Black Hat : Focus on logical negative view - why ideas won’t work (pessimistic) Yellow Hat : Focus on logical positive view - benefits of a decision and the opportunities that arise from it (optimistic) Green Hat : Focus on creative thinking - out of the box thinking Blue Hat : Focus on control of the process and other hats – worn by people chairing the meeting

5. Process & Rules Rules: Give ideas and opinions without risks Awareness that there can be multiple perspective Only give ideas and opinions on the hat you are wearing. Opportunity at the review stage to give additional ideas one more time

6. Focus for each hat

7. Conclusion The biggest issue with free thinking is lack of structure. When thinking is clear and simple, it is more effective. Six Thinking Hats approach allows the participants to deal with one perspective at a time. Instead of sorting through emotions, logic, information, hope and creativity all at the same time, the participants are able to deal with it individually. This adds structure to the brainstorming process. The other advantage of Six Thinking Hats is forcing the participants to switch in thinking. If a participant has a negative emotion to an issue, parallel thinking forces him/her into role-playing. The participant can not express a negative emotion if a White, Yellow or Green hat is worn.

8. Six Thinking Hats Example

9. Issue Make a decision on the following: What will be “in stock” managed perpetually? What will be managed as expense (par)? Should inventories (ZCC / ZORD) be combined? What should be the timing be?

10. White Hat: Lawson will determine level of usage for expensed inventory Item will be expensed moment it is delivered from ZW Items on MASS carts and surgical carts will be replenished automatically once items are scanned Once item is expensed, the item loses visibility in Lawson Usage reports by Par carts Each Par cart will be given a unique identifier More carts will be required in the future Will need to walk more if new solution is implemented No duplication of bins in the warehouse Inventory will not increase, but the # of bins will increase

11. Red Hat: Separating room with tape was ridiculous Both perpetual items and expensed items in the same room makes it easier for staff from the department and OR to take items from the wrong side Space – inventory will be in multiple places Who is going to walk down and replenish the carts Need more carts Re-look at how we pick up orders

12. Black Hat: Duplicate stock in one area May need more space due to duplication All expensed items in carts and surgical inventory will need to be manually counted

13. Yellow Hat: Expense items will not need to be manually credited when items from carts are returned to ZCC Reports for determining utilization Better accuracy with inventory Opportunity to reduce inventory Only need to go down to ZW once Less risk to run out of inventory Do not need to wait for billing to decrement inventory Ability to have a single picture of SCM Specialty items currently in ZORD and not in use will be in the PAR cart

14. Green Hat: All direct order items will be expensed All specialty items will be in perpetual area on the floor and all commonly used items will be in ZW (no duplication) Put all inventories together

15. Recommendation Conducted Fist to Five and all participants voted 4 or 5 to the following recommendations: ZCC and ZORD should be combined The current area will be split to house an expensed area (ZCC) for items and a perpetual area for items (part of ZW) All perpetual commonly used items will be stored in ZW and will be picked up daily (pick list)