In the coming weeks, we will dive into the world of Lean Six Sigma together, from breaking down basic terminologies to discovering how it promotes a UBC-wide mindset of collaboration, continuous improvement, and growth. These resources will serve as a refresher for those who have completed their Lean Six Sigma White Belt training and a preview for others.
In part one of this series, we looked at a foundational understanding of Lean Six Sigma. We learned that Lean Six Sigma is a process-focused approach to driving operational excellence across functional areas.
This week, we’ll focus on how Lean Six Sigma can be used across UBC to make better business decisions and drive operational excellence.
What is the DMAIC framework and how does it facilitate change and solve problems?
Lean Six Sigma consists of a number of tools that are easy to use and relevant to our unique work environment at UBC, while other methodologies lend themselves more to manufacturing environments.
One of which is the DMAIC (pronounced “day-may-ik) framework, which is applied to make improvements to existing processes and is comprised of five phases:
- Define: Define your problem or opportunity.
- Measure: Observe your existing process, and quantify its current performance level.
- Analyze: Understand the key drivers and root causes of your problem and/or discover a business opportunity.
- Improve: Implement plans to resolve root causes, and verify performance improvements.
- Control: Track and sustain improvements over the long term.
Now that you have a better understanding of the five distinct phases, we encourage you to take a moment to think about how they can be applied to an existing process in your role or department at UBC — feel free to share your thoughts with your supervisor and your team!
Have you done your White Belt training?
Our goal is to have everyone in the VPFO complete the training by November 1, 2021. The training will equip the community with the tools to drive operational excellence in your work at UBC and will play a key role in our cultural shift towards continuous improvement.
If you haven’t already, we highly encourage you to complete the 90-minute White Belt training — please reach out to your supervisor for registration details.