Project Management Articles

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 5:15 PM

Interviewing major influencers of the Six Sigma initiative is a technique that initiates the involvement and consideration of everyone. The CEO or top management generally proposes the need for a Six Sigma initiative. Conducting interviews of these people is equally necessary, as is the need to interview other key influencers. These interviews are needed to understand the factors to design the deployment plan, integrate it with the company environment and make it part of the comp... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 4:57 PM

The concept of zero defects as explained and initiated by Philip Crosby is a business system that aims at reducing the defects in a process, and doing the process correctly the first time itself. The Concept of Zero Defects When would a product be acceptable to a customer? It would be acceptable when it meets or conforms to the requirements of the customer - it is not just about being good. In short, when a product is built to specifications without any drawbacks, then it is an ac... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 3:12 PM

This is because Six Sigma aims at minimizing variation in products and processes, and Lean Manufacturing aims at eliminating manufacturing waste. Possible Areas for Implementation: -Research and Development The Research and Development process is the most important process in pharmaceutical companies and forms a major part of costs. The Lean concept is desirable in this scenario to understand the critical processes to new drug development, and to research and streamline exi... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 3:10 PM

The application of Six Sigma in software development projects is well known, but the utility of Six Sigma for software implementation projects is also worth a mention. Software implementation projects commonly have the recurring problem of going off-track with regard to target implementation dates, as well as other problems. This is the point where Six Sigma concepts can play a critical role. Common Issues in Software Implementation Projects As mentioned earlier, the prob... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 3:01 PM

They may be team leaders, managers or others relevant to the process, but may not be in leadership positions. They have very good knowledge about the process and its critical areas. They are an integral part of DMAIC and DFSS projects. The solutions brought in by the improvement team are handed over to the process owners. Roles and Responsibilities of Process Owners -Subject matter expertise of the process: Process owners must be thoroughly aware of the input, output and o... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 2:57 PM

Service desks functions are highly customer oriented. They are in a position to understand the voice of the customer and have the data required for Six Sigma projects. Areas for application of Six Sigma Training: -Customer complaints: Help desk operations in themselves are about problem resolution for customers. When a customer faces a situation that requires the support of helpdesk staff, they provide feedback for the product or service. This helps the team understand the internal... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 27th August 2008 @ 1:46 PM

The voice Of the Customer, external as well as internal, is necessary to understand the factors that are critical to the success of the Six Sigma project. Importance of Employee Assessment The contribution of employees has to be carefully assessed by the business. HR metrics or employee ratings are the outcome of employee assessments undertaken by the HR team. Employee assessments help realize the satisfaction levels of the team members. It is an assessment of the work environment... more...

Business » Project Management | By john mce @ Monday, 25th August 2008 @ 9:02 PM

Project management consists of 4 main elements; scope, resources, time and cost. All elements need to be managed properly if the project is going to be a success. Poor management can lead to project failure hence why it is so important. Project Scope The project scope outlines what the project is to accomplish and consists of defining the size of the project, the goals and the requirements. It is the backbone of any project and is necessary to effectively manage cost, resources and ti... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 4:20 PM

Most often it is the DMAIC methodology that is used and involves bringing about improvements in the existing systems. Likewise, there are some organizations that are involved in constant innovation of new products and services. This is the core concept of DFSS - which stands for Design for Six Sigma. The DFSS approach is one of designing a new product or service to achieve Six Sigma quality. What is DFSS? The DMAIC methodology has universal acceptance. DFSS is more focused ... more...

Business » Project Management | By Tony Jacowski @ Wednesday, 20th August 2008 @ 4:06 PM

There are roles such as Champions, Master Black Belts, Black Belts, Green Belts, and other team members. The Champion and Master Black Belt are at higher responsibility levels. Let\'s take a look at the roles of Champions and Master Black Belts. Champions The simplest way to explain the responsibility of the Champion is that of removal of roadblocks, which the Black Belts cannot handle alone. They are generally members of middle management and are responsible for the i... more...