Hello Everyone
As you all know, this newsletter is designed for those of you working in a corporate environment who aspire to advance your careers. I share exciting new podcast episodes that provide fresh insights and actionable steps for your consideration. In each newsletter, my goal is to offer additional tips and tricks to enhance your day-to-day professional life.
Some of my students ask me which training will have the biggest impact on their careers. I know I may be biased, but I truly believe that Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is one of the best methods to propel you forward on your career path. That’s why I continuously improve these courses for you—because I, too, have made great strides in my career since taking my first Lean Six Sigma awareness training, followed by Green Belt training, a couple of decades ago. Little did I know back then that I would still be talking about this so many years later.
Before I dove into the LSS world, I often wondered what it would be like to generate so much value for an organization that management would promote me and offer a higher salary. At that time, I was working in operations at a bank, following the steps of my daily process as listed in the standard operating procedures (SOPs). After completing the Green Belt course, I was able to challenge the SOPs and implement new standards in the process, resulting in saving the company substantial hard savings per year. This also freed up a significant portion of my own capacity. With this extra time, I had the opportunity to solve more business issues using my newfound LSS knowledge. A year later, I was working on projects full-time and had the chance to pursue my LSS Black Belt and later Master Black Belt certification. This journey eventually led me to become a consultant at a renown consulting firm, then became Chief Quality Officer at a large international bank, and today, I run a Lean Six Sigma training company. None of this would have been possible if I hadn't taken that first white belt (awareness) training as a young professional just starting out.
This is exactly what motivates me to support you in your journey to show you how to create value for your company and for you to also achieve great career development. Going to work should never be boring or burdensome; it should be something you look forward to. Whether you choose to follow the Lean Six Sigma path like I did or carve out your own unique path to success within any role in your organization, I can say with 100% confidence that having an LSS background will benefit you. It will change the way you view challenges and make you a problem solver. You will gain knowledge of various tools that will help you remove roadblocks and drive success in any business.
Many companies have recognized this and made LSS certification a prerequisite for employees seeking promotion to management positions. If you’re interested in further boosting your career with tools and techniques that have stood the test of time, my team and I are more than happy to support you on this journey.
This month, we'll delve into the CT-Tree tool.
Why use this tool?
To identify projects related to customer expectations and help define the project's scope.
When to use this tool?
This is done in the define phase when selecting a new project. Some companies like to call it pre-define phase, as it's part of building a project pipeline. Once a project is identified, the CT Tree can help clarify the project’s scope.
3 Do´s and 3 Don’ts:
Do: Drill down using a new branch in the area that has the greatest impact on the Voice of the Customer (VOC).
Do: Create the CT tree with input from management and people closest to the customer.
Do: Focus on one branch at a time. If you want to explore a different branch, use a new file/page.
Don’t: Make assumptions about what a VOC might be - always collect VOC directly from the source.
Don´t: Drill down on branches with less significance or correlation to the VOC.
Don´t: Focus on topics beyond your control.
How to use this tool?
Watch my 4-minute video tutorial for a detailed explanation of this tool and get a free downloadable template for your convenience. Here is the link: CT Tree.
You can also access the CT Tree and all other Lean Six Sigma tools in our tool vault.
If you're unable to enter the tool vault, please register on our website. Once registered, navigate to the “Define Phase” and select the desired tool.
Every month we will highlight one of the 22 training and certification programs offered by WAVE. This month we’re excited to spotlight the Lean Six Sigma White Belt (awareness) course.
This training is ideal for:
anyone looking to gain basic knowledge of Lean Six Sigma.
In just a few hours, you’ll grasp the fundamentals, explore its history, learn about the different "belts," and understand the core principles of these powerful methodologies. The White Belt training offers a solid foundation, perfect for anyone curious about the impact and benefits of Lean Six Sigma.
Duration of the course?
Approximately 3 hours of video material.
Call to Action:
Check out the agenda and watch a 2-minute video for more insights: White Belt (wave-bef.com)
This course could be the start of something big in your career!
In the Projects section on the WAVE website, my team and I are engaged in 2 compelling long-term projects:
1. Project: Sustainability for Companies:
If your company is committed to advancing its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reducing its carbon footprint, or if you're interested in enhancing your organization's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, we invite you to explore our project page on Sustainability for Companies. I’m more than happy to discuss these exciting topics with you. Discover more by visiting: Sustainability for Companies.
80% of the projects we support come from customers in the financial sector, such as banks and insurance companies. We are also strongly engaged with real estate firms and IT companies. However, in this edition of our newsletter, I would like to share a project we completed for one of our customers who runs a manufacturing plant.
Objective: To reduce waste during the production process, thereby decreasing environmental impact and cutting costs—a true win-win.
Define Phase: The team identified that the plant was generating significant scrap material, particularly in metal component production. This waste not only raised operational costs but also contributed to environmental pollution.
Measure Phase: The team measured the amount of scrap produced per production run and identified that approximately 18% of the raw materials were being wasted. They also measured the energy and resources consumed to produce the wasted materials, which had a significant environmental footprint.
Analyze Phase: Root cause analysis revealed that the primary sources of waste were inefficiencies in the cutting process and variability in machine performance. These factors led to inconsistent product sizes and frequent rejections, resulting in high levels of scrap.
Improve Phase: The team implemented several changes, including:
· Process Optimization: Adjusted cutting parameters and machine settings to improve precision and reduce variability.
· Employee Training: Provided additional training to operators to ensure consistent machine operation.
· Materials Utilization: Introduced more precise measurement tools to minimize excess material use.
Control Phase: The improvements were monitored through regular quality checks and continuous staff training. Updated standard operating procedures (SOPs) ensured the long-term sustainability of the changes.
Results:
· Waste Reduction: Scrap material was reduced by 50%, significantly lowering the volume of waste sent to landfills.
· Cost Savings: The reduction in waste led to substantial cost savings in raw materials and waste disposal.
· Environmental Impact: The project decreased the plant’s carbon footprint by reducing the energy and resources needed to produce scrap material, lessening the environmental impact.
· Sustainability: The success of the project encouraged the company to implement similar Six Sigma initiatives across other production lines, further enhancing its commitment to environmental sustainability.
This Six Sigma project not only improved operational efficiency but also had a lasting positive impact on the environment, aligning with the growing focus on sustainable business practices.
The next step is to replicate these best practices across other plants globally.
2. Project: Health, Happiness, and Planet:
At WAVE, we're driven not only by the goal of enhancing your business performance but also by a deep commitment to your well-being, happiness, and the health of our planet. That's why we've dedicated a separate project page and a podcast to explore these essential topics. Here, you’ll find practical tips and valuable insights on boosting your energy, improving your health, and adopting habits that contribute to a healthier environment.
Below is an overview of the recent episodes we’ve featured. Our analytics have skyrocketed, thanks to the incredible guests who shared their expertise and inspiration.
Episode 27: "The Power Foods Diet" by Dr. Neal Barnard
Episode 29: The Magic of Sprouts with Doug Evans
I'm thrilled to share valuable content that can help you achieve outstanding results in both your professional and personal life. Keep an eye out for a brief update in four weeks, where I'll share exciting developments with you.
Take care!
Juan
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