SKEDSOFT

Six Sigma

Example (Defining Bottlenecks in Cellular Relay Towers)

A cellular relay tower manufacturer has a large order for model #1. The company is considering spending $2.5M to double capacity to a reworked line or, alternatively, investing in a project to reduce the fraction nonconforming of the machine line feeding into the reworked line. Currently, 30% of units are nonconforming and need to be reworked. Recommend a project scope, including the key intermediate variable(s).

Answer:

The bottleneck is clearly not in sales, since a large order is in hand. The rework capacity is a bottleneck. It is implied that the only way to increase that capacity is through expending $2.5M, which the company would like to avoid.

 

Example (Cellular Relay Tower Bottlenecks Continued)

Suppose the team would like to put more specific information about subsystem KIVs and KOVs into the project charter. Assume that much of the information about KIVs is known only by hourly workers on the factory floor. How could Pareto charts and formal meeting rules aid in collecting the desired information?

 

Answer: Using formal meeting rules could be useful in facilitating communication between engineers and line workers for eliciting the needed KIV information. Otherwise, communication might be difficult because of the different backgrounds and experiences of the two groups. Pareto charting could aid mainly through prioritizing the specific KOVs or causes associated with the nonconforming units.