(Add to Favorites | View All Articles | Resource Directory)
|
|
|
Six Sigma for Small Business
It is not surprising that some people may perceive Six Sigma as being only for large corporations. Major corporations such as Allied Signal, Black & Decker, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Federal Express, General Electric, Johnson and Johnson, Kodak, Motorola, Sony, and Toshiba have all rolled out Six Sigma efforts and achieved outstanding results. Yet, it is incorrect to think that Six Sigma process improvement results can only be achieved by huge organizations. Small businesses can also succeed in implementing Six Sigma and reap the process improvement benefits that Six Sigma provides. Certainly, there are factors that can be disadvantageous for implementing Six Sigma in a small business rather than a large business, such as lack of resources and expertise in change initiatives. However, there are also characteristics inherent in small businesses that can speed up the effective implementation of Six Sigma more than in large businesses, such as flexible process flows, a shorter decision-making chain, and higher visibility of senior management. Six Sigma can work in any size business because the nature of Six Sigma is dependent upon characteristics inherent to any business, not on the size of a business. Six Sigma MAIC (measure, analyze, improve, and control) disciplines work no matter the size of the organization or even the size of the Six Sigma project. Small businesses do have constraints that limit their ability to initiate a large scale Six Sigma implementation. However, there are ways to overcome these limitations. Small businesses don't have large reserves of excess cash to earmark for the massive training programs employed by the large corporations in implementing their Six Sigma programs. Small businesses generally can't afford to have full-time Master Black Belts on staff and may not have the personnel with the skills and expertise to step into the role of Black Belts without extensive training. A certified Six Sigma consultant can act as your Black Belt for the initial projects until you have generated sufficient savings to be able to provide some of those savings for training your own people. Training happens at a slower scale for smaller companies but it still happens. Financially, savings realized from the first set of projects usually justifies the entire cost of the Six Sigma training. Once some members of the organization have been trained as Green Belts, Six Sigma projects proceed with Green Belts executing Six Sigma processes. Incrementally, Green Belts are developed into Black Belts and new Green Belts are trained. Using a more gradual training approach addresses many of the constraints of smaller companies and allows them to implement Six Sigma at a pace a small business can more easily manage. There is a benefit to implementing Six Sigma in a smaller business. Because of the size of a small business, the financial results and cultural transformation that stem from Six Sigma will propagate more quickly through a smaller organization. Focusing the Six Sigma tools at virtually any properly scoped project will drive savings to your bottom line and achieve breakthrough change in your organization. Peter Peterka is the Principal Six Sigma Consultant in practice areas of DMAIC and DFSS. Peter has over 15 years experience in including implementation of Six Sigma for small business with a variety of organizations. For additional information please contact Peter Peterka at Six Sigma us.
MORE RESOURCES: News provided by Yahoo! News and Google News Proposed Regulation Grants Agencies the Discretion to Waive Small Business Set-Asides, According to the American Small ... Head of U.S. Small Business Administration in Jacksonville to talk 'microlending' You’re the Boss Blog: A Weekly Roundup of Small-Business News Small biz acquisition as a tech talent raid strategy - ITBusiness.ca (blog) #1 Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, Content Is Cash, Nominated For 2012 Small ... - PR Web (press release) This Week in Small Business: Jobs! 5 tax tips for small biz - El Paso Inc. Small Biz Owners: Big Businesses, Millionaires Not Paying Fair Share - OMB Watch SBA 504 Loans Hit Record Low Interest Rate for February VSE Honors 2011 Small Business Suppliers of Choice |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Buy a Flower Shop: Serious Considerations You've always liked flowers and you think the idea of turning emotions into floral expressions sounds like tremendous fun. You are between careers and have been investigating business opportunities in your community. Business Failure, The 8 Traps Causing Failure And The One Attribute Which Ensures Business Survival It is estimated that 78% of all small business start-ups fail within the first twelve months years, and long-term survival is likely for only 22% of all new business start-ups.At the same time huge corporations with seemly vibrant trade suddenly close their doors. New Habits, Rebounding Economy Help To Sell Giftware and Collectibles Just a few years ago, when one thought of a home-based sales business, Tupperware, Avon and a host of multi-level marketing schemes might have come to mind. Today, however, changing market conditions and evolving consumer habits have converged to make home-based selling businesses a realistic opportunity with real profit potential. Accepting Checks in Your Business Virtually Risk Free Most businesses accept checks as form of payment for goods and services. However, accepting checks can be a risky endeavor if your company doesn't follow good policies and procedures for preventing loss from bad checks. Small Business and Wichita Owning a small business in Wichita, KS might not be a bad idea, job growth is good, housing has rebounded and the aviation manufacturing capital of the world is on an aileron roll. So consumer spending is up and retail and service sectors are doing fine again. Ever thought of starting a virtual assistant business? If you're organized, smart, capable and willing to work with deadlines, you could start a virtual assistance business and cash in on your skills without having to commit to an employer (you'd be your own boss instead) or the "cube life". A VA (virtual assistant) is basically like an administrative assistant (or whatever duties need to be filled, such as writing, link building etc) that serves in a virtual capacity. What to expect with a Home Business All legitimate home business entrepreneurs insist and announce loud and clear that a successful home business is not about an overnight thing. And that you cannot get rich overnight and so on. In Home Daycare Businesses for Profit To have one of the popular in home daycare businesses. Many people think all you have to do is love kids and have a home. Private Franchising is not Real a Real Franchise One major issue not being addressed right now in the regulatory definitions which guide consumers and lawyers in business opportunities and franchising is the new term being used; Private Franchising. The Federal Trade Commission decided it would revise its definitions of such opportunities in 1995, but failed to address this issue. Patient Records - Your Responsibilities As a practise gets larger & larger the associated problems that you inherit increase with that growth. The Practise Manager finds it increasingly difficult to tend to his duties and look after the administration of the Practise. 20 Great Ways to Market Your Business Locally Whether your target audience is in your neighborhood or across the world, you can use your local resources to get the word out about your business. Your local community is easily accessible and provides dozens of opportunities for building a buzz about your product or service. Designing a Franchise Training Program If you intend to franchise your company you will need to design a bullet proof training company for your new franchisees. This is above and beyond the training program you will design for them to administer to their new employees. What are the COSTS Associated with joining Leads Groups? When it comes to cost, how much can you afford or not afford?When it comes to cost, the first thing that comes to mind is money, the cost of membership. Although this may be a consideration, you should also look at the cost as part of the investment you need to make in order to improve the bottom-line. How to Use Graphs and Charts in Your Business Plan Many people ask how many graphs or charts they should have in their business plans. As with most other business planning questions, the answer is "it depends. Aircraft Washing Service Operations Manual Anyone who is serious about washing aircraft as a full time profession should be prepared to write a manual, which will insure proper procedures are followed during the washing process. Each crew team leader and manager should be well versed and trained in washing each type of aircraft. Family Business and Conflicts What is a Family Business? A family business is basically any business in which the majority of the ownership or control lies within a family. Involvement of members of family in a business can bring with it its own complexities because the line between the business system is sometimes separated by a thin line from the family system. Increase Sales in Your Home Business With These 10 Simple Ideas Every home business has the same problem of how to increase sales without a hugely expensive marketing campaign. By utilising the following simple ideas you will be able to do just that. Expand Your Professional Organizer Business Grow your Professional Organizer business by branching out into related areas. If you have been doing the same old thing for a while, and are comfortable with it, it may be time to stretch your capabilities and offer something new. Don't become a statistic - Get business advice on a regular basis It's a commonly quoted statistic: 80% of all small businesses will fail within the first five years of running. In fact, in Internet marketing, this figure can be as high as 95%. Things to consider when it's time to hire some help As a successful small business owner,you're accustomed to long hours; non-existent holidays and weekends spent working.When was the last time you went to your dentist? When was the last time you had an uninterrupted night out with your partner?Whether your goal for 2005 is to find more time for family or personal enrichment --like attending classes and conferences -- you'll want to consider bringing on some help.
|
| Home | Site Map | Privacy Statement | More Articles |
| © 2006 |