This is the fifth and last phase of the DMAIC process. [If you happen to land on this article and have not seen the previous ones, please have a look here: “Process Improvement“].
The objectives of this phase are:
- to embed the new process,
- to transfer knowledge,
- to hand-off to the process owner and
- to set a control plan for future performance monitoring.
The control phase can be considered as the end of the process improvement, when the new process is handed-off to the process owner and the improvement team is dismantled. With the handover, there must be controls put in place to monitor the successful embedding of the new system, to ensure there is no back-sliding into old practices.
It is a matter of effective communication combined with control. The new process must be well documented, the staff re-trained (where necessary), feedback should be provided to management demonstrating success against the criteria set in the charter and that the project … was worthwhile.
It is also possible to think the control phase as a new beginning, as the results of a process improvement may foster a culture of a continual vigilance for efficiency – lean is about continual improvement.
For this phase there are probably tools and techniques that are not so specific. I mention below those practices that I see more relevant.
Control charts
No matter which process was improved (manufacturing, customer services, back-office practices etc) it will be critical to put in place a system that allows monitoring and controlling the process performance over time. This will help in detecting variation, non-compliances or new areas of risks. For this purposes, there are many type of charts.
What to measure and when will have be decided by the improvement team in cooperation with the process owner who will ultimately be responsible of the process.
The need for the control chart will instil commitment and interest and it will contribute to create a culture of vigilance.
Storyboard
Effective communication is key throughout the improvement process. A lean practitioner can help the improvement team to set up a ‘DMAIC storyboard’ that is used to collect key outputs during the entire DMAIC process.
It is demonstrated that conveying information in the format of a story can provide a rich context, remaining in the conscious memory longer and creating more memory traces than information not in context. Experience and knowledge that is captured in the form of a brief story has the ability to create a stronger impact. Stories can greatly increase the organisational learning and communicate experience, values and rules.
Therefore a storyboard will be key as end-of-project communication and knowledge retention in the organisation. Its format can be easily adapted to the complexity of the project and to the communication needs, but make it authentic and compelling.
A storyboard will be useful when promoting further improvement initiatives, for onboarding of new staff and settling them in the new culture of continual improvement.
The benefits of “lean” thinking are many and tangible. With the adoption of “lean thinking” the organization will be more knowledgeable of internal capacity and way of working, always striving for efficiency, embedding a key customer-centric philosophy that helps cooperation. Ultimately the organisation will be better prepared to respond to changes. But the transition to “lean” can be still hard to advocate for. Setting a culture of continual improvement in an organisation is not an easy task and maintaining a permanent “improvement” team can be onerous, especially in small organisations.
The DMAIC methodology is at the core of the improvement culture. It is flexible and adaptable and an experienced “lean” practitioner can help in setting it to fit the size and scope of the organisation. A small-scale process improvement, coordinated by an experienced “lean” practitioner and enacted by a small, committed and temporary improvement team can be surprisingly effective and go a long way in paving the way for the change in the organisation’s culture towards “lean”.
I hope that this brief overview of the DMAIC process was interesting and inspirational. But see the last article in which I review the possible challenges in winning over the initial resistance to the process …
Marco Bottacini, Senior Portfolio Manager, GALVmed
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinion of GALVmed.
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