PDSA Cycle and Other Factors

Let’s say you decided to cook something. You knew that how to cook but in the mid. of your process you realise that something wrong and you check some cooking books and do some revision on your process and then finally you have cooked and try it if it is ok. However if you thing that is not cook well or again something wrong with it you will cook again and again till get best result.

That is show us PDSA cycle is on always even in our simple life stages whether you aware or not. In a big organizations that is not that much easy actually to do this process as long as people be aware of this. Why I am saying that because people in nature sometimes may not care some stages. For instant; let’s say you are doing a six sigma project and you created a project team, team leader etc... You are on the way to target so far. In DMAIC process PDSA cycle has to be used to understand your position and success. Where were I, where I am and where I am heading? PDSA show your position just like a compass. Unfortunately most of the project fails because of people not using this method sufficiently and effectively. Therefore compass gives you wrong direction and you become out of target.

PDSA comes from SoPK Deming’s last delight for human. We need to get to point which is system. When you thing what is system you just turn and look around you will see system. System is every process of your life, every process of your job, every part of your project, everyone who works with you. That is the system which we are a part of but very important.

As a human we are creating backbone of the system with our knowledge. Without knowledge can you imagine what can you do? Actually I can’t. PDSA cycle is come from knowledge each time when you do plan, do, study and act basically you are using knowledge. When you are having a problem because of variations again you are applying to knowledge. Knowledge is giving you ideas how you should act and you are putting your ideas in some tools just like DMAIC and PDSA, then you are on target.

: 18 Nov 2009 21:25 |  Tags: Piuss Sopk |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Integrated Model of System of Profound Knowledge

As we know that Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge is our template therefore it is covering all process in there. Let’s a bit talk about SOPK’s principles which are;

• Appreciation of System
According to Deming (2000:50) “Every system must have an aim. Without an aim there is no system. The aim includes plan for the future”. What he was trying to stress here is that everyone (especially Leader) must understand of the organization’s system. Without understanding your system aim you cannot improve your organization. How can you do any Plan for it? How can you do something what are you going to do? How can you study on your plan and how can you get a successful result from this work. Yes we are talking about PDSA cycle as well. Because it is show us in our every process that “where were we, where are we know, and where are we going to” with testing each time. PDSA cycle is always running on the middle. Beside this also “Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control” are part of the system as well. Each stage first also understands whole system.

Everyone must be aware of aim of the system in the organization. In a word, system is every part of your organization. Another example to this which I like it from Deming is orchestra. Deming said that “System, well optimize, is a good orchestra “. He is trying to stress there that as everybody knows that every orchestra’s player supports other players and everybody work as a team and listen each other as a team. They also have a leader to lead them which is a conductor. Conductor guides them and makes connection between each player to support others. That is fantastic sample to understand the aim of system and also other aim is to joy while they are doing their job. If everybody come and do their job with a joy it will also affect outcome. Jack Welch (1983) “Employee satisfaction gets you productivity, quality, pride, and creativity. And cash flow is the pulse—the key vital sign of a company.” He supports Deming’s system definition there excellent. As long as you satisfy your employee you will get better outcome. It is all related with to understand aim of the system.

• Variation
When we talk about variation, we will realise that it is everywhere in our life. As Deming (2000:) said “Life is variation”. That is the nature of the life, variations will always be somewhere and also according to Deming there are two types of the variation which are Common causes and Special causes of variations. This section help us to understand these two types of variation and what looses they might bring together with.
Therefore we can use a tool of the DMAIC which is Analysis to help us by using some methods and charts (such as ANOVA).
There is not always a way to understand and choose correct way between two causes. It will bring some economic loss but we should aim to decrease that loss to minimum level. We need to determine source of the variation and identify its failure. While all process we still run PDSA cycle to do some test to improve our process.

• Theory of Knowledge
Theory knowledge means to improvement will based on continuously study of the organization. Improvement is as a part of the system that contributes new knowledge with learning to the system. Before you plan something, whether you are aware or not you always do some prediction in your subconscious. Therefore for organization prediction is required from past experiences. Again we will apply as each process PDSA cycle there.

• Psychology
Every individual person has different characteristic structure. Psychology gives us opportunity to understand people. According to Deming (2000:107) “Psychology helps us to understand people, the interaction between people and circumstances, interaction between customer and supplier”. He clearly mentions that even if as a human we are different from each other leader in the organisation must be aware of these differences and optimised them. By understanding this you can be aware of your employees learning methods because every person has different learning methods as well.

: 12 Nov 2009 18:54 |  Tags: Piuss Sopk |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

BEING A MANGER OR A LEADER

Most of people still trying to understand meaning of leader and most of them again confuse about difference between a manager and a leader. Therefore most of organizations managing with wrong knowledge and result is disaster.

When I was my bachelor degree I was studied this subject but I could understand that it wasn’t proper. We can think that because of education system actually this may be a result but my opinion the Lecture who teaches us had no idea about leader. With this sample I would say that people with wrong knowledge they are choosing wrong career for their self and when they come to top of the organizations they are assuming that they are a leader but actually not.

If I would try to give definition of leader and manager I can say that manager copy something but leader do something original. In my opinion this is the biggest and clear different between them. Therefore being a leader brings you being a originality. Leaders get involved in all process to get best result. Actually an EFQM leadership criterion is a good example for this. Leader, according EFQM, with vision and behaviours also guide other team members and identify where the change is needed. Because as I said previously leader aware of all process with inspiration and motivation.

According to Paul Taffinder manager ask “how” and “when” and leader ask “what” and “why” (Big Change 1999; 46).In this case I can say that leader looks at the whole pictures, managers just follow someone’s ideas (other word copy something). This definition led us to see point good enough. In other words I can say that manager follows act of the leader. Then I would like to ask a question for your career. Are you going to be Followed or are you going to Follow?

: 01 Nov 2009 20:34 |  Tags: Cbe Leadership |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

ISO9000 vs. EFQM Excellence Model

Nowadays if organizations want to a part of the quality label they have to apply and get ISO. That’s my basic opinion but actually most of the companies are thinking like this unfortunately and staying where ever they are.

Let’s think a bit widely. Organizations before apply to ISO they work hard to reach application rules and they implement all conditions. Every part of the organization is focus on that. But after get ISO as most of us can imagine they just get relax and continuous improvement finish. Despite this most of them only control their self just for audit times. Actually I am not saying all organizations doing this but unfortunately most of them doing. A few times later again most of them terminating losing their prestige and market share but other organizations who has awareness of the continuous improvement they always continue on their way with strong confidence.

When I talk about continuous improvement I should also mention EFQM excellence model because I guess we cannot separate them from each other. EFQM’s building structure is continuous improvement; if organizations aim to reach continuous success they must consider this in to EFQM model. The organizations that are embrace EFQM excellence model, they do not think that they will get bad feedback from audit and loose quality certificate. Because they do self-assessment and they aware of their strengths and weakness and they know that where are they coming from and where are they going to. That’s very important for a organizations to know their situations all the time.

What I have learned from this subject is basically ISO can give you a quality certificate but not guaranty that you are having a good quality. Most of organizations fall in this trap. EFQM always focus to achieve excellent. With this model you can see your position and am to continuous improvement and also am to best.

: 01 Nov 2009 18:45 |  Tags: Cbe |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Deming Philosophy for 21st Century…

In basic definition Europeans and Americans need occurred for their own quality prize after they realized Deming extraordinary success in Japan. Essentially Baldrige and EFQM both occurred from Deming Philosophy. Therefore I can say that Deming philosophy is a building block for all models.

Most of people may think that how possible that we can use Deming philosophy in our existing world. I will try to give an answer this with Deming 14/2 point which is “Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. Western management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.”

Earth, where human living since ages with a change. Our century is experiencing most rapid change ever. Companies are getting bigger and bigger. However, competition is also following this. Whilst all these things are happening every organization has to update their self. Therefore to stay behind of the age for any company becomes unacceptable. As Deming mention we has to adopt our self new philosophy, new technology, new economy, shortly new world. Other important issue is Leader must be aware global change and must awaken to challenge with his/her rapid change.

If you consider in this point Deming cycle Plan, do, study and act with integrated to EFQM model which is European last model we can see some similarities. Just like continues improvement. Just like Leadership should get involved in all process. These are seems like just couple of similarities but if you think a bit deeper these are not a basic similarities these are just Deming philosophies which we are using in 21^st century.

I will give you a very simple example. I will start my project hopefully soon. I asked myself if I would try to use Deming cycle on this how it would be. Actually it is so simple. As Deming said starting point is plan I have to plan what I am going to do, what is the theory that I will create and develop? Then Do is coming which is an idea that I have to give a shape and design of theory. After that Study come which I will start search for my subjects what should I do to reach the result, analysis my data which I collected during the Do stage? Finally Act come which is take the results in consideration and check up what I have learned. Basically, I am going to able to see all with this stage how much I become successes and improve.

As I see in that sample where ever would like to you use Deming philosophy you can use. So Deming made his philosophy ages ago but with predicting future.

: 30 Oct 2009 01:31 |  Tags: Cbe |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem