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When we think about the jobs most likely to endure, electronic engineering is definitely one of them. As technological advancements hit the market, it becomes clear this industry will remain vital to the workforce. After all, who’s going to design, code and program all of the forthcoming technology? The engineers, of course!
But just as engineers strive to innovate existing products, they also must take the same approach when designing new products. Whether it be a wireless device or a mechanically advanced piece of automated warehouse equipment, using technology to solve problems and improve efficiency is crucial to advancing society.
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One way we can do this is by applying tried-and-true manufacturing methods that improve business processes at every step of the supply chain. Six Sigma methodology is one practice that has been used for over three decades to eliminate defects in any given process. In electronic engineering, quality control is vital. If something doesn’t work the way it should or if it’s not properly protected with the right electronics enclosure, it can render the product a failure.
Implementing processes that eliminate hiccups of any sort can also help save your company big bucks on returns, redesigns and rebranding. Let’s take a closer look at how the Six Sigma method can help improve quality and lower costs.
WHAT IS SIX SIGMA?
If you’re not familiar with the methodology, here’s a quick rundown. At its core, Six Sigma is a set of techniques designed to improve certain business processes through data. It was developed by former Motorola Vice President Bill Smith in 1986 as a way to better zero-in on a process’s likelihood to cause defects or variability. In other words, it can help make your manufacturing process much more consistent. It uses a measurement-based approach that builds product improvement into every single process step.
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Six Sigma can be divided into two unique project methodologies—DMAIC (for existing processes) and DMADV (for new processes).
DMAIC — Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control. This method is used to improve existing processes that currently fall below quality standards and need to be corrected.
DMADV — Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify. On the other hand, DMADV is meant to help you design new products or processes from the ground up. You may also see the acronym DFSS (Design for Six Sigma) used as an alternative to DMADV. The most important thing to note about these methods is none of them leave room for intuition. Every single measurement, improvement and implementation must be based on cold, hard facts for Six Sigma to be successful. For example, if you’re developing a method for how to prevent moisture in electronics, your process has to be grounded in an understanding of data points such as:
- Levels of moisture present in each electronic enclosure
- The exact areas in which moisture collects
- The variation in moisture ingress between different electronics enclosure models
- Conditions under which moisture collection occurs
That’s a lot of data and number crunching, which is why Six Sigma is a discipline that takes time and effort to learn. In fact, expertise is so important that implementers of Six Sigma—coaches, managers, employees and anyone else who helps contribute to the success of the method—are labeled Master Black Belts, Black Belts or Green Belts depending on their Six Sigma training and expertise.
Another important thing to know is there is a secondary form of Six Sigma, called Lean Six Sigma, which is primarily focused on improving processes by systematically removing waste—hence the name lean. While Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma are very similar, the latter is hyper-focused on creating rapid, streamlined, valuable business processes and quality isn’t always placed at the forefront. Many companies have experts trained in both methods for the best results.
DOES IT WORK?
So now that we know a little bit about exactly how this method is used, let’s take a look at some numbers to see if it actually works. According to the American Society for Quality (ASQ), “Six Sigma projects can bring benefits, including increased organizational efficiency, improved customer satisfaction, reduced costs, increased revenues and more.” And, indeed, a good portion of the case studies out there testing Six Sigma show some measurable improvements.
In fact, a study published in Quality Management Journal from 2012 showed Six Sigma led to an average 1.7 percent revenue savings and an average return on investment of more than $2 for every dollar invested in Six Sigma. Other case studies show the implementation of Six Sigma can lower a company’s environmental impact, reduce downtime and make a company more competitive and more profitable.
How to Use Six Sigma Tenets
Even if you don’t ask your staff to go through extensive Six Sigma training, you can still apply some of these time-tested methods to your electronic manufacturing, design or quality control departments. While the numbers are bigger with large-scale organizations, studies show Six Sigma can be just as effective in small business applications as it is within large corporations. Here are some great ways you can use this foundational method to improve your new or existing products and services—from your very first hire to final launch.
Set Goals — The first letter of both Six Sigma methods is “D” for define. That means, before you do anything else, you have to define your project goals. Your goal-setting process should start with your “pie in the sky” goals—no matter how lofty, make sure you record everything so you always have an idea for aspiration. Then, make a list or an outline of attainable goals using the SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound) approach to help you determine action steps that will get you closer to the ideal result.
Gather Data— Six Sigma isn’t just about taking measurements as you go. It’s also about setting the stage with a data set you can constantly work to improve. The second step in your improvement process should be to measure—it’s the “M” in DMAIC and DMADV, after all. The measurement phase can be implemented through value stream mapping to define the current problem as well as data mining to collect statistics on that particular problem. For example, you can gather key data by talking with your employees about specific pain points. Good data collection is also crucial for finding the root cause of a problem, as this study on leveraging Six Sigma with industrial engineering tools in crateless retort production demonstrates.
Focus on the Numbers— Did we mention Six Sigma is based on the facts? That means every decision must be supported by data. Work on presenting ideas, making decisions and implementing changes with numerical data in mind. Rather than approaching your investors, employers or auditors with meaningless phrases like “a lot” or “often,” present measurable sums so you can better gauge success at different intervals. At the same time, you need to be able to implement measurement systems across your entire process, even assessing things you wouldn’t normally measure. To use our earlier example of ordering a certain model of electrical enclosure, you should track not just what you pay for each enclosure, but how long the supplier takes to fulfill your order, whether all of your customized enclosures arrive with the correct alterations and even the machining tolerances of the CNC machining cuts on each enclosure.
Document Everything — Documentation is a crucial part of every step of Six Sigma, from defining to verifying. There are dozens of unique tools you can use to track your progress, but one of the most popular is the control plan. This is the primary way many Black Belts document the functional elements of quality control that must be implemented to meet specific goals. These documents are especially helpful because they can be used in just about any part of the process, whether manufacturing, designing or engineering. The control plan ensures the implemented improvements are sustained and you always have something valuable to measure your progress.
Think Democratically — A good Six Sigma plan should be democratic, consensus-based and egalitarian. This doesn’t mean you should eliminate leadership roles; instead, it means you should prioritize face-to-face communication at every single level of your company. Of course, if your primary goals are to collect data and document everything, you must emphasize feedback from employees.
Reduce Lead Time — One of the most beneficial outcomes of a good Six Sigma approach is it helps to reduce lead time, which can help eliminate any inefficiencies in your manufacturing process. You can do this by taking a traditional DMAIC approach and reevaluating every element of your existing method. Calculate lead times through Little’s Law (and document any findings through your value stream map) to determine the number of days of lead time.
Look at longer lead times as excessive, and make them leaner by simplifying approval processes, eliminating paperwork, finding new suppliers and designing simpler order forms. Always partner with well-vetted companies with good reputations. Polycase makes our ordering process friendly to businesses that use Six Sigma by providing lightning-fast lead times of just one to three weeks on most customized electronics enclosure orders. In addition, our customization process uses a cutting-edge low-scrap method that trims costs and results in a leaner overall process.
Plan Ahead Every Time — While a good chunk of Six Sigma implementation is planning, you must also plan for your planning. In other words, you have to really examine your efforts in order to make your processes as successful as they can possibly be. Six Sigma Green Belts and Black Belts are trained in the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle that helps them carry out specific changes. The first step is to plan and identify opportunities to make positive changes.
Start at the Top — While the best Six Sigma examples are those egalitarian in nature, most companies don’t have the resources or time to train every single member of the team in Six Sigma. The top-down approach—training leadership in Six Sigma so they can then facilitate specific changes throughout the company—is a good option for most organizations. This approach applies in other areas of your business as well. Experts recommend going top-down when prioritizing what projects to improve. In other words, you should start with issues critical to quality and offer the best financial gains and customer satisfaction opportunity.
Repeat the Process —
An important part of any business improvement strategy is repeatability. Is your particular problem-solving method something you can repeat again and again? Or is it based on a specific set of non-duplicatable factors? Replication in design can be used to identify errors and improve efficiency, primarily in testing applications. However, it’s important to know repetition isn’t always best practice. For example, it can be a major time waster to have several meetings where you’re repeating the same objectives.
Verify with the Customer in Mind — In DMADV, the final step is to verify the process. Although it’s the final piece of the puzzle, it is often an ongoing phase that can take a significant amount of time. Before you release a product or service to the consumer, it should go through an extensive verifying phase. Essentially, this ensures your new approach suits the demands of customers and the business as a whole.
THE MANY BENEFITS OF USING SIX SIGMA
As you can tell, there are many benefits to Six Sigma, all of which can help you improve your product or service within the electronic engineering realm. Some of the most important benefits of Six Sigma include:
- Superior consistency in product and service quality
- More comprehensive data on your production processes and a system for using it effectively
- Better understanding of the reasoning behind processes that helps improve decision making at all levels
- Replicable and measurable processes that can be tweaked and streamlined further as circumstances change
The best way to employ this methodology within your organization is to have leadership trained and certified through a Six Sigma Certification program. You’ll be surprised how well this method works when it comes to improving the quality of your finished product!
Polycase works closely with many businesses that use Six Sigma methodology to streamline and improve their working processes. Our flexibility and customization options make it incredibly quick and simple for businesses to get the plastic enclosures and metal enclosures for electronics they need. For more information, just reach out to our enclosure experts at 1-800-248-1233 or contact us for a free quote on your enclosures.
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