| Summary: | 碩士 === 元智大學 === 工業工程與管理學系 === 105 === A Six Sigma User Template for the Implementation in Services
Chi-Kuang Chen* Omar Ramirez
ABSTRACT
Purpose
In order to respond to the highly competitive and more demanding markets, organizations have applied Six Sigma to maintain and supply the standards of quality which the customers’ day-by-day demands. However even though compared with the manufacturing industry, it exists many challenges in the service sector at the moment of implementing it. According to Hensley and Dobie (2005), some of the problems can be harder to collect data due to various things that happen when customers and service providers interact; more difficult to control and to measure data due to the difficulties that arise from the various sub-processes; the data are not as reliable since the data are collected through more face to face means. Hence, the purpose of this research is to develop a Six Sigma template to improve its implementation in services.
Methodology
A template based on the Six Sigma’s implementation challenges is developed to guide the user at the moment of its application. The proposed template includes four layers. The first layer is the root base which follows the generic Six Sigma five phases (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control). The second layer is ‘Steps’ which are the actions or activities one after another to do in order to fulfill the goal of first layer. The third layer is ‘Indicators’ in order to help control, achieve and analyze each steps of the template. The last layer is ‘Tools’ that integrate with each phase indicators to support and fulfill each step of the template. The main idea is to provide users with a guide that could help them to implement Six Sigma in its process.
Findings
The results of the study provide a basis for discussion of the issues associated with applying Six Sigma in a service environment. A case study is conducted to demonstrate how the proposed template in this research can be used as a guideline to facilitate and improve Six Sigma application to service process.
Originality/Value
The proposed template helps the users to have more guidance at the time of implementing the Six Sigma techniques in services. The template consists of four layers, DMAIC, steps, indicators and tools. It starts from a general view of the project into a more detail of the project. Nevertheless the template proposed a novel idea of ‘duet customer system’; this is simplifying the customer chain in only two types of customers. This helps the user to focus in the correct customer in the entire template. By using the proposed template, this research hopes to well-responds the challenges mentioned in previous research and it brings easiness for the users to implement Six Sigma in a service setting, promoting avenues for future research in this domain.
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