Continuous Improvement through Lean/Six Sigma

MGMT3015
Closed
George Brown College
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Janine LeFort
Professor
(1)
3
General
  • Undergraduate; 3rd year
  • 15 learners; teams of 5
  • 20 hours per learner
  • Dates set by experience
  • Learners self-assign
Preferred companies
  • 1/2 project matches
  • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • Academic experience
  • Any
  • Manufacturing, Government, Automotive, Consumer goods & services, Banking & finance, Hospital, health, wellness & medical, Business & management, Human resources & recruitment
Categories
General Operations Project management
Skills
continuous improvement, lean problem analysis project planning communication
Project timeline
  • February 2, 2022
    Experience start
  • February 12, 2022
    Project Scope Meeting
  • February 26, 2022
    Planning Meeting for onsite and/or virtual visit
  • March 31, 2022
    Report Submitted to Professor
  • April 7, 2022
    Presentations to Organization
  • April 14, 2022
    Experience end
Overview
Details

Looking for ways to develop and implement your 2022 Strategic Objectives? In this project, student teams will visit your organization to observe and learn about organizational needs and issues you've identified. Back in the classroom, they will apply Lean Six Sigma principles (5S, Value Stream Mapping) to support the development of improved quality and/or processes that your organization can execute to get results.

Learner skills
Continuous improvement, lean, Problem analysis, Project planning, Communication
Deliverables
  • Completed A3
  • 5 to 10-page report with the following components: Executive Summary, Background, Approach, Current State Analysis, Future State Recommendations
  • Appendices to support the report with relevant lean tools documented
  • Executive Summary presentation
Project Examples

You'll engage George Brown diploma students in 5th or 6th semester, who are completing an elective Quality Management through Lean/Six Sigma. Their work will be overseen through regular coaching in-class by a Supply Chain Black Belt.

You will need to provide the students with a goal, issue, or gap to focus on. Areas of focus include, but are not limited to, manufacturing, quality assurance, supply chain management, and customer service. For example:

  • How do we reduce waste and variation and improve productivity in store rooms, office supply rooms, or production lines? (i.e. through a 5S program)
  • Turn-around-time has increased and does not meet customer requirements. How can we improve turn-around time by 10%?
  • The intake process for Clients/Customers has a high incomplete/error rate. How do we reduce the number of errors on the intake form?
  • How can we better understand value from the customer's perspective? Students can perform Voice of the Customer/Critical to Quality analysis to determine what matters most to your customers.

Phase 1 Project Plan: Students will meet with organization representative(s) to devise the project scope and prepare a detailed plan for completion of the project. An A3 format will be used.

Phase 2 Project Execution: Students will work on deliverables outlined in the project plan. Teams will periodically communicate with organization representative(s) as needed to complete project tasks.

Phase 3 Outcome: Report and Presentation: Students will submit a detailed report on the outcomes of the project. Teams will also give a 15-20 minute presentations on their findings, in the last class. Organization representative(s) are invited to attend these presentations.

Additional company criteria

Companies must answer the following questions to submit a match request to this experience:

Non-disclosure agreements can be signed upon request

Be available for a quick phone call with the instructor to initiate your relationship and confirm your scope is an appropriate fit for the course.

Provide a dedicated contact who is available to answer periodic emails or phone calls over the duration of the project to address students' questions.

Be available to attend top team presentations either in-class or through video-conference.

In the spirit of going to "Gemba", where the work happens, provide students with an on-site or virtual visit to observe the work flow and properly assess the current state of the process.