All you want to know about the Six Sigma Infrastructure

For every initiative that is set to bring about a massive change, a clearly defined supporting structure is required to make it work. If a supporting structure is in place, then the program will run smoothly. Infrastructure is defined as the underlying foundation and basic framework of personnel and supporting systems needed to support Six Sigma deployment activities.

Your teams will have to learn how to work with Six Sigma

Since there is a need that every part of the company is actively engaged in Six Sigma activities, the foundation must be precise, clear and consistent.

If the infrastructure is effective, it will pave way for the development of the company. It will also lead to a competency that will be established and link Six Sigma project teams to
1. projects,
2. financial targets, and
3. the strategic plan.

For Six Sigma to be successful in an organization, the infrastructure will have to be built from the CEO and his leadership team down to the workers who are executing the projects. The infrastructure should create a very strong and valid network amongst the Executive Team, the Six Sigma Champions, the Belts, and the functions and businesses. This is perfect because the executive team holds the accountability for executing the corporate strategic plan, and Six Sigma projects are instrumental in moving along the strategic plan.

One of the challenges of a Six Sigma deployment in an organization is the training that the project team has to undergo. The HR of the teams will have to learn how to work with Six Sigma teams so that optimum efficiency can be achieved.

The learning of senior executives is even more important than that of the project team. The leadership of an organization will have to be taught how to lead a team-based organization is essential to strategic and long-term success. The training involves how the team leader will deploy strategic resources and efforts within the team so that execution will become smooth. Executing a good strategic plan entails the coordination of multifunctional internal activities. The senior leaders of an organization will have to learn how to deal with a rather multifunctional and multifaceted arena rather than a single one.

Each Six Sigma will need at least this requirements to succeed.
1. Clear purpose for the Six Sigma team structure
2. Clear Six Sigma program expectations.
3. Six Sigma project charters.
4. Six Sigma infrastructure tracking the number of teams.
5. Centralized repository for project results.
6. Six Sigma team goals.
7. Six Sigma team reporting mechanism.
8. Rewards and recognition alignment.
9. Six Sigma training and development plan.
10. Six Sigma team performance measures.
11. Deployment management of Six Sigma teams.

In order for all these eleven requirements to be met, the organization will have to provide an in-depth and extensive infrastructure that will have a strong support system. If the company already have existing resources, then they can be used for this infrastructure development. External resources can only be used if there are parts of the project that is required to be handled by other people outside the team.

It is very important that key members of each Six Sigma team should learn the art of initiatives. Early leadership training becomes a natural part of Six Sigma deployments to allow the program leaders to learn the guts of Six Sigma before the program gets too far along. What a firm should pay attention to from the beginning of Six Sigma deployment is defining the Six Sigma infrastructure and staffing and training the infrastructure players.

To ensure that things run smoothly, there is a need to have a small centralized unit to ensure consistency and cost-effectiveness of Six Sigma activities across the businesses and functions.

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