Role of senior managers when implementing six sigma

Have you ever wondered if there is some sort of management and production method that would help to organize your business and its employees in a far more efficient way. Most business people spend much of their lives looking for a program that will do just this sort of thing. The process works to find areas of weakness and inefficieny in the production process. It also works to make the production process much more streamlined. Six Sigma has been used by many companies to develop much more efficient total production organizations. If you are looking for a way to give your business a boost you should consider some of the strategies Six Sigma recommends. There are number of changes that any business needs to make if they are going to implement the Six Sigma program, but one very important part of the process is to train mangers in a totally new way. The Six Sigma process works through a very well organized senior management system. It works according to a definite hierarchy based on responsibility and job performance. To learn more about the unique senior management system of Six Sigma read the following short descriptions of management positons:

1. Executive and top leadership. In many respects executive leadership does much of what it would do in any other business, but it is more focused on looking for innovative ideas. Senior management at the CEO level is also in charge of driving the Six Sigma process forward.
2. Champions. Champions are drawn from tap management and their role is to implement the Six Sigma plan on all different levels of the business. The CEO might provide the vision, but the champion makes sure that it is shared and integrated with all levels of the organization.
3. Black Belts. One unique feature of the Six Sigma process is that it uses martial arts distinctions to describe management. Master Black Belts are chosen by champions and they work to implement six sigma directly. Their only function in the business is to make sure that Six Sigma works. Master Black Belts, like Champions, work to identify projects and improvements to focus Six Sigma on.
4. Ordinary Black Belts work to make sure that a Sigma project is implement correctly. They work on the ground floor to make sure that those changes suggested by the Black Belts and Champions are implemented.
5. Green Belts are any member of the organization-basically the average employee. Green Belts work directly under the guidance of Black Belts. What is impressive about Six Sigma is that even the most basic employees are expected to play a role in implementing the program. They also have the opportunity to prove themselves and to work their way up the Six Sigma management latter.

These are just basic descriptions of the different roles that senior managers play in Six Sigma. As you can see, the management structure in Six Sigma is absolutely essential to its succesfull functioning. A rigid hierarchy allows the Six Sigma process to work to implement its vision on all levels of the business. One of the biggest problems in other businesses is that management doesn't oversee the entire process closely enough. Management also does not identify areas of waste quickly. Six Sigma rewards employees who recognize areas of inefficiency and who work to eliminate them. It is a process that rewards people for being creative and for making the business ever more efficient. The model is proven and will probably only help to make your business achieve its production goals.

More Manufacturing Info Articles:

• Using DMAIC to improve your business processes
• Using DMADV to create new products
• Understanding the 8 elements of TQM
• TQM versus Six Sigma
• The Toyota Production System
• The role of Black belts in Six Sigma
• The Principles of BPI
• Six Sigma online training
• Six Sigma laws
• SIPOC analysis