Faculty & Staff
Six Sigma
Why Do Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a process improvement methodology used by many institutions to improve performance. Developed by Motorola and launched in 1987, Six Sigma gives institutions a way to compare performance to customer/constituent requirements and achieve improved targets for performance. Though Six Sigma was initially focused on manufacturing processes, businesses soon learned that the costs of poor service delivery could be significant. Often times, administrative and service processes function in the range of 1.5 to 3 sigma so institutions with a service delivery focus can benefit tremendously from the application of Six Sigma.
Six Sigma is more than a set of tools to measure performance. Through the use of Six Sigma, institutions create a culture of collaboration, engaging employees in improving processes that better meet the needs of the people they serve. Six Sigma also enhances the collective intelligence of an institution as it works to solve its most pressing issues.
Black belts are selected and trained in Six Sigma methodology. They work full-time leading teams formed to solve major institutional issues, and they improve key business processes that help the institution achieve its vision and strategic plan.
Six Sigma teams learn to use a five-step methodology known as DMAIC. The DMAIC steps are defined as follows:
- Define – The team reviews the project charter which outlines the business case, the opportunity for improvement, the goal of the project, and project scope. A high level value stream map is developed to identify the customers/constituents of the process and the outputs viewed as important to them. A communication plan is developed along with a project schedule.
- Measure – The team maps the current process, develops a data collection plan, and gathers data on the current situation. The team identifies patterns in the data that can be used to determine root causes of the problem.
- Analyze – The team analyzes the data to confirm and prioritize the root causes of the problem.
- Improve – The team develops potential solutions and pilots a solution. The team confirms attainment of the project goals and develops a full-scale implementation plan.
- Control – The team ensures that the solution is working effectively and that real improvement has occurred. The team turns the project over to the process owner for ongoing process measurements.
Why adopt Six Sigma at ICC?
ICC adopted Six Sigma in spring 2003 as a way to build inter-departmental cooperation and accelerate improvement throughout the institution. With two years of experience and training in process improvement, some employees working on teams expressed an interest in taking process management to the next level of sophistication. Caterpillar, a Fortune 100 company located in Peoria, had adopted Six Sigma in 2001 and introduced it to its vendors. Caterpillar was experiencing record profitability and reporting significant improvements in meeting and exceeding customer/constituent expectations. ICC decided to explore whether or not the principles of Six Sigma could be applied in the setting of higher education.
ICC is using Six Sigma to improve processes in all areas of the college including Student Services, advisement and business processes. The college has provided over 800 employees with Yellow Belt training, an introductory 3-hour course on Six Sigma, and over 100 employees have participated in the Green Belt training, a more in-depth program that prepares employees to participate on teams.