Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma. Answer: Introduction This paper uses illustrations to propose three suitable lean six sigma techniques from brainstorming, Affinity Diagram, impact/effort matrix, and analytical hierarchy process. Most specifically, the paper examines the manner in which the three selected techniques could be used in sequence by the management of McDonalds to generate, and priorities and evaluates potential solutions to issues of reducing stock out in stores and reducing food wastage due to food quality. The application of three six-sigma techniques plays a central role of ensuring that McDonald solves above problems. More importantly, they will help align the company operations and ensure that management develops quality improvements. Three techniques for discussion include brainstorming, affinity diagram, and impact/effort matrix. Brainstorming approach requires that employees at McDonald follow simple brainstorming on what to do and not to do. Vijaya Sunder (2013) explains that brainstorming session provides an opportunity to generate many ideas on ways to solve a problem. Furthermore, it is also imperative to note that the implications of brainstorming tools is to combine both internal as well as relaxed technique for researching the problem with an objective to come up with the best solution (Gupta, 2015). Application of brainstorming approach at McDonald will ensure that employees in charge of stock think about the best way to align development of operations and information. Manager will think about employing more employees to start taking stock to meet customer needs as well as minimizing many wastages (Ptacek Motwani, 2011). Management will follow five stages to come up with an appropriate solution (see figure 1 above). Management must first understand the background information concerning ordering of stock by managers of outlets that ran on shifts (Gygi BarCharts, 2016). They will understand that the simple method in play does not have any form of calculations. Furthermore, the second and third stages will involve defining the problem and generating the best ideas like the need to employ more employees to concentrate on delivering high quality food, offering good services, as well as observing a high level of cleanliness. The affinity diagram shown below will help present a pool of ideas created from the above brainstorming session. Management will now have to analyze, prioritize and implement them (Jung-Lang, 2017). The importance of coming up with few ideas is because of their easiness to respond to them as well as sift through (Antony, Setijono Dahlgaard, 2016). Taghizadegan (2006) maintains that a manager can come up with appropriate solution without formal technique. Schonberger (2008) an affinity diagram offer managers with appropriate techniques of handling large number of ideas. Managers will deal with large set of ideas such as human resource issues, failure to have standards, unappreciation of staff, low staff morale, and among other ideas. Rampersad and El-Homsi (2007) refers to the impact/effort matrix as a graphical representation that depicts efforts on x-axis and impacts on y-axis. Every manager need to come up with efforts to draft solutions that are likely to have positive impact. In addition, the four quadrants offer an opportunity to list all activities needed by management to solve the two issues. For instance, as a tool, the impact/effort matrix is likely to give managers of McDonald time and opportunity to evaluate their solutions of reducing the level of stock as well as control on the level of food wastage. The impact to reduce on the level of stock would require that management consider taking stock as well at changing the current method of stocktaking. The impact to reduce on the level of stock would require that management consider taking stock as well at changing the current method of stocktaking. While it is understood that management take a long time to take stock, this could be the reason as to why the company has failed to minimize on wastages. For instance, management of outlet took the responsibility of ordering stock based on their own knowledge and past data already sold to customers during the previous day. Apart from solving the issue of reducing stock in stock in stocks, the company could also use brainstorming to respond to issues of reducing food wastage because of food quality. Management will provide background information about all cooked food. Some of the background could cover how much time the company takes to hold apple pie, nuggets, and fries. The importance of using this technique lies in the need for team members to tap into their creativity and intuition. For instance, the diagram below will become important in ensuring that management responds to many ideas that are likely to come up. Consequently, management could also respond to ideas that look seem too large to understand or solve. The technique will ensure that that management eases management of food wastage because of quality. Operation of MacDonald in Singapore has seen the company fail to use same practices being used in the United States. After cooking the products and placing it at the holding area, employees take time timing. However, once the food exceeds the expected time, employees consider it a waste. Manager only comes in to calculate the amount of food that has been disposed. Therefore, application of affinity diagram shown above will ensure that management controls the amount of all cooked food (Drohomeretski, et al, 2014). For instance, this could involve having enough staff, resources and tools such as timers or phone alerts at the waiting room. Furthermore, the diagram indicates that a management could design its culture in order to focus on areas such as outcome orientation, attention to detail, or innovation and risk taking. This could also involve assigning crew leaders to start following the command of a shift manager concerning the quantity of food to cook depending on the situation exi sting in the store. While management takes a long time to take stock, this could be the reason as to why the company has failed to minimize on wastages. Management of outlet took the responsibility of ordering stock based on their own knowledge and past data already sold to customers during the previous day. References Antony, J., Setijono, D., Dahlgaard, J. J. (2016). Lean Six Sigma and Innovation an exploratory study among UK organisations. 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