1 May, 2020
Welcome to the Six Sigma Line! This series of blog articles addresses topics that we find interesting and provides potentially useful information to anyone trying to enhance their business skills.
In our last blog, we talked about having a few good tools in our Six Sigma bag of tricks that can help us solve most problems. This short list included cause and effect diagrams, control charts, Pareto charts, and process maps.
However, we didn’t cover what might be the most important tool–the project charter. This essentially describes who’s responsible for what. If it starts to look a bit more like the old Abbott and Costello “Who’s on first” routine than something fit for the major leagues, things can go south fast.
“ If you don’t know where you’re going, you might end up some place else. ”
Yogi Berra
Your charter should include two parts: one that describes the project and another that outlines the steps for project completion. Think of it as both your master plan and project record. Information is written into the charter as the various steps are completed and attachments are included as appropriate.
The first part typically includes the project name, dates, team members, and a broad explanation of the project’s context. The charter should also have a project description, including problem statement, project goals and metrics, challenges and support requirements, and an estimate of the cost savings and/or additional revenue/sales.
The second part describes the necessary tasks and tools to be used to complete these tasks. Tasks are noted in the charter as they are completed, thus the charter becomes the project record.
For example, one of the earlier tasks would be, “Describe the process to be studied.” Tools used for this step may be a process flow chart and extensive interviewing. The flow chart and the results of the interviews are referenced in the charter, along with a record of the findings.
Remember, your project will only be as successful as your process for planning and recording the results.
About Purdue’s Online Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Certificate Program
Purdue University offers comprehensive online Lean Six Sigma (LSS) certificate programs designed for working professionals with varying levels of Lean Six Sigma experience. The online Lean Six Sigma certificate courses prepare professionals to satisfy the immense demand for Lean expertise, skills and certification.
Purdue offers the following courses 100% online:
Request
Information
To learn more about Purdue University’s online Lean Six Sigma Training and Certification program and , fill out this form. You can also email us at LSSonline@purdue.edu or call us at (888) 390-0499 to speak to one of our program advisors.