AboutAaron Overbeek Expertise I am a Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Lean Champion. My expertise ranges from tacticle (local) implementation to strategic (global) implementation of Lean Six Sigma. Also knowledgable in Best Manufacturing Practices, Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, and EH&S. I am not a consultant and do not mind follow up questions.
Experience Bachelors of Science in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Michigan. Lean Champion and Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and ISO audetation.
Director of Operational Excellence and Strategic Sourcing for multi-billion dollar corporation.
Question QUESTION: Is there a market for Contract Quality Engineers with Six Sigma Green or Black Belt with Engineering Degrees?
ANSWER: to answer your question: Absolutely. I've seen growing trends in businesses as these poor economic times financially wrench down on the American corporation. The first, and current, trend is that world-class businesses are making Six Sigma quality their key differentiator. This is where Quality Engineers, with Six Sigma backgrounds, come into play. They are the drivers to build quality in process. If a company invests in indirect labor to build Six Sigma quality in process, the company will see added benefits like higher throughput yield, scrap cost reduction, and the reduced need to perform quality checks. Understand that this will greatly reduce the need for direct quality support (which is ok because quality direct labor is a non-value-added cost) and add additionally to the P&L savings for the company.
And FYI:
The second trend, which is roughly three years away, is focusing on who has the best supply chain. But this is probably appropriate for another discussion.
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QUESTION: Whis is the most common type of waste seen in your IT organization? Please share them with examples.
Answer Waiting and Extra Processing are two of the high level wastes in our IT environment. Multiple hand-offs, waiting for approval signitures from everybody and their brother, and que-ing jobs.
I've had great success Value-Stream mapping these processes by brining in high level business players. Much of the IT functions are not visible unless mapped out, and by bringing the high players into the VS sessions, the muda and muri will be seen (and hopefully felt) by the top change agents driving improvement.
Here are some other examples of waste in an IT environment:
Defects – incorrect data entry
Over production – preparing extra reports, multiple copies
Transportation – extra steps in the process, distance traveled
Waiting – processing monthly, not as the work comes in
Inventory – transactions not processed
Motion – extra steps, travel office to office, desk to desk
Processing – multiple sign-offs
