6σ Navigators

6σ Navigators -Training to Continuos Improvement

Shelley Chou
GM Office

On this day, Rookie and Expert run into each other by chance.

"Going to a meeting?" Rookie greets warmly. Rookie just started working at the company a little over a year ago. His supervisor wants him to take the Six Sigma training.

"Going to a class! Six Sigma course." Expert shakes his pen in his hand. Expert is a senior employee. This is the second time he participates in a relevant course.
"Same here. I once took a similar course outside the company. It was boring to death. The class later should be quite hypnotic." Rookie looks quite helpless, as he just finished lunch.

"Not necessarily…" Expert recalls the day when he first attended a Six Sigma course and played the catapult kit.

Adult Education Methodology applying interactive techniques

Time went back to the year of 2000 when Everlight Chemical first implemented Six Sigma. At one of the Six Sigma training classes, the consultant was all over the stage delivering his lecture, while the employees were busy taking notes at their seats. This is usually how the training courses take place but definitely not the only way!

Receiving more and more external instructor trainings, our Six Sigma team members realized that the traditional way of lecturing was rather inefficient and tiring. Over the past few years, we tried to apply interactive teaching methods and techniques to Six Sigma program. For instance, we imported Design of Experiment (DOE) catapult instruction equipment from overseas and develop lesson plans after several discussions and brainstorming. By now, every Six Sigma class is delivered using at least three teaching methods. We hope that, by a wide variety of teaching methods and techniques, we can help our employees learn more effectively.

Real case study materials

During the first few years when Six Sigma was introduced to Everlight Chemical, the Six Sigma team assisted our employees to apply Six Sigma on activities in Quality Control Circle and special improvement project through training courses and consultation, regular case study meetings, web interactions, and release of eNewsletters. However, constrained by manpower, we found that if we could take advantage of our QCC activities and train well those tutors and judges, there will be synergic effect!

As a result, we specifically designed two "training classes for our QCC tutors and judges". The first class reinforces the power of logical thinking and the awareness of Six Sigma implementation steps among students by in-class practices and case studies. The second class employed team competitions in an atmosphere that is conducive to learning.

By now, there are over twenty such supplementary courses that are customized for special needs and topics, namely statistical techniques, quality management tools, and presentation techniques. The team members continue to do all their best to satisfy the demand from all business units.

The navigators of Six Sigma

"Why don't we teach mind mapping? This method is useful in cause analysis and strategy design!"

"Lean Six Sigma is a hot topic out there! It is the combination of Lean Production and Six Sigma. I think we need to introduce it to those who participate in core process reengineering and let them understand its nature and be able to use relevant tools."

We continue to learn and introduce new quality management tools or statistical techniques and help our employees not only apply statistical tools in their work but also present their work in professional journals, earning recognition in the industry.

After this class is over, Expert and Rookie walk out of the classroom.

"Surely you have not been dozing off?" Expert asks, jokingly.

"It is hard to fall asleep in these classes. Is this the way Six Sigma courses are delivered?" Rookie is very curious.

"Yes! It's very unique! To realize the company's business philosophy "Pursuit of progress and innovation", Six Sigma team designed their code of conduct as 'experties, enthusiasm, innovation and continuous improvement'. The Six Sigma team is our best partner for moving forward to a better place.

Adult Education Methodology

Because adults have strong self-awareness and substantial life experience, their learning motivations are mostly solving problems with relevant to lives or work. Adult instruction methods means that the instructor helps adult learners engage in effective learning by arranging the teaching environment and using a wide variety of instructional methods, such as case studies, group discussions, and experience instruction.