Third Quarter 2007 Newsletter

In This Issue:


SigmaFlow Workshops

Learn how to use our leading software to map, work, and control your improvement efforts. Attend all the sessions, or just the days that best fit your needs.

Workshop A: Monday, November 5th
Learn the analytics to assess your company’s project execution effectiveness and uncover and quantify potential projects. Hands-on workshop uses class interaction exercises and software to create: As-Is VSM, Data Collection Plan, Value-add analysis, Rework-loop analysis, Return On Investment analysis, and To-Be VSM.

So that ROI analysis can be personalized to your individual deployment, you are encouraged to bring the completed ROI assessment pre-work form with you to the Workshop. (ROI Assessment pre-work provided at registration.)

Software skills gained: Value Stream Mapping, Lean/Fat Benchmarking, Value Added Analysis, Scorecarding, Cycle-time variability modeling and introduction to Value Stream Mapping simulation.

Workshop includes a 5-month VSM license.
One day workshop cost: $400

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Workshop B: Tuesday, November 6th

Builds on project execution assessment findings from the prior workshop and provides practical solutions to address:

  • Managing project value-add time
  • Creating Standard Work for the Continuous Improvement Process
  • Improving Training project Quality and Speed
  • Expanding mentor's span of control and enabling proactive coaching
  • Systematically Replicating best practice projects
  • Sustaining project gains with dynamic process methods sheets
  • Revitalizing a tired training program
  • Streamlining project communications – eliminating duplicate data entry

So that you can benefit from Workflow Blended Learning using your own training materials, please bring the completed project roadmap spreadsheet and training file example to the Workshop. (Project roadmap spreadsheet will be provided when you register.)

To get the benefit of Systematic Project Replication on your own best practice project, please bring to the Workshop an example project you would like to systematically replicate.

Software skills gained: Authoring a workflow blended learning roadmap, Creating process Quality Management Standard Work, Authoring dynamic methods sheets, Communicating project risks and status.

Workshop includes a 5-month Coach license.
One day workshop cost: $400


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Workshop C: Wednesday, November 7th
Builds on Standard Work and project Quality and Speed discussions from the prior workshop and shows how to manage the flow of inputs through tools to create robust system FMEA’s and Control Plans.

  • New Belt learning curve is compressed by making it very easy to understand the connection between data and tools
  • Mentors can quickly identify by exception errors and inefficiencies during project execution
  • Consistency and “Standard Work” for toolkit project execution and executive presentations
  • Time is saved by automatically populating data between tools and generating graphical charts - no need to export data to other applications

A tremendous value for anyone involved with Lean Six Sigma and Process Quality Management projects.

Software skills gained: Maximizing your use of: Fishbone, Process Map, Cause & Effect Matrix, FMEA, Control Plan, Data Collection Plan, Audit Plan. Attendees also receive an overview of SigmaFlow Statistics.

Workshop includes a 5-month Workbench license.
One day workshop cost: $400

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Workshop D: Thursday, November 8th
Building on the process improvement work from the prior workshop, participants learn Simulation model building tactics, that enable them to:

  • Evaluate “what-if” questions without cost, time and frustration of real world experiments
  • See the effect of business decisions to minimize risk
  • Analyze business workflow and capacity
  • Improve throughput by studying bottlenecks and cycle-times
  • Understand the impact of process changes and resource adjustments
  • Experiment, analyze, understand and modify your processes to find the Best Practices for growing your business

Modeling techniques are taught in a layered approach, starting with fixed distribution and incrementally adding modeling capabilities. Participants gain real-world skills to optimize time, throughput and cost.

Software skills gained: Adding Process Variability (Distributions), adding Resources, optimizing Resources, assigning Priorities (Customer and Resource), assigning Resource Priority, Running Trials, Profit and Loss Statement, Capturing Lost Customers, Modifying Customer Arrival Patterns (Time dependent), Collecting and Analyzing Results, Advanced Workflow Techniques, Simulation project management.

Workshop includes a 5-month Modeler upgrade from Workbench.
One day workshop cost: $400

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Attend All Four Workshop Days for $1200 - 25% discount!
(Additional discount available for groups of 4 or more.)

>> To Register, Contact us or call SigmaFlow at 1-800-663-0585 or 972-447-8340.



Value Stream Mapping Analytics

“Whenever there is a product for a customer,
there is a value stream. The challenge lies in seeing it.”

Learning to See, Mike Rother & Jim Shook

New! Expand your value stream mapping tools to discover, quantify, and simulate high priority opportunities with Simulator Process Analyzer™, a new enhancement to SigmaFlow VSM.

Get better results by leveraging software that tells you things you don’t already know... to provide actionable information. SigmaFlow lets you use the most valuable process analysis techniques for any situation.

Bring Process Analysis to Any Visio Diagram
Maximize your existing work by easily incorporating analysis to your diagram. VSM™ eliminates tedious importing by working in native Visio 2003 & Visio 2007.

Process Analysis Capabilities

Value Analysis
Identify where you’re spending money, but not getting value for the effort.

Uncover where your greatest waste occurs. This automatic scorecard helps to quickly identify and prioritize improvement opportunities.

 

Lean Benchmarking
Determine if your process is Lean or Fat.

The diagnostic interprets your current-state data and provides you with recommendations on how to become Lean.

 


Value Stream Mapping
Identify bottlenecks and sources of productivity loss with stacked Workload Balancing Graphs.

The VSM Scorecard makes it easy to identify the root causes of your constraints and test feasibility of potential remedies.

 


Cycle-time Variability Modeling

Extend Six Sigma to Lean
Capture actual cycle time data, (not just averages) and apply leading Six Sigma calculations to make the precise changes needed to understand the impact of variability in order to improve processes.

 

 

Discrete Event Simulation
Simulator Process Analyzer™
Quickly test alternatives, risk-free, at virtually no cost.

Integrated with SigmaFlow VSM, Simulator PA contains Distributions and Individual/Pooled Resources by skill level, with Workflow logic. Reports include: Results Summary, Detailed Transactions, Trials Comparison and Profit & Loss Summary

 

Process Analysis & Best Practice Execution

Consistent Event Execution
Improve project consistency, learning curves and self-sufficiency by powering your tools with SigmaFlow Coach™. Coach uses a graphical Roadmap as the basis for a Project Workspace. The Roadmap answers what to do next and ensures tools are applied in a defined sequence and sufficient level of detail. Roadmaps can be created or purchased for any procedure-based methodology and/or to replicate a best practice project. Standards and Consistency are brought to the Ideation process.

Effective Enterprise Project Identification
Get a web-based portfolio view of improvement ideas with SigmaFlow Insights™. Select projects on the basis of facts. SigmaFlow VSM™ identifies real root causes so that the most appropriate project improvement methodology can be assigned: 8D, 5S, LSS, or “just-do-its”. Creating end-to-end Enterprise Value Stream Maps enables you to easily identify the processes to improve, replicate and control.

>> Learn more about SigmaFlow VSM and Simulator Process Analyzer
>> Reserve Simulator PA today!

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Free VSM license plus 1 hour of training

We evaluated several Value Stream Mapping packages
and found SigmaFlow the leader in functionality,
ease of use and overall value
.”

Anne Schneider, Director, TOP+ Quality
Siemens Power Generation

*Special, Limited Time Offer*

Get 5 licenses of SigmaFlow VSM
plus a free hour of Training
for only $1199.

Valid through October 31, 2007.

$300 savings when you buy five –
as always, with a 60 day money-back guarantee!

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The best value in Value Stream Mapping, SigmaFlow VSM enables you to:

  • Draw multi-level value stream maps
  • Uncover and Quantify high value projects
  • Scorecard where you are spending money and not getting value
  • Benchmark if your process is Lean or Fat
  • Determine VSM constraints and test feasibility of potential remedies
  • Calculate production requirements considering process defects
  • Easy upgrade to Simulator (VSM Simulation)
  • And much more!

>> Learn more about SigmaFlow VSM
>>
Contact us at 1-800-663-0585 or sales@sigmaflow.com. If you are interested in buying VSM in quantities other than 5, don’t hesitate to contact us.



Upcoming Events

WCBF Global Six Sigma Summit
October 23-26, 2007 in Las Vegas, NV

Join SigmaFlow for Workshop D: Changing the Game in Lean Six Sigma Project Execution
October 23
, 11:30 – 2:15 (includes Lunch)

This is an extremely interactive workshop, so bring your real world questions on the issues that you’re experiencing in your projects. In addition, the software tools mentioned during the workshop (SigmaFlow Coach, Modeler and VSM) are provided to workshop attendees at no additional charge.

>> Claim a 15% discount for the Global Six Sigma Summit when you register, compliments of SigmaFlow, by using code 5081SigmaFlow15 when registering.
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