Quality Improvement Using Lean Six Sigma

The assignment focuses on developing a quality improvement project plan utilizing Lean Six Sigma principles. It describes various tools and techniques like brainstorming, affinity diagrams, and an effort/impact matrix to identify customer needs, analyze problems, and develop effective solutions. The goal is to improve key areas such as customer satisfaction, delivery time, defect reduction, and staff commitment.

Running head: DEFECTIVE REDUCTIONS DELIVERIES
DEFECTIVE REDUCTIONS ON DELIVERIES
Name
Institution

DEFECTIVE REDUCTIONS DELIVERIES 2
Analysis tools for solution
Improve is the stage involving identifying and selecting solutions. Potential solutions aim at
eliminating and reducing root causes, prevent recurring of problems and reduce differences in the
problem. Solving the problem includes
- Generating solutions
- Select, evaluate and prioritize solutions
- Develop pilot studies
- Carry out a tollgate review
Provide recommendations and implementation
Ninja van logistics is an organization that provides logistic services in Singapore. The
main clients are state regulatory agencies and e-commerce businesses like Zalora, Toys R Us,
and Watsons. Customer satisfaction is the backbone of any company. For a company to succeed,
they have to focus on customer needs through the voice of a customer (VOC) (Martin, 2014).
VOC is a method that is used to identify needs of the customer and the benefits customers get
from those needs. Clients’ needs and expectations differ and therefore a VOC analysis helps to
minimize complexity when serving customers and provide scale economies. Customer survey
approach collects information on customer satisfaction and expectations to assist the company to
create strategies for service improvement (Montgomery, Runger, & Hubele, 2007).
For Ninja van to satisfy its clients, they need to understand the needs and their impacts to
the customers (Yang, 2005). They can do this by applying the following techniques
1. Brainstorming
This method aims at making people improve creativity within the company.it uses ideas
from all members that are free from judgments and criticisms. Based on the problem of delayed

DEFECTIVE REDUCTIONS DELIVERIES 3
deliveries, thinking and creativity are the forms the basis of discussion in order to consider and
collect many solutions and ideas within a short time. The process begins by identifying a
problem, gather ideas and revisit the list then decide on one the best ideas (Nave, 2002).
2. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)
The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is an improvement tool used for decision making and
problem-solving in an environment requiring skills and knowledge. AHP acts as a guide to
project teams to select a relevant decision that suits their understanding of the need. APH is a
model representing an issue in a hierarchy involving decision objectives, the criteria, and
contribution towards attaining the goal and alternatives.
AHP diagram
Goal
Criteria
Alternatives
3. Affinity Diagram
They help the company to organize verbal information, opinions, ideas and solutions into
related categories. It is usually combined with brainstorming to come up a concrete
solution. The company may use it to classify different problems in order to come up with
a solution.
Meet customer needs
Defects
Package
Care
Time
Good vans
Customer
Satisfaction
Relationship
Delivery

DEFECTIVE REDUCTIONS DELIVERIES 4
Affinity diagram
Effort/Impact Matrix
It is a tool that is used make informed and quick decisions to implement long-lasting
solutions. The facilitator leads members into a discussion of solutions generated to assess the
effects and efforts needed in each solution. Further, each solution placed on an impact matrix and
quick wins are selected and may consider other options as well e.g. those that use less effort but
have more impacts on the business. In order to meet client needs, use high efforts for more
impacts. The company can break the solution to manageable portions.
Understand
consumer
needs
Staff commitment Establish
controls Corporate
commitment
Identify
consumer
segments
Involve top
management
Measurement
system for
tracking
Involve
staff
Regular
feedback
Interpret
needs
correctly
Empower project
teams
Have clear
goals
Drive regular PT
Track
strategies
&results
Use training
Apply
agents

DEFECTIVE REDUCTIONS DELIVERIES 5
Impact matrix diagram
High
Impact medium
Low
Recommended improvement tool
While ninja aims at delivering orders on time and reducing defects while delivering, customers
expect the company to:
- Offer real-time distribution of ordered items.
- Good customer service and delivery
- Reduce damages during delivery.
- Satisfy the clients in services provided.
- Understand and prioritize their needs.
Ninja Van should use affinity diagram, brainstorming and impact matrix to generate solutions.
This is because:
1 2
3 4
2, 3,
4 1
6, 7, 98 Ideas
1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8,
9

DEFECTIVE REDUCTIONS DELIVERIES 6
Brainstorming
Will help the Ninja Van Company to make a clarification and review the real problem of
reducing defective when delivering orders. Managers will be able to generate ideas from the
project team. Generating many ideas from each member will help come up with a strong idea of
the problem. In brainstorming, members are given an allowance of time to discuss and write
down their ideas. The project team can gather information then comment on them later. It is
effective since it will give clear and consolidated ideas which represent the VOC.
Affinity Diagram
Use of affinity diagram will be effective since it will assist project teams to organize
ideas, opinions, verbal data and solutions into similar categories. It is good since it can be used
together with brainstorming. The ideas generated from brainstorm are then put in related
categories and use the best solutions that represent the problem (Ittelson, 2009).
Effort/Impact Matrix
This project will be effective for the project team since it helps make faster and informed
decisions on the relevant potential solutions for implementation. It gives an opportunity to assess
relative and relevant solutions to business, the impact, and efforts of implementation needed for
the solution. It uses an impact chart before deciding on the solution (Montgomery, 2010).

DEFECTIVE REDUCTIONS DELIVERIES 7
References
George, M. L., Rowlands, D., & Price, M. (2005). The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbox,
McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Ittelson, T. (2009). Financial Statements: A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding and Creating
Financial Reports, Second Edition. NJ: Career Press Inc., NJ.
Martin, J. (2014). Lean Six Sigma for Supply Chain Management: The 10-Step Solution Process,
Second Edition. New York: McGraw Hill.
Montgomery, D. (2010). Design and Analysis of Experiments. New Jersey: Wiley.
Montgomery, D., Runger, G. C., & Hubele, N. F. (2007). Engineering Statistics. New Jersey:
Wiley.
Nave, D. (2002). How to compare Six Sigma, Lean, and Theory of Constraint, Quality Progress.
NY. Retrieved from Nave, D. (2002), “How to compare Six Sigma, Lean and Theory of
Constraints”, Quality Progress, Vol. 35 No. 3, pp. 73-78.
Yang, K. (2005). Design for Six Sigma. New York: McGraw-Hill.