Designing Environmental Sustainability Programs using Process Design for Six Sigma

Environmental Sustainability is in the best interest of the Global Economy and Global Corporate Citizenship.  More and more companies are global in nature especially when you consider their supply chains and the total life cycle of their goods and services.  Environmental consciousness is increasing in importance and a key for competing in the global economy.

Customizing your company’s approach to defining and applying environmental best practices requires a systematic approach for process design.  Process Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) follows a five phased approach, namely Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Validate (DMADV).

The Define Phase is the Development Project Definition.  In this phase the scope, or depth and breadth, of the Environmental Sustainability Program is defined.  Here is where the resources are committed to the project, the project is planned, and the review points with specific deliverables are defined.

The Measure Phase is Requirements Definition.  In this phase the Voice of the Customer (VOC) is captured which in turn is translated in the requirements for the Environmental Sustainability Program.  The VOC comprises your suppliers, your company, your customers, and the countries where you conduct business.  This comprehensive view of the VOC requirements drives the right sizing of the program.  A Functional Model of what Environmental Sustainability has to accomplish and provide is aligned and prioritized using the VOC.  At this stage requirements are fully defined.

The Analyze Phase is better described as the Conceptual Design.  What must be accomplished to meet the VOC has been documented with the prioritized functional model.  To meet the functional requirements processes are designed at the conceptual level using the SIPOC (Suppliers, Inputs, Process Steps, Outputs, and Customers) Process Mapping method.  In this method only five process steps are addressed which keeps the maps at a high level.  Information System requirements are defined to support each SIPOC Process that has been designed.  Performance Metrics are also defined.  Estimates of cycle frequency, cycle time, and staffing for each SIPOC all also determined.  Organizational requirements are conceptualized as well.

The Design Phase is Detailed Design.  The conceptual designs are now converted into detailed process maps.  This is the future state design of the Environmental Sustainability Program’s processes for execution.  Pilot testing takes place at this stage along with finalizing organizational requirements.  Work instructions, procedures, and policies are documented for efficient execution of the processes that will drive the Environmental Sustainability Program.

The Validate Phase is the final phase of DMADV.  In this phase the new processes go through final testing and debugging of support systems, validation of performance metrics, and implementation on a full scale.

Process Design for Six Sigma is the structured approach for any organization to determine just what Environmental Sustainability means for them.  Process DFSS guides the development of the processes that will meet your Environmental Sustainability goals and objectives.

Going Green with Six Sigma

The efficient approach to Going Green for any company is to follow the five phased DMAIC improvement process of Six Sigma.  Going Green can mean different things to different organizations.  You will have to define what Going Green means for your organization.

Defining your problems with waste management and setting your goals for waste reduction and savings is the first step.  The structured approach of the Define Phase in a Six Sigma project is the best approach to accomplish this.  The deliverables are your Problem Statement, Goal Statement, Constraints, Assumptions, Guideline’s for the Team, Green Requirements, and a Project Plan.  Types of waste that are often tackled are:

• Cardboard,
• Wood Pallets and Crates,
• Banding,
• Plastic,
• Rags,
• Cans and Bottles,
• Paper,
• Metal,
• and Hardware.

For these types of waste establish the baseline of Total Pounds of Waste, the Good is Recycled Pounds, the Bad or Defect is Land Fill Pounds.  Use this to set your process yield and process sigma level in the Measure Phase.

The Measure Phase for Going Green is all about establishing how you will measure your waste as previously defined and establishing your organization’s baseline performance.  Without the baseline performance you won’t be able to measure the green impact and savings from your Going Green Six Sigma Project.  One approach is analogous to the Mass Balance equation where Mass is conserved between inputs and outputs which must remain equal.

The Mass Balance Equation

Total of Material and Consumables Input = Output of Saleable Goods and Services + Waste to Atmosphere + Waste to Water Supply + Waste to Landfill + Hazardous Waste + Recyclables 

Your organization will have to determine the extent to apply this equation.

In the Analyze Phase the Team evaluates the waste categories and how and where they are created.  Is it a process issue, a policy issue, or just that we have always treated waste that way?  Once you understand where it is coming from then you can develop the creative solutions that will transform landfill waste into recyclable waste.  Depending upon the scope of the project the team may also be addressing other waste components of the mass balance equation.

In the Improve Phase the Team investigates alternatives for how to handle the multiple waste categories and how to minimize their creation.  Many items that were always sent to the landfill if separated can become recyclable.  In many cases recyclables can generate revenue.  The costs of storage and hauling can then be reduced.  This in turn changes the ratios of Total Waste to Recyclable Waste and to Landfill Waste.  Going Green has cost reduction and revenue enhancement benefits.

In the Control Phase the Team implements the policies, procedures, and work instructions to handle the waste categories.  Arrangements are made with waste and recycling organizations to handle the waste categories per the improvements identified.  Ongoing measurements are put in place to continue to drive landfill waste reduction and increase recyclables.  Similarly if the project scope was larger the other categories of waste would be included as well.  This is how Going Green is accomplished with the Six Sigma DMAIC approach to solving problems.