Internship Lean 6σ Process Improvement Project
Company: The Promotion Company of Miami
Project Title: TheInternship Lean 6σ Process Improvement Project
Project Date: Spring 2014
Cover photo
Executive summary
Define
Project Charter and Cost Benefit
A single document which lists the scope and purpose of the project
The 5 Why Analysis
The problem stated earlier in the discourse can be understood by carrying out 5 Why analysis on the management system in order to establish the cause of the problem and how there was a failure in detecting the problem at its initial state.
Why: a decrease in the sales of wines and spirits:
Decrease in sales volume of wines and spirit may be due to the inadequate information to the consumers about the product quality that is offered. Perhaps it is caused by the failure to allow the consumers to enjoy the taste and provide an aftertaste service.
Why: the company does not meet customer needs
Failure to obtain customer feedback is a loophole that can lead to failure in satisfying customers’ needs and preferences
Why: there is lack of consumer feedback
Offering after sale services and consumer suggestion boxes is a way of ensuring that the consumers’ interests are met. The company ignored giving the consumers an opportunity to comment on their services.
Why: wines and spirit consumption has been on decline
The existence of many competitors providing the same services is a major drawback for the company.
Why: the competitors have taken advantage of the market over the company
The marketing strategies adopted by the rival companies have been a bit technical for the Promotion Company of Miami to manage.
Why: This is the root cause
Lack of effective marketing and sales promotion techniques has led to a decline in the sales volume.
The above 5 Why Analysis can be summarized into SYPOC analysis as shown below:
Measure
Data Collection Plan
Results
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
Process capability
The company provides set up materials (table, garnish, cheese, crackers) and maintains on-hand sampler uniforms as well as executes tasting. Once this is done, sales, consumer comments and other important information observed during tasting are provided in a report.
Process Capacity
The processing capacity at Promotion Company of Miami is such that, in field market, a marketer can sell almost 100 bottles per trip. Therefore in the three trips per day, each marketer can approximately sell over three hundred bottles.
Voice of the Customer
The consumers who use wines and spirits were pleased with my project as they saw it as a measure that would ensure that their interests are met at all times. They were supportive in the provision information that I needed in order to complete my project work as earlier planned.
Business Voice
The management and stakeholders of the Company accorded me the due support in my project as it aimed at improving the status of the business and the general returns. Therefore, obtaining information on this area of concern was facilitated by the managers in collaboration by the owners. At every stage of the project, I would be requested to highlight the grey areas that need to be considered immediately.
The company particularly the field manager, Gabriel, supported every step I made in the sales process that was intended to increase the propensity of the marketers in meeting the consumer’s needs.
Root Cause Impact Analysis
List the root causes identified in your process chart, 5 Why analysis, and Voice of the business. Rank the root causes based on how critical they are to address.
General Theory to Explain the Process Problem
The process in the company for ensuring that target market is reached is effective because prior planning is done to ensure that the potential consumers are identified and their needs met. Every step in the sales and promotion are clearly defined and each worker knows what is expected of him or her. The co-ordination team however, is insensitive to the tastes and preferences of the consumers making it difficult to supply appropriate brands.
Improve the Process
- Implement Mistake-Proofing
- Reduce sources of waste (TIMWOOD-P)
- Eliminate variation
Control
The management to develop a statistical control that will ensure that the problem encountered does not reoccur in future. The control should be that which ensures that it is the responsibility of the field manager and sales coordinator ensure that before consumers are served, the expiry date of each product is confirmed and ascertained.
Entropy Analysis
Describe those natural forces, if not managed that will cause the process to fail again in the future. These forces should be established in the Measure and Analyzed phases.
10 day review
During the time I was in the field doing my internship with the Promotion Company of Miami, I realized much on what it takes to provide for the needs of the consumers. Customer’s feedback is the surest way to ensure that their needs are met at all times. Proper co-ordination is required any time a team is set to meet the potential customers.
Transition Plan
I have at this point I have concluded my project and wish to hand over the process plan. I have noted that competition in the marketing of wines and spirits has led to the decline in the sales made by the Promotion Company of Miami. I wish to recommend that everyone within the organization should realize his/her role and ensure that every step listed in the marketing process is undertaken. Otherwise, the failures are likely to happen again. The whole process should begin with the sales coordinator who identifies that target areas to conduct the promotion and assign the marketers. However, the promotion strategies need to be reviewed regularly to ensure that the marketers are kept abreast of the changing tastes and preferences of the clients.
Foresight analysis
The process plan discussed earlier in this discourse is effective and can work for five to twenty five years. However, in case of any failure, there is need to review the process and develop a more effective plan that would work efficiently. From time to time, there company managers and stakeholders should hold bench-marking and training to the employees to increase their skill and job experience.
Lessons Learned
During my internship at Promotion Company of Miami, I was able to learn a number of lessons in the management process. Below are some of the particular lessons that I learned in the process:
- There is need for follow up activities in the process to ensure that product quality meet consumers’ expectation
- The sales director should keep track of all records of sales made daily
- Monitoring activities are essential for the smooth running of the process
- Customer loyalty is an important and integral part of the survival of the business
- Tendency towards entropy should be taken care of to keep everything in the process to continue running as planned
- Bench-marking does not take away the spirit of competition but rather improves the performance level of the business
References
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Appendices
