Ideas for a Six Sigma project

[atulrajratna]

Hi team,


This might be quite different (or stupid) question I'm asking on this forum but I need some help to make more improvements in my project.


I am working on a Six Sigma project, subject is 'SHIFT & OVERTIME MANAGEMENT'. off-course its completely EXCEL based.

I am done with the 'shift management' using so many ideas from this forum (I'll be always always thankful to all of those who helped me a lot), I need some suggestions which will help to 'reduce the overtime'.


e.g.

1. We can increase the production target.

(So, in Excel we can use a table of target, where if flow of work is more, we can increase agent's target for that day & we can manage the workflow.)


2. Control the variation between incoming work & completed work.

(So, in Excel we can use a chart, which will show the flow of incoming work, completed work and the work which is still pending) It will also help to control the turnover time.


I need your ideas, suggestions, anything you can which will make my project more & more perfect.

Please help me.


Thanks,

Atul

 

[Faseeh]

Hi Atul,


Welcome back. Few Questions/Ideas:


Q.01. How will you manage/reduce the overtime by increasing work load?? Increasing work load will result in more overtime, that you want to reduce.


Q.02. Controlling the variation between incoming work & completed work could be good idea. I once learned 'how to manage/balance an assembly line' (could that be of any use to you just let me know). There are few rule that are commonly refereed to when it comes to assigning jobs and balancing work loads, i have just text-book knowledge of that but it could be useful for you.


So the action plan could be to 'To reduce over time by assessing work load per worker/machine and trying to strike a balance so that inflow could be balance against desire outflow, keeping overtime to the minimum'


If that is correct, we can proceed.


Regards,

Faseeh

 

[atulrajratna]

Hi Faseeh,


That's correct!


Ans. 02- In 1st hour we had 50 faxes, in second hour it becomes 60, but between that 1 hour we have processed 40 faxes, It means

PENDING WORK in that hr: 50-40= 10 Faxes

NEW WORK: 60-10= 50 Faxes

so pending 10 faxes means, variation is low, but if the PENDING or NEW WORK increases we can force agents to pull the work. NEW WORK will show the flow of increasing work.


once i'll get these numbers we can solve 1st que-


Ans.01- Usually if work is more, we need 2-3 hrs OT with 5-6 people, but using 2nd answer's trick I can inform my agents to increase their production(Target) so at least we can reduce 1-2 hr of OT or 2-3 people instead of all.

(In project: e.g Agent processes 100 faxes in a day, if he will pull the work and does more 10 faxes, off-course it will help us by E.O.D.

So we will have to add a table where if we add 5 to 10 faxes in front of each agent, that will reduce the number of total available faxes, so easily we will get the exact number of faxes we have to do in overtime.)


Thanks,

Atul

 

[atulrajratna]

Here is the sample file-


https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=92bd629a339d0180&resid=92BD629A339D0180!116&parid=92BD629A339D0180!112&authkey=!AHmtUhtGqfHv0s8


Thanks,

Atul

 

[Faseeh]

Hi Atul,


Just downloaded your file so let me work and will revert soon.


Thanks,

Faseeh

 

[Faseeh]

Hi Atul,


Here is the file I have worked out. But besides this i have few idea that you might like:


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60644346/Shift%2520Time%2520Manager%2520(STM)_Myworkout.xlsx


The mathematics you have adopted to calculate the pending items is complicated, it can be simplified. Let me explain it with an example:


'Assume that we start at the beginning of 1:30 AM with 67 faxes in hand to be done, by the end of this hour the faxes made are 22, the pending faxes for this hour is 67 - 22 = 45. The next hour starts from 2:30 AM, the faxes received at the start of this hour is 53, so the total load for this hour will be 45 + 53, where 45 were the pending faxes and in this second hour we have faxed 34 faxes so the pending item will be 45 + 53 - 34 = 64 faxes and so on, so i think that this logic is simpler then one that you are using.


The benefit of this is that we can asses a worker for his capacity to fax. Lets say if he can fax 20 times an hour and he is faxing 21 times then he is already super-efficient and there is no need to hard-press him, whether faxes remain pending or not, if you are receiving 100 faxes and his target is 20 and made 21 faxes then although 74 will remain pending but there is no fault of him in that!! If he is below his 100% then off course you can question him. My sheet works around this idea.


Regards,

Faseeh

 

[atulrajratna]

Faseeh,


you are right.. We must have to think about agents capacity. We can try it by another way as well, thank you so much for the new ideas and new file, I will check and will work on it.

THANK YOU AGAIN for your "SHIFT MANAGEMENT" worksheet.





Atul