Conference Day 1 - Monday, January 28th, 2008

Seminars & Opening Keynote Plenary Presentation

Brand new and for the first time ever, the initial plenary keynote takes place on Day 1. Every attendee of this day will attend the extended presentation, lunch and discussion session from 11.30-2.30 with Scott Lasater, “The guy who taught Six Sigma to Jack Welch”

11.30 - 2.30 Lean Six Sigma Killers And How To Conquer Them! Wipe Out The Top 10 Most Common Mistakes, Myths, And Misconceptions

What works? What doesn’t?

Much like a designed experiment, patterns revealed from experiences with hundreds of organizations’ Lean Six Sigma implementation efforts have produced invaluable insights into key success principles. Quite often, the failures are even more instructive than the successes. At the core are often several common mistakes and misconceptions that continue to surface -- destroying value, deterring optimization, and derailing deployments. So, to help you find out how to stop this happening in your organization, Scott will present and lead discussions on busting old myths, enabling you to turnaround your program!

Lean and Six Sigma are different, separate initiatives
Lean Six Sigma impedes creativity and innovation
Current GAAP or related cost accounting practices are reliable for optimization decisions
Lean Six Sigma is just for manufacturing or "quality"
Lean Six Sigma is just for reduction of variation or defects

If you ticked true to any of these statements, do not miss this opening keynote session!

Scott Lasater
Director,
Lean Six Sigma Enterprise Institute
“The guy who taught Six Sigma to Jack Welch”

7.15 Registration And Networking Breakfast

8.00 - 11.00 Morning Seminars Including Refreshment Break

Seminar A: Combining Innovation With Your Lean Six Sigma Training To Maximize Your Training Results And ROI

Training is one of the most significant investments made in driving Lean Six Sigma practices deep into the fabric of an organization, but there is no ‘one size fits all model’ and there are still many outstanding questions on what the best methods are:

Are instructor-led classes the only way?
What is the role of e-Learning?
How can job aids, blogs, podcasts, wikis and toolkits accelerate the learning process?
How can you train a global workforce, consistently and in multiple languages?
How can executives be quickly trained in order to become effective Champions?

If you want the answers to these questions, don’t miss this seminar. Also vital to the longevity of any training and education program is identifying the best way to carry out refresher and recertification training. The purpose of this session is to draw out experiential knowledge and best practices from seminar participants. Rob will also draw on insights gained from some of The Quality Group’s ‘best practices’ work with such organizations as Black & Decker Corporation, CSX Transportation, Owens-Corning and Seagate. Find out how to:

Define your goals for Lean Six Sigma training, and be better equipped to architect a deployment plan to get there
Establish a leaner, better, more measurable process for training
Recognize what’s working well, and what needs improvement in your own training process
Calculate the potential ROI from investments in training technologies

Led by:

Rob Stewart
President & CEO
The Quality Group

Each attendee will be authorized to take a free online e-Learning curriculum of your choice from The Quality Group AND the complementary musical CD of “Greatest Classical Hits” which The Quality Group has produced in celebration of their newly released OpusWorks TM

Seminar B: Designing Experiments To Accurately Capture The Voice Of The Customer

Understanding the Voice of the Customer (VOC) is a critical first step in developing a successful product or service. If your company can precisely predict customer preferences and needs, you’ll have a competitive advantage to launch innovative products or services that lead to an increase in customer base. A popular way to predict peoples choices for prospective goods is the use of ‘conjoint’ experiments. You will gain a deeper understanding of your customer through the basis of designing a conjoint experiment:

Respondents are usually asked to rate a set of goods on a scale
Goods are presented as profiles or alternatives of combinations of different component attributes
Predictions result from the analysis of the experimental data
To maximize the information gained you need an efficient experimental design

Seminar attendees will find out how to understand the true needs of your customer, and also what do with your knew found level of customer understanding. The specific relevance and use of designing conjoint surveys will be explained and you will gain an understanding of experimental design theory through the many examples covered.

Design and analysis outputs are provided in both JMP and Minitab.

Led by:

Dr. Roselinde Kessels
Visiting Scholar, College of Textiles
North Carolina State University

Registered attendees at this seminar will receive a complimentary registration to any Master Black Belt module offered at NC State University.

Learn more about the Master Black Belt courses at: www.tx.ncsu.edu/sixsigma/mbb. You do not have to be enrolled in the NC State University Master Black Belt program to attend a course.

Seminar C: Conquering Complexity: Moving Beyond Lean Six Sigma To Break Through The Ceiling On Profits And Growth

This seminar focuses on conquering complexity - the next frontier of business transformation. The complexity of a service offering is often a larger drag on profits and growth than any other single factor in the business. This is particularly apparent today where large-scale consolidation, globalisation, and product expansion have been the drivers for growth AND for business complexity. The potential of conquering complexity - making explicit decisions about which complexity to get rid of and what to keep and exploit - is enormous. Join this interactive simulation to discuss:

How complexity drains time and resources in your business
The impact of complexity on shareholder value
Eliminating process complexity with Lean Six Sigma
Making complexity a strategic weapon—how Porsche, Southwest Airlines and Wal-Mart conquered complexity and won market dominance

Led by:

Kevin Simonin
Senior Vice President
The George Group

Attendees will receive a copy of Conquering Complexity in Your Business (McGraw-Hill, June 2004).

Written by Michael George, author of Lean Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma for Service, and Stephen Wilson, this book provides new insight and methodology on conquering business complexity.

Seminar D: Using A Product Development Process Wizard To Enable And Facilitate The DFSS Process

This is a hands-on seminar where you and other attendees will take the role of a product development team and follow a new wizard approach to completing each step of the process. Enjoy a product development simulation for yourself.

You will learn how to build the continuous thread of product knowledge from pre-VOC interviews through requirements, critical parameter, and risk management to validation, verification, and test. You will also use the newest web based technology to lead you through each step. You should attend this seminar if you are part of the product development process, moving into this field or need to understand this part of your business better. If you are looking for a better way to enable and enforce your product development process, do not miss this seminar that will give you the power to strengthen this core skill in our competitive business world. Gain the power to introduce DFSS and communicate in such a way that “even engineers will do it.”

Led by:

David Cronin
Director, Business Improvement
Cognition Corporation

Seminar E: Changing The Game In Six Sigma Project Execution

We all want to finish Lean Six Sigma projects more quickly and get better results. Find out how to do this better through:

Enabling new Belts to execute projects like seasoned professionals
Leaning the project process – eliminate non-value added efforts
Improving knowledge sharing – simplifying project replication
Utilizing management tools to better leverage Master Black Belt resources
Improving executive visibility (portfolio status, financial rollups, resource allocation)

This is an extremely interactive seminar so come prepared to ask questions about real world issues that you’re experiencing in your projects.

Led by:

Jay Holstine
President & CEO
SigmaFlow

The software tools mentioned during the seminar (SigmaFlow Coach, Modeler and VSM) are included with admission and will be provided at no additional charge to seminar attendees (SRLP: $1,200).

Seminar F: Compress Time, Cost & Risk: Improving Your Training Program With Ground-Breaking Simulation Exercises

Improvement programs are constantly evolving to meet the changing demands of organizations. How well are your training programs keeping up? Changes in demographics, incorporation of best practices, demands for lower cost and greater effectiveness are all challenges to Lean Six Sigma training. It certainly can be hard to fit everything into a balanced, smooth running and yet rigorous training program. One solution: Simulations. Widely recognized and adopted by training organizations, simulations provide safe, time-compressed, low-cost opportunities for practicing new skills. Properly used, simulations keep students engaged in the learning process while freeing instructors to provide high value coaching and mentoring. In addition, incorporating simulations in your training can measurably increase learning effectiveness and return on investment.

This seminar will expose you to a variety of training simulations and cover methods for incorporating complementary simulations into existing training programs. In keeping with current culture and developing technologies, the simulations you’ll experience will include use of games and virtual learning environments constructed to accelerate learning and cement competencies.

Led by:

Tim Kelley
Vice President
Moresteam.com

Every attendee will receive free subscriptions to the presented simulations for post-conference evaluation and practice.

8.00 - 6.00 Full Day Seminar: Includes Two Refreshment Breaks, Lunch And Attendance At Main Plenary Session

Seminar G: Structured Approach To Integrating Innovation And Creativity In The Design Process

Using a systematic approach to the integration of world-class VOC/VOS methods, structured innovation techniques, DfLSS, and Axiomatic Design is one of the most covetable abilities in the competitive markets of today. But actually succeeding with these advanced and complex methodologies is tough. Michael, an award winning innovator himself, will guide you through the strategies that will give you the power to succeed. Initially, Michael will present a model that defines the step-by-step flow of customer requirements through the concept, design, and manufacturing operations. This will enable you to define customer requirements and therefore preserve these throughout the developmental process. He will specifically highlight the techniques and methods used in addition to the process describing algorithm so that you understand how to systematically reduce the concept to a commercial opportunity.

You’ll also hear a real-life account of how Michael designed and developed a product that won the Most Innovative Product of the Year Award in 1999 from UCSD’s CONNECT program. It was also named one of the 25 Breakthrough Technologies of the Year by Fortune Magazine in 2005. The ‘OnTech self-heating container’ was created through the application of the DesIgNNOVATION model, and Michael will explain this model in detail so that you may also benefit from the rigorous approach to robust product commercialization. He’ll also present the voice of the customer as collected by focus group and BASES studies in order to demonstrate the impetus for product development to you.

Finally, Michael will guide you through a summary of over 400 problems experienced during development that were solved using the TRIZ methodology along with several DOEs that were instrumental in design and manufacturing optimization. Find out how Michael made these tools and methodologies work for him so that you can adopt suitable principles in your own practice.

One of the most interactive seminars ever to be held at this Summit, you’ll also be shown excerpts from the History Channel program featuring the product and be provided with product samples to use and evaluate during the session.

Led By:

Michael Slocum
Chief Innovation Officer
Air Academy Associates

3.00 - 6.00 Afternoon Seminars Including Refreshment Break

Seminar H: Improving operating performance and developing a self-sufficient Lean culture at the same time

What would a 50% reduction in order to cash lead time do for your organization? How about a 200% increase in workforce productivity? What if your workforce could sustain and repeat these improvements without the assistance of an outside consultant? What if you could accomplish all three of these objectives in 2-3 years with little or no investment in capital?

That’s what the FAST LEAN SYSTEM™ is all about; improving operating performance and developing a self-sufficient Lean culture faster and with less risk than going it alone or with another consulting house.

You’ll learn how to utilize a flow down process to quickly align your tactical Lean Six Sigma improvement efforts with the strategic goals and objectives of your organization. Discover how to:

Conduct environmental scans
Develop high level improvement goals and objectives
Select value streams to engage
Determine resource requirements
Develop fully integrated site implementation plans for multiple value stream engagements with Executive Leadership

Participants will learn how to quickly develop transformation plans for each value stream utilizing a robust 10 step process that has proven successful in all types of environments including health care, construction, automotive, aerospace industries in both the public and private sectors.

A seven-week Kaizen Event cycle will show participants as to how to create and sustain dramatic improvement results. They will learn how to accelerate their progress toward improved operating results and self sufficiency via an annual Lean Benchmark Assessment, and rigorously develop internal experts to replace their Lean consultants via the Participant Qualification Process.

The 50,000 person, $23 billion a year US Naval Sea Systems Command deployed the FAST LEAN SYSTEM™ to more than 30 locations in 2005 and captured more than $200 million of improved operating performance on over 500 improvement activities during the first year of implementation alone with productivity improvements to date often exceeding 300%.

Led by:

Mike Wall
President
Better Enterprise Solutions Corp

Seminar I: Think Strategic Or Die: Where Is Your Six Sigma Program Going?

According to recent research, a third of all Six Sigma initiatives fail to produce results and are abandoned, a third will produce mediocre results and only one third are successful.

So, what’s the difference?

In the successful third, the Six Sigma program becomes the vehicle for executing strategy, the engine of profit growth and the thing that CEOs trumpet to their shareholders. In the other two-thirds, it is marginalized and forgotten. This seminar will share the secrets of the successful third:

How did they start their program?
How did they develop a sustainable infrastructure?
How did they ensure their improvement programs made an impact on their strategic objectives?
How did they keep their senior executives enthused and informed as the program developed?

Plus gain a greater appreciation of how top companies are developing their thinking about how to use Business Scorecards to link Corporate Strategy with Project & Process Execution and how to align strategy with improvement programs such as Lean and Six Sigma.

Drawing from deployment experience in over 40 companies in Europe, Asia and US, Paul’s seminar will cover the latest techniques for linking strategy with execution. He will discuss the integration of corporate strategy and Balanced Scorecards with improvement programs, and why he believes that improvement which is not aligned with strategy isn’t really improvement at all.

Led by:

Paul Docherty
CEO
i-nexus

Seminar J: Influence Skills for Six Sigma Belts

Anyone can tell you that success in Six Sigma, Lean and Lean Six Sigma requires more than just technical expertise. But while a sound understanding of the methods, tools and overall deployment approach is obviously necessary, it’s simply not enough. So what is the make-or-break element? The ability to influence.

At the Belt and Champion levels, the ability to influence determines project success. At the Vice President, Steering Committee and Executive levels, it affects success of the overall deployment growth. For the last six years, Rath & Strong’s week-long “Team and Influence Skills for Black Belts” course has helped Belts develop the non-technical skills they need to ensure project success. Now you can get a taste of this course by participating in the interactive Influence Skills seminar.

Discover the five styles of influencing: What they are and when and how to use them
Identify your own default style and learn how to avoid over-reliance on one style
Recognize and use your social power
Differentiate your stakeholders’ real interests from their positions: Address root causes instead of symptoms
Identify and create currencies with which to negotiate with your stakeholders
Ensure that the data you use to influence is persuasive

Led By:

Mary Federico
Vice President
Aon Management Consulting/Rath & Strong

Free Giveaway!

Each participant will receive a free copy of Rath & Strong’s Six Sigma Team Pocket Guide

Seminar K: Building Lean Sigma Into The Operations Of Your Business – Institutionalizing The Initiative

Despite many Lean and Six Sigma programs growing into the standardized operating procedures within businesses, many Lean & Six Sigma programs fail to make the leap from a standalone initiative to being fully integrated into “the way we do business”. A common cause of the initiative fizzling out is because it isn’t correctly built into the operations of the business or it loses focus as a subsequent initiative comes along.

Through a series of case study examples, learn from a seasoned deployment professional the framework needed to take either a mature initiative to being operationally-driven or to drive a new program into an operations-based approach early. You will examine:

Linking Lean and Six Sigma to strategy and other initiatives (the operational framework)
Improving project identification and selection
Investigating the best approach to resourcing
Tracking results and driving success
Revitalizing a mature initiative

Led by:

Dr. Ian Wedgwood
Executive Director
SBTI & Author of Lean Sigma – A Practitioners

Seminar L: Crossing The Chasm From Early Success And Scale Replication To Institutionalization And Culture Transformation

After the euphoria of successfully replicating early continuous improvement project successes across different parts of the organization, operational excellence (OpEx) journeys often stumble or at worst come to a grinding halt. This seminar explores the issues that lead some organizations to fall into the chasm and become disillusioned with their continuous improvement programs. Most importantly, it identifies the keys to successfully traversing the chasm and sidestepping the common pitfalls that stand in the way OpEx institutionalization and culture transformation.

The Six Sigma Maturity Model which describes the commonly experienced levels of OpEx journey maturity - including Launch, Early Success, Scale Replication, Institutionalization, and Culture Transformation - provides the framework and vocabulary for this discussion. Join Instantis CEO and founder Prasad Raje as he leads this seminar designed to help you to:

Benchmark your journey’s progress against industry norms
Assess deployment strengths and performance gaps
Anticipate common adoption pitfalls typical for organizations in this phase of the journey

Led by:

Prasad Raje
CEO and Founder
Instantis

Seminar M: Creating Six Sigma Leaders: How To Move Beyond Process Improvement To Change Leadership

Six Sigma will never be a truly integral part of your organization until your leaders adopt and apply it. Making them Green Belts is not enough - it requires translating Six Sigma concepts into methods that are essential for, and flexible to, the demands of 21st century leadership. In this session, respected author and consultant Pete Pande provides a model for "Six Sigma Leadership" that adapts (and even contradicts) process improvement principles, expanding and embracing a more ambitious vision of "Change Leadership." You'll learn:

Why Six Sigma is hard for leaders to apply—and how to make it relevant to their role and challenges
What are the seven "Powerful Paradoxes" that can turn Six Sigma into practical leadership methods
How to help leaders look beyond Six Sigma projects to enhance their strategic "Change ROI"
When and how to move beyond the boundaries of your Six Sigma program to engage with business leadership

You’ll develop a plan to engage your leaders in a more robust application of Six Sigma and enable them to use it in how they do their jobs.

Led by:

Pete Pande
President
Pivotal Resources

All attendees receive a copy of Pete’s newest book The Six Sigma Leader Guide

6.00 Six Sigma's 21st Birthday Party

[ Register Now ] · [ Next: Conference Day 2 - Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 ]