Project Prioritization Matrix

Project Priority Matrix

for Lean Six Sigma Opportunity Analysis

One popular use for your decision making template

is to analyze, select, and prioritize Lean Six Sigma projects

The training on this page assumes that you are using your Decision Matrix Quadrant Chart (DecisionPICK.xlsx) for the purpose of selecting and prioritizing Lean Six Sigma projects

You might, however, choose to use one of your other decision making tools for either more or less thorough decision making analysis.

After coming up with a long list of potential Objectives

(perhaps using brainstorming methods and/or your Values List template...)

then narrow down your list of Impact Objectives, using the following list of potential considerations:

Customer Impact

Contribution to customer Critical to Quality factors.

Most of your objectives should come from your 'Critical To' analysis.

Critical To Quality, Critical To Delivery, Critical to Customer Satisfaction...

Are the expected benefits significant enough?

Perhaps use your templates for Voice of the Customer Analysis

Are there direct measurable benefits to specific key customers?

Itemize them.

Financial Impact

Ideally both hard dollars and soft dollar impacts from customer satisfaction.

Urgency

Is there a burning platform?

Are customers complaining or defecting?

Don't artificially invent a burning platform, but if you face an honest potential crisis... use it for motivation.

Do all stakeholders agree this is a major problem?

Perhaps use your templates for stakeholder analysis.

Alignment with Strategic Objectives

Synergy (or conflict) with other existing and proposed initiatives.

How does each proposed Alternative contribute to this team's Hoshin Plan?

The very first instruction for using your Decision Matrix template

is to use the dropdown list to choose either:

1. Impact Effort, or
2. Effective Achievable

Team Availability

Who is needed for which proposed Alternatives?

What is their availability?

Resource Availability

What resources are needed?

What is their availability?

How much investment is needed?

How easy is it to turn your ship?

Just Do It

Purposes:

To quickly implement an obviously good idea perhaps using your One Good Idea template or perhaps using Jidoka swarming or perhaps just handle it as part of Leader Standard Work

If there is already an obvious good solution then JDI is the only correct approach.

Every one of the other approaches (listed below) are only appropriate if there is doubt that an initial 'shoot-from-the-hip' proposal might not turn out to be the best solution after all.

Value Stream Event

Purposes:

To improve flow between processes in a value stream, and accomplish any or all of the other purposes of value stream mapping

Lean Methods

Purposes:

To improve flow within each process and accomplish any or all of the other purposes of lean process improvement

If your value stream has not yet passed the acid test for lean transformation, then there really shouldn't be any debate.

Your priorities for that value stream should be focused on lean flow, visual management, and standard work.

If you don't have those things in place, then anything else that you try is just going to soon be a distant failed memory anyway... so why start?

DMAIC Quality Improvement

Purposes:

To improve reliability and quality using the DMAIC method and Six Sigma tools

If your problem is complex enough to require a certified Black Belt because you suspect interrelationships between multiple Y variables, then it's time to dig in and authorize the time and cost of a lengthy, complicated Six Sigma project.

If there are any simpler hypotheses that might be resolved using the Green Belt level Seven Basic Tools of Quality... then try those first!

Design for Six Sigma

Purposes:

To develop a new or improved product or service perhaps using the DMADV method and DFSS tools or perhaps using Process Engineering or (most commonly) using DFMEA and PMFEA

Root Cause Analysis

Purposes:

To identify root causes of a problem

If there is not yet consensus about root causes, then it is often wise to authorize a project with the scope limited to the mission of identifying root causes... before authorizing a larger project to 'solve the problem'.

After thorough Root Cause Analysis, the subsequent 'solution' phase might be a simple 'Just Do It'.

A3 Problem Solving

Purposes:

To thoroughly and systematically solve an important problem

If your organization is going to use only one problem solving method, then A3 problem solving is probably the right choice.

It is flexible, robust, and time-efficient, and is easily monitored and managed.

Kaizen Event

Purposes:

To radically improve a process in a very short amount of time

If you have the luxury of locking several high-level people in a room for several days then the best way to make big changes quickly is a Kaizen Event.

Lengthy Project

Purposes:

Traditional project management tools If you need to move facilities, or merge and acquisition, or plan the Christmas party...

the Gantt Chart is not dead.

Training & Education

Purposes:

To increase awareness and competence with Lean Training & Education

To train and mentor people to do things the same way every time

(whether or not your organization is officially ISO 9000 certified)

Strategic Planning & Alignment

Purposes:

To do periodic strategic planning, (perhaps at multiple Hoshin levels), and then to effectively coordinate and deploy those strategically aligned initiatives.

Improvement Kata / Coaching Kata

Purposes:

To consistently and systematically apply PDCA problem solving throughout multiple layers of management.

We reluctantly put this in the 'Programs' section because each new Strategic Objective is essentially a mini-project, but one of the primary differences of the Kata approach is that it tends to be deployed with quasi-religious fervor, and the instant that one problem is solved, each team is encouraged to actively seek another new target

5S

Purposes:

To establish habits and culture to reveal problems

Hidden problems can't be solved and 5S is usually a cornerstone program in most lean organizations

Preventive Maintenance

Purposes:

To identify, reduce, and eliminate causes of downtime

TPM is usually an ongoing program; not a one-time project.

Lean Management Systems

Purposes:

To coach and develop lean leadership using Lean Management Systems