Improving The Six Sigma Process
Pratt & Whitney has found a new and improved way to tackle their Measure phase using process modeling and simulation. Essentially, they’ve created a digital twin of their production process, a living replica of the existing system.
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Creating a model forces the modeler to learn how the system operates
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Modeling forces the process experts to accurately describe the system
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Modeling sparks questions otherwise never asked
Pratt & Whitney has also used their digital twin to refine the Analyze phase in the DMAIC process. Analysis typically involves running the numbers to find patterns and gain understanding. However, with a digital twin Pratt & Whitney examines any aspect of their production process in detail and see the behaviors and causes of any issues.
During the Improve phase a digital twin allows a company to make changes to its production process and see the potential consequences of those changes before implementing them in the existing system. Using a digital twin you can do the following:
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See and remove non value adding activities
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Remove Waste, and apply lean guidelines
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Address current state issues
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Enhance process dynamics
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Conduct quantitative optimization
Overall, incorporating process simulation into the Improve phase of Six Sigma can help a company to dramatically improve its process.
Organizations that trust ProcessModel Simulation around the globe for Six Sigma performance improvement
Organizations like Pratt & Whitney, PG&E, Nationwide and the Kaiser use ProcessModel’s discrete event simulation software to solve common challenges, make significant cost savings and drive quality improvement in their Six Sigma projects.