When Jack and the lads (and ladies I’m sure) started putting together Six Sigma they got together in many rooms over many months and slowly designed an effective and data based project management and process control structure. For many years now it has worked effectively in businesses across the globe from manufacturing to finance and even into Federal Government. Billions of dollars, Pounds, Euros and Yen and other currencies we wouldn’t recognise continue to be saved and businesses now work more effectively with less waste and world class client experiences through the work of all the Belts from Yellow through Green to Black and the almost mythological sounding Master Black Belt.

Well, it’s the 21st Century now and as a BB of a huge 13 months experience, I propose a radical redesign. I’ve been thinking about it and, to be honest, I’m fed up with Measure and Analyse. I say we replace them with two new phases called Gather & Fudge. Hence we have the newly designed DGFIC cycle. I don’t want to even propose how that is pronounced.

My rationale is this – I am currently at the stages formerly known as Measure & Analyse and to be honest I’m fed up with them. If I have to transpose another piece of data from a business-owned, roughly chucked together spreadsheet into a nicely formatted and data cleansed BB-owned spreadsheet, move it into Minitab, spend far too much time generating beautiful Data Summary charts, boxplots and Histograms that prove the root causes of the problem beyond doubt and then moving the fruits of all that labour into an attractive, and concise, PowerPoint slide for presentation to MBBs and interested Execs then I am liable to go a bit mental and I may even, and this is a big step…I may even take a day off. Harsh words I know.

So, now I say we replace these phases with Gather & Fudge. These new phases involve gathering together all the business-owned spreadsheets and taking a look at them in a room for, oh, about an hour. We then produce some charts using partially fictional data (which we will call ‘assumptions’) mixed with the rough stuff from the business (which we will call ‘raw sample data’) and produce some interesting and ultimately misleading looking charts through Excel and Minitab. We then prepare a 15 slide PowerPoint presentation using lots of big words that back up the hunches that we, as very experienced process improvement professionals, had at the start of the project while comparing them to the hybrid raw/assumed data charts. It sounds fantastic to me and a lot more stress free.

Let’s look at the data. First, cycle time improvement. Measure & Analyse cycle time averages anywhere between 4-8 weeks depending on your business. Cycle time for the new Gather & Fudge, I would assume, would average in at about 4-5 days. Now, as Black Belts, how can you possibly argue with a cycle time improvement of up to 7 weeks.

Second, capacity. Subsequent capacity benefits that F&G bring to Six Sigma deployments across the globe are mouth watering. Perhaps upwards of 2 BBs on an average programme.

And there it is. Gather & Fudge not only explained but demonstrated.

I am willing to discuss the new DGFIC cycle at conferences, seminars and huge corporate events across the globe for a hefty fee.

DGFIC is the future, people. You’re either with it or without.

P.S. I’m willing to discuss anything up to a three book publishing deal if anyone is interested.