"Six Sigma and the Mobile Workforce"
ASQ Six Sigma Forum Magazine
November 2005, pp. 13-19
The authors of this article state that "deploying Six Sigma in areas of high workforce mobility, such as field sales and service, has proven challenging." Many organizations have tried IT solutions, such as sales force automation (SFA) systems. Barriers to technology-only solutions through Six Sigma have included a culture of relative autonomy for sales people, a huge variability in work methods, the perception that Six Sigma will take time away from customers, and the logistical problems of communication, training, and project work.
Four tips are provided in the article to help organizations "understand their underlying business needs and the cultural factors working against Six Sigma in order to use it successfully with their mobile workforce":
- Link specific outcomes ("critical Y's") to the processes that affect the targeted business goal
- Support the field staff by being sure that the projects and methods chosen match the needs and capacities of the people involved
- Automate data gathering and process logistics by using devices equipped with mobile task automation (MTA) software that allow access to corporate resources and speed up/error proof the tasks mobile workers perform
- Pay attention to change management, especially addressing
- "What's in it for me"
- A clear business case for using Six Sigma
- Involvement and communication with those expected to change
- Changing policies/procedures/rewards to support the change
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