Control Phase of a Six Sigma Project:  Bring it on Home Yet Prepare to “Sustain the Gains”

      The control phase of a six sigma project is when the end is in sight.  Some members of the team have been juggling their ‘regular, full-time day jobs’ while also investing many hours on the project.  Non urgent e-mails and other items have been piling up.  Spouses and children might like to see the six sigma team member on a week day evening.  If the members’ boss isn’t directly a beneficiary of the project, they might be pressing, hard, to ‘get them back’ and working on their normal responsibilities.

      So at this phase it is very tempting to push ahead quickly and, maybe, cut a few corners.  And that is dumb, dangerous, and could undermine the long term success of the project.  I’ve read in more than one place that the purpose of the control phase is to ‘sustain the gains.’  The team with support of the black belt and sponsor/champion must put in place a control plan with supporting processes and procedures for the transition to run and maintain.

      What is needed?  A realistic control plan put together with the process owners who will be responsible for the processes going forward.  Control charts are important for the objective measures of the selected solutions but don’t forget the subjective portions either.  A thorough communications plan is critical also.  Gathering lessons learned while the project is ‘fresh’ in the minds of the team is very important also.  And finally you are looking forward to the celebration party.

      So don’t let up on the gas as you go into the control phase.  The project was undertaken because the initial problem was causing some sort of pain externally and/or internally. You, the team, and all involved have invested a tremendous amount of your time to get to this point.  Take the time to fully transition the project to run and maintain.  That’s the best thing you can do to make sure, in a few years’ time, you will see the teams’ work delivering value to the organization.