May 22, 2024 • 49 mins
This week's episode is titled ‘Certified Project Management Professional Lean Six Sigma Certification Green Belt: Boost Revenue Using Six Sigma’.
In this podcast titled Boost Revenue Using Six Sigma, I'm joined by Leslie-Ann George, a Lean Six Sigma Certification Greenbelt. Leslie-Ann is a Certified Project Management Professional, and we discussed the implementation of Six Sigma in small businesses, practical examples of successful applications, and strategies to motivate staff and promote customer engagement. We also explored the concept of the 5S's and how it can be used to organize and streamline business processes effectively.
Whether you're starting a small business or buying an existing one, this episode is packed with valuable insights that can help you boost your revenue using Six Sigma. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from an expert in the field.
Visit the following link for the illustration referenced in the podcast for retail/grocery store improvements - Store 334 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtgLS_6yXyA
Do you have questions or comments? Your feedback ensures that we continue to give you content that adds value to you, fuelling our commitment to providing high-quality content and fostering a community of informed and successful entrepreneurs. Leave your voice note here
Topics:
00:02:13 Introduction to Six Sigma
00:03:20 Meet Lesley-Ann
00:05:55 Application of Six Sigma in Businesses
00:09:24 Promoting Customer Engagement with Six Sigma
00:12:09 Removing Blockers for Customer Reviews
00:15:30 Applying Six Sigma in Storage and Operations
00:19:32 Implementing the 5Ss Methodology
00:22:43 Understanding the 5Ss: Sort, Set, Shine, Standardize, Sustain
00:24:28 Efficient Processes and Standardization
00:27:01 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in Six Sigma Implementation
00:35:45 Improving Staff Motivation and Ownership Mentality
00:43:49 Motivating Staff with Ownership Mentality
00:46:51 Continuous Learning and Growth: Black Belt in Lean Sigma
Connect with the guest, Leslie-Ann George:
LA George LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-ann-george-2550b376
EL Empire Linktree- https://linktr.ee/ELempire
EL Empire E-magazine- https://www.el-empire.co/magazine/
EL Empire Website- https://www.el-empire.co/about/
Elevate Your Essay Writing Skills- https://www.amazon.ca/Elevate-Your-Essay-Writing-Skills/dp/1527297098
Connect with the host, Ola Williams:
Website: https://bit.ly/3rxixue
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3Qc5qH9
Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3Mbtzwz
Let’s chat!: https://bit.ly/3UpeThP
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Spotify - https://spoti.fi/49dQbpY
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
So you can have your own testimonial portals, yes, where they just,
at the click of a button, they can just post a comment and it's done.
You make it easy for them to just type that and you transfer it to Google with
their permission to say every comment that you put on the portal for my business, I'd like to share on.
Is it okay? You could just put that as a prompt where they're putting the comments.
(00:22):
Could this review be shared on Google review?
It's just a tick. Yes. Once they've just posted their comment and you do that
background work of just posting it on Google with their name and however they've
put it, just as in your phone.
And you do that legwork because you know that Google is blocking them from sort
of doing it by logging in and putting in there and people don't have time for
(00:43):
that. Time is of the essence.
This is really good video for continuous improvement where there was this grocery
shop where it was just cluttered and this store manager was really doing well.
He was actually a high-performing store manager.
But this big store was just not doing well.
So they decided to move him over there. And he really struggled at first when he got there.
(01:05):
When he took the time to say, I'm going to improve it myself.
I come in the morning, I put the trolleys around. You can't do that forever.
You need help. You need to delegate. You need to ingrain it in the culture of
people so they can do that. He started realizing improvement and he didn't have to say a word.
People started doing things. and naturally customers felt comfortable in that
environment so they started patronizing the shop more.
(01:26):
Are you starting a small business or buying an existing business?
This podcast, Small Business Startup School, shares perspectives using the psychology
of retail and financial awareness all with a reasonable dose of optimism.
The show promises to give startup solopreneurs insightful strategies strategies,
and practical solutions that support the mindset to execute business projects.
(01:52):
My name is Ola Williams, your host on the show. I encourage you to join us to
learn with positivity and great exchange of ideas.
Music.
(02:13):
In today's competitive business landscape, small businesses are constantly seeking
innovative strategies to increase their revenue.
One such methodology that has gained significant traction in recent years is Six Sigma.
Originally developed by Motorola in the 1980s, Six Sigma has evolved into a
(02:33):
powerful framework for process improvement and optimization,
with applications spanning across various industries.
In this podcast titled Boost Revenue Using Six Sigma, I'm joined by Leslie Han
George, a Lean Six Sigma Certification Greenbelt.
Leslie Han is a Certified Project Management Professional, and we explored how
(02:57):
small businesses can use Six Sigma methodologies to increase revenue.
I invite you to join us. Don't go anywhere, and we'll be right back.
Music.
(03:20):
Hello, Lesley-Anne. So glad for you to join me today. Let's meet you. Who is Lesley-Anne?
So hi, all. Lesley-Anne is a project management professional in engineering
and tech, and also the founder of EL Empire,
which is a professional services company that caters to academic,
(03:41):
business and career development needs of individuals and institutions as well.
So we call them our ABs, Bs and Cs. So I'm the author of Elevate Your Essay Writing Skills.
And that's just a book to help with academic and professional writing for students
and also professionals alike.
So yeah, it's just helping them to be able to articulate themselves as well,
(04:02):
especially in a corporate environment as well.
When you need to be able to showcase ideas and things like that,
it just helps you to portray yourself better.
In a nutshell, that's what Elevate Your Essay Writing Skills is about.
And it's on Amazon. So if anyone's looking for it. So Six Sigma,
that's what we're talking about today.
What does it mean? So really, Six Sigma is really trying to get the best out
(04:25):
of your company, really.
You're trying to just set processes in place so that you get efficiency going
and effect effectiveness as well, and removing the likes of defects to allow
for operational excellence.
So that's the key core of what Six Sigma is really, trying to remove those barriers
as well and those blockers that do not help businesses to propel forward.
(04:46):
So yeah, these are just some of the tools and resources and techniques.
That's what Six Sigma encompasses, to be able to help remove those defects and
those errors and also to improve efficiencies.
So are there examples that you can give that's maybe of businesses or any projects
that you would like to share that can bring out the context of how Six Sigma
(05:09):
help in increasing revenue?
Yeah, definitely. I mean, there are different ways with which businesses operate.
Of course, it's case by case because you could have a service business and you
could have sort of a manufacturing business as well.
And those have different requirements as well. So I'd use Motorola sort of as
an example, because obviously they spearheaded Six Sigma in the 1980s.
(05:30):
You can see they had sort of fierce competition during that time with the Japanese organizations.
And they had to do what they could sort of as an American company to be able
to sort of sustain business and sort of bring customer satisfaction to customers as well over there.
So they looked at sort of reducing their defects and their errors,
you know, across their production lines as well, and how they could also improve
(05:53):
customer satisfaction.
And sort of that's how Lean Six Sigma came about.
But you look at other companies as well, like, for example, American Express
as well that utilize this, because this is a good example, because they've got
the product, and they've also got the service. this.
So if you look at them as a case study, they had sort of credit cards and they
were having issues with dispute resolution, right?
(06:15):
And also complaints that come through with their credit cards.
So what they focused on was to improve customers and satisfaction by 20% and
to sort of reduce costs by about $30 million and also improve revenue by $100
million, you know, over time by using Six Sigma.
It's just trying to understand the needs and what's really critical to your customer, right?
(06:38):
So it's got a customer centric focus to it as well as improving the business.
Because first of all, if your products or your services have defects or errors,
or they are not fit for purpose, then customers can't sort of patronize your
business because it's not giving to them what they want out of the business.
And what you also have to realize that customers are very different.
So you can't box them into one to say these are their needs,
(07:00):
which is why some people explore opportunities like interviews.
Like focus groups, like speaking with the customer surveys to try and understand
what their needs are, because some people might have geographical needs.
And I'm sure sort of that's one of your pieces as well in trying to sort of
get to Halifax, you know, from where you are and also engage in clients,
right, to patronize business where you are as well.
(07:22):
For that, with some people, it might be pricing factors, right?
So and with some people, it might be quality and functionality.
So you'd have to sort of take the time to assess the customer's needs as well
and to see whether your services and products are are sort of giving them what
they need and if that's sort of critical to quality as well.
So how did American Express, how did they increase their revenue?
(07:43):
It's sort of assessing the pain point and the need, right?
So for them, it was dispute resolution was a constant problem with their credit
cards and also credit card activation.
So if you're able to sort of remove and streamline that process of credit card
activation, then automatically you've reduced costs already because you found a way to automate it.
(08:04):
For example, when maybe you would have had sort of queues with customers calling
lines to kind of activate that.
Now they can just do it sort of at their fingertips, right, where they can just
activate their cards when they get it.
And in terms of dispute resolution, it's trying to understand the core problem
of the disputes. Why are customers calling?
Why are customers engaging for disputes? What's the problem with the product that's driving that?
(08:27):
So it all comes back with the product of the credit card. What is a credit card
not doing that's causing the constant disputes that they have to focus a lot
of time and effort and resources on the resolution piece?
So they looked at sort of how that impacts their business and streamlining it
and reducing the costs by automating processes as well and giving customers
what they want by correcting the problem.
(08:49):
And then in the end, you end up getting more revenue because now they don't
have those pain points. Because you're looking at your pain points,
you're like, oh, no, I don't want an American Express because it comes to this
issue, that issue, that issue and that issue.
But if all these issues are raised, it's like, oh, I can't activate when I want
to. I get blockers when I'm here.
If you remove all those pain points, you're like, no, actually,
(09:10):
it's improved and it does meet my need now.
So I will patronize their business and I'll also spread the word about the business.
Right. So that's kind of how you increase revenue while sort of improving your
product efficiency as well in the process.
So it's promote engagement for customers.
And that's, of course, I get that. For a small business owner,
(09:33):
we'll probably just ask Google reviews where customers primarily engage with the business.
So how would a Six Sigma process help to promote customer engagement?
Because I found out that when customers are happy, they hardly go to Google to review.
(09:53):
But when they are displeased, then they go to Google and put a review there.
They would put a review if you ask them to put a review. And I'm talking from my experience.
But if you don't and they're happy, chances are they're not going to just go
to Google and say, I want to give a review, especially if your business is meeting expectations.
(10:16):
I have heard people that went to to Google to put a review when these customer
service blew their mind. They were just really happy.
But those are, I think those are outliers. Those are rare cases.
But in my business, I have found that.
Ordinarily, when people are just happy with the services we're providing, they don't do anything.
(10:38):
But when they are not happy, then they go and put a bad review on Google.
How can Six Sigma help in that case?
So in that case, what you're trying to do is make it easy for them to go on
Google to give you a review.
Do you have QR codes? Is Google prompting them to log in and put in usernames
and passwords before they can post on there?
(10:58):
You have to look at the blockers that are preventing them from going.
So if reviews are really good for your business and they propel,
of course, for any business, if you get testimonials, it's a good thing because
people sort of thrive and go by testimonials as well.
Then it's removing the blockers that's preventing them from going to do that.
And also, how can you prompt them with an automated process?
(11:20):
So do they scan a code and it just prompts them to say, hey,
give a quick review and give the timeline to say, oh, this is only going to take a minute?
Because sometimes if they think it's going to take a long time,
then it's a deterrence as well, right?
So you're trying to just use Lean Six Sigma to assess what the problem is.
Why don't customers automatically go there to try and give good reviews,
(11:41):
but bad reviews and then try and move sort of that blocker to just say,
how can I turn this around into an opportunity for where they give good reviews?
How can I incentivize them to give good reviews, you know, after they've got a good service?
These are all measures that you'll be looking at. So there will be your critical
factors, you know, that help your business in terms of that.
(12:04):
So that's how you can apply sort of Lean Six Sigma in such a situation or scenario.
I have experienced customers tell me, they scan a QR code in my store.
And they got a blockage. They don't go for that because Google was asking them to sign in.
So are there ways I can go around that? I hear, is that what I'm hearing?
(12:27):
And can you share how I can go around removing those blockages to make customers,
make it easier for them to give a review?
Yeah. So you can have your own testimonial portals, yes, where they just,
at the click of a button, they can just post a comment and it's done.
You make it easy for them to just type that and you transfer it to Google with
(12:49):
their permission to say every comment that you put on the portal for my business, I'd like to share on.
Is it okay? You could just put that as a prompt where they're putting the comments.
Could this review be shared on Google review?
It's just a tick. Yes. Once they've just posted their comment and you do that
background work of just posting it on Google with their name and however they've
(13:11):
put it just as in your phone.
And you do that legwork because you know that Google is blocking them from sort
of doing it by logging in and putting in there and people don't have time for
that. Time is of the essence.
So these are certain barriers that you can have a look at removing as well.
Then you need to look at the factors that you need to put in place, right?
The training, the resources that you need to set in the background to enable
(13:32):
them on this private portal of yours as well.
The good thing as well is it gives you control, right?
Tomorrow, if Google decided to remove Google reviews, your
reviews are gone but you've got it on your own portal that
you can keep and you can sort of utilize on your
websites as well with integration pieces and things like
that so that's sort of a quick way to
try and encourage them that's very useful lesley han i didn't know that before
(13:59):
so i've learned something new today so by porter do you mean my website yeah
okay you can have a Something they can't control, right?
Yes, exactly. Because it's within your means, right?
You can't control what Google does if they decide to take all your reviews down
or they decide to shut down your business page.
(14:21):
But for your website, you control it, you earn it. So you can always have that as well.
And you can promote it in your channels because obviously when you're promoting
Google reviews, you're also promoting Google.
But how can you promote your own business by using your own portal?
If they go and give a comment and they finish giving a comment
what's the next page that loads can they see offers as
soon as they've sort of completed it to say hey we saw that you
(14:43):
know you purchased this so this might be of use and that those are
promotion sort of mechanisms as well that you can use to get customers to sort
of purchase more from you or patronize your business more as well and also learn
about your business like do you know about us you know this is our timeline
just useful facts and fun facts you know that engage customers to sort of read
more and sort of interact with your website or any other sort of,
(15:06):
I guess, sales platforms that you may be using.
When we were chatting, just before we started recording, I was sharing with you.
This concept of Six Sigma, I started getting interested in it when I was studying
to qualify as a certified accountant in England.
(15:26):
And I said, I was reading Six Sigma.
I had done it in business school, but it didn't interest me as much as when
I studied it in performance management.
Management and I knew that
it was applicable because I was studying the
concept of you know structure rise declutter and
(15:47):
all those things and I was just sharing with you Leslie Han how I
thought I could apply that to the storage area
in my business where it would
be easier to move items from the
storage to the shelves and that would make it easier for the staff to do all
So I want us to talk a bit about that because we were just speaking just before
(16:09):
we started recording how it's easy for people to assume that Six Sigma is only
for manufacturing, you know, businesses.
But I know that it can be applied for, you know, it can be applied rather to
small businesses like my business.
So I want us to talk about that.
(16:29):
Okay. Yeah. In terms of Six Sigma can really be applied anywhere you want to apply it.
Even if you wanted to apply it for your daily use, you can.
It applies both. And there is that misconception that it only applies to sort
of manufacturing companies because they've got products and they've got the
likes of production lines.
It's easy to implement and to improve processes. But also it can be used for
(16:51):
service customers as well, because you're driving sort of results for your customers, right?
And you need to improve those results. And you also need to assess what your
customers are looking at.
So I guess I'll use the storage example in this sense.
If the storage is quite far from the shelf, for example, that's a lot of unnecessary motion. Right.
People are spending a lot of time. And I think I gave an example of the downtime,
(17:16):
the acronym downtime, and I sort of broke it down.
But this time, I'm just going to pick letters out of the downtime just to apply
it to the storage area, for example.
So if you're looking at sort of motion, a lot of movement, they're taking a
long distance to sort of come from the storage to the shelves.
And sometimes that can be time consuming when your customer is there and they
(17:37):
need something. So how can you position the storage so that it's as close to
the shelf as possible so there's less motion from people moving all across?
And also you have to consider hazards, right? While people are moving things
as well and sort of the pathway for them to get to the shelves as well,
first of all. You also have to look at waiting time as well.
Who's waiting around for all this to happen before they can do what they need to do as well?
(18:01):
Are there any dependencies on sort of what's being kept sort of in the storage
room as compared to what's going out on outside of the storage room in that instance as well?
And to be able to move it, are the people moving it the same people who are stacking the shelves?
Those are sort of things that you have to look at. And first of all,
in the storage room, are you keeping a lot of inventory in that storage room that you don't need?
(18:22):
Which in that case you know you've got a lot in there that's
just over production really you're just ordering a lot
and having sort of extra processing for those that you
don't need sort of in paying for that storage as
well to have all that there and the transportation right the
transportation to be able to move all these things when you
don't need it as well does just in time sort of help
(18:42):
your business or does having a sort of a set amount if you've
studied your customers do you need a set amount to sort of
be able to satisfy those customer needs and just bring in
that amount you know that you need and then replenish it
as in when you need that and to declutter that space
because you only have what you need and maybe a few extras
if need be and you studied your customer like that so you can sort of use it
(19:03):
in different ways if you know and i've just given you sort of a small fraction
just based on the storage room example over here the storage area closer to
where the items are needed i guess that will be when the architectural design
of the store is being done.
So for someone that's maybe renting a space and doesn't have control over the
(19:25):
position, the storage is already some distance to where the items are needed.
I want us to talk about the five S's and how a business owner can use those
five S's to arrange the storage area to make sure that work is being done efficiently.
(19:48):
Sure. Before we move on briefly to the 5S as well, there's just a quick example that I wanted to give.
Sephora have a very good example of when they're displaying their products,
but the shelves are under the products.
The way they've built their shelves, if they've run out on the display,
you only have to pull the drawer,
(20:08):
and then get the rest. And the way they arrange the drawer is exactly in line
with the display product.
So if you're looking at lipstick A, when you pull the drawer,
that lipstick A is aligned just under that display.
So you know that that's what you're looking for. If this is,
I don't know, face powder B, you pull it and then face powder B is in line with that.
(20:33):
So they don't have to go in the back storage to be able to
get you that because it's built into the shelf and you
know that as a customer so if you see that what you want is run
out of the shelf naturally you just pull that and then you know that you're
going to find it there so that's something that can be implemented as a quick
process that you don't even need them because you know where they keep them
and you can take it and just take it to the till and pay for it but so that's
(20:55):
very useful that's I remember I went to a store once and the owner was,
you know, gave me a tour and I went into the baker's kitchen and it was designed
in such a way that once the bakers finish baking.
They, in the kitchen, there's a shelf and they put the baking,
(21:18):
the baked goods in there and it automatically displays to customers on the other hand.
And I felt, oh, this is so good because it's different from how my store is.
Now, my store is an historical store. It was designed in 1950s or something.
(21:39):
So I appreciate that. For somebody that is looking to go into business and still
has control over design, these are some things to consider, right?
That will make the processes more efficient
and then reduce the cost and
ultimately that leads to better profits
(22:00):
for the business so it's very very very i
consider that very valuable to know yes and innovation as well even the one
you talked about sephora i'm just thinking as you were speaking i'm just thinking
oh that's a very good concept that one can apply given the right resources even
the shelves in my store right now We could do it because there's so much room.
(22:21):
You could still put some design in place such that when we run out of items on the shelf,
customers could still pull out a drawer and still there are some third items
in shelves that customers could access rather than the shelves just being empty.
So that's really useful. Yeah.
(22:43):
Okay. So coming back to the 5S question that you asked.
So the 5Ss that we've been through already is the first S is to sort,
the second S is to set, the third S is to shine,
the fourth S is to standardize, and the fifth S is to sustain. day.
So if you're looking at sorting, it's pretty much sorting out your space.
(23:08):
And I'll come back to the storage example again.
Yeah. Each place is just cluttered.
It's a hazard, first of all. Things are everywhere. People could trip.
People don't know where things are. So they spend a lot of time in that storage
room looking for things because things are not sorted out.
But if it's well labeled, like this is where, I don't know, fruit cans are, for example.
(23:30):
This is where bakery is, for example then they
know exactly where to go and if it's also
sorted by sizes then they know okay this is small
this is where small is kept this is where medium is kept and
this is where large will always be kept so the space has
automatically been decluttered so it can give sort of a clarity of mind first
of all to look for what you're looking for over there then setting things in
(23:54):
process as well setting that process where people know okay if you're looking
for this product is always going to be there and this is the process to get it to the shelf, right?
Everybody knows that that process is set in stone and that's what you do.
So you don't deviate from the process in terms of, oh, it's sorted.
I'm just going to get it and do it my own way. There are set processes in place
(24:16):
that you can use to do that as well.
Then you move that into the shine piece, which is keeping the place clean.
When the place is always clean, you'll be surprised how much it promotes productivity.
How much it actually just boosts an individual's motivation to go and look for
an item because they know that it's going to be very easy to find the item as soon as they go there.
(24:37):
They trust the process to know that it's always going to be there because it's
clean and it promotes them being able to find things as soon as possible.
And just standardizing processes as well. If there's one process for this,
another process for this, and another process.
There's too much thinking just to sort of get something from a storage.
(24:58):
But if things are standardized, like I said, to say this height of product is
here and it will always be small is always here, medium is always here, large is always here.
And if it's a heavy item, this is the standardized process to be able to get a heavy item.
And if something is on the top shelf, this is the standard item process to be
able to use to get to the top of the shelf.
(25:19):
So to ensure that you're safe and to ensure that you get the product and you
sort of come down as well, take that where you need to and then sustain it.
So that your employees, your people know that this is the way you work.
There's no other way. It's ingrained in their induction programs.
It's ingrained in their coaching methods and their hand guides and things like
(25:40):
that. So it's just part of the culture.
They can't think any way because that's how you started them off.
So it's sort of sustained in that sense that when you get a new employee and
the employee does it incorrectly, they're like, nope, that is not how we do
it here. We all follow this because it's sustained.
And as a leader, you've promoted that and got that collective commitment from
(26:01):
your employees to be able to do that as well.
Having that vested interest that their safety is secure and they're pulling
things well, and that they've been trained to lift heavy things properly,
you know, so that everyone can go home safe and also so that the customer can
get what they need, right?
And the products are also intact tech in the inventory room.
Today's kindness key is listen to your inner voice.
(26:23):
I believe there's an inner voice in us, like a gentle whisper.
Pay attention and listen to your inner voice.
You may need to be quiet and take moments to listen, and it can lead you to
peace and right actions, enhancing not only your life, but also those around you.
(26:44):
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Thanks very much. Let's talk about KPIs.
(27:06):
Sure. Key metrics. What are those key metrics that businesses should monitor,
when implementing this Six Sigma?
Bearing in mind that we want to increase revenue? It's kind of case by case
again, depending on the business.
So I don't want to say sort of set in stone, this is the KPI that every business
(27:26):
should use because that's why you have to define the problem in the first place
because that's going to lead you into the KPI.
Let's use my business as an example. I have a retail business.
So what kind of KPIs should I be looking at to implement Six Sigma to drive revenue growth?
Yes. So you'll be looking at things like, first of all, strategic indicators.
(27:50):
What are you looking to improve sort of as a leader?
Assessing your business, you spoke about a few things in terms of,
you know, how you want people to handle your storage, how you want people to
sort of, I guess, promote things on the shop floor, how you want things to be set on the shelf.
What is the strategic indicator over there?
What are you measuring at the strategic level to be able to keep these people
(28:12):
accountable, first of all?
Then you drive that down to the effectiveness of the staff.
When you're looking at effectiveness, are the processes that you've set in place
effective for them to do their daily work?
And are you going to put in any daily management KPIs as well to be able to
help them in terms of productivity, for example?
What are you expecting from them in terms of productivity? How do they measure productivity?
(28:36):
So you're looking at productivity indicators in those senses as well.
And if it's quality that you're looking at as well, because there's a certain
quality quality standard that your customers are looking for,
then you're going to look at qualitative indicators as well to be able to help you in that sense.
So you're really looking at the key process output and input variables as well.
Are there certain variables that are not useful for your business?
(28:57):
Do you need it set within a certain limit or threshold of variables to help your business propel?
So you have to look at all these sort of key indicators as well.
And as a leader, are your teammates as well or your group well trained?
And do they have the resources to be able to actually implement Six Sigma as well?
So it just depends on which dimension you're looking at it from.
(29:20):
You can see I approached it from a leadership level, which is from you,
what do you expect from them and what processes and what culture KPIs are you
going to put in place to ensure that they are following what you set for them?
From an employee perspective as well, you're looking at productivity as well.
How do you get them more productive?
Ask them, How do you make their work easier as well? Then from the customer
(29:40):
perspective, you're asking, what does the customer want to see?
What's important to them? So I've just looked at the three factors already,
how leadership can influence that KPI, how employees can influence that KPI,
and how the customer can influence that KPI as well.
So you're looking at all your stakeholders from a well-rounded approach like
that to look at whether it be capacity issues in your storage room,
(30:03):
for example, productivity issues with employees, you know, qualitative issues with customers.
Those are all different indicators that you can consider. Productivity seems like a big thing.
And I say that because I have opportunities to speak with other business owners.
And one thing that we usually struggle with is how do we,
(30:29):
especially for we that we have We
have retail businesses and we have staff that
are doing shift hours and we know that there are downtime and busy times and
the challenge is in terms of productivity is always because you can plan but
sometimes you can't predict when the downtime is going to happen.
(30:52):
And so, and for example, a staff in a retail store is in the store and there's downtime.
But that downtime wasn't emphasized. How do you put productivity measures in
place so that the staff is not just high due?
(31:12):
I do appreciate that there's some amount of high due time that promotes creativity.
You know, you don't expect staff to be on the move all the time.
There should be some reasonable amount of downtime. but I'm talking of excessive downtime and how out.
So that's always been, I wonder if you have any kind of tips to share there.
(31:38):
That's always been, and this is not just me. I have spoken with even more experienced
business people than me.
And it has always been an issue, especially for retail outlets with shift hours for the staff.
Okay in that sense how you can sort of i
(32:00):
guess try and remove that aspect is to
give them alternatives of things to do when there's downtime and instilling
that discipline that as soon as there's downtime you're sort of triggered to
do those things so i'll give you an example do you want to give me an example
to use or are you happy for me to just use something in the shopfront scenario, for example?
(32:21):
Go ahead, use an example, yeah.
If you're looking at a shopfront and you look at someone at a till,
it's very busy sort of and demanding because they're scanning items and sort
of answering questions from customers.
But when there's downtime and there's no one at the till, what does the till look like?
Is it cluttered? Because people picked items and said, I don't need these items anymore.
(32:46):
In that case, do they have a trolley behind them where
they can store away those things that they've
had to keep at the till because people a lot of people come to the till and
change their mind right or they just go no this is too pricey I don't want it
anymore but because the person at the till is still serving they can't just
leave serving and say I'm going to put it on the shelf and come back they keep
(33:07):
it around them so naturally.
It's getting cluttered around them. So when it's downtime, how can they start decluttering?
Are you putting a trolley behind them where they can sort of arrange this because
they know that someone else is going to come and pick the trolley and put it
back sort of on the shelf, for example.
Then in that case, you've ingrained that shine piece to them to say your till
(33:29):
area must always look clean.
So when there's downtime, you engage in this activity.
If someone sort of is on the the shelf area where in busy periods,
customers asking questions and they're replenishing shelves and everything.
If there's downtime, what can they do in the storage room? How can they improve
the storage room, for example?
And you need to also give them time for focus time as well.
(33:51):
So if others are outside, how can others also spend time inside brainstorming ideas?
Because if you don't have that room to think, it's very difficult to do continuous improvement.
So you can split them to say team A is always outside on this time.
Team B, if you're inside, you can spend some of that time with focused time
planning and brainstorming for next ideas and also that.
(34:14):
And you put that on them to say, I want 10% improvement in this area by the end of the month.
There's this really good video for continuous improvement where there was this
grocery shop where it was just cluttered and this store manager was really doing well.
He was actually a high-performing store manager but this big
store was just not doing well so they
(34:35):
decided to move him over there and he
really struggled at first when he got there and I'll
send you the link for the video if you sort of wanted to post that
for people to see as well because I do yeah that would be very useful and I
can put it on show notes of the podcast as well thank you sure and it started
with him getting to the car park in the morning the trolleys were everywhere
(34:58):
when their usual parking spots,
I guess, or designated places for the trolleys, but customers will not return
the trolleys back to where they were because there was no motivation.
The car park was dirty. There was food all over the place, you know,
trash all over the place.
It didn't even promote or encourage the customer to finish with their trolley
and put them at the designated stations for them to return their trolley.
(35:22):
So every morning when he came to work, he had to.
Kind of regroup the trolleys and everything and put them at the designated spot
and try and get someone to clean the car park.
If this is ingrained in your staff's culture, when they come to work as well
and they see that the car park is this dirty, they would do something about
it because it's just part of them.
And they would sort of encourage customers to put trolleys back where they were.
(35:45):
Now, when you went actually into the store, you would have sort of things spill
on the floor and staff sort of tripping over.
He tripped over it himself, you know, because no one's motivated to be like, I own this too.
It's not just my leader's shop. I have a stake in this as well.
So it's my duty to clean that spill just so that somebody doesn't fall.
(36:05):
Then he went to the meat department. The meat was stacked anyhow.
Customers who just passed by the meat area and it doesn't look attractive.
So they don't want to buy the meat. So sales were going down.
Then he went to the bakery.
The woman was complaining that she's the only one every single time.
She's overworked. She's stressed and she has to come in early in the morning
to ensure that the bread and all the pastries are ready.
(36:28):
She feels overburdened and her talent is underutilized because she's actually
a senior staff that can do creative things with the bread.
But she's not being allowed to do creative things with the bread because she's
focusing on all this time that she's pulling here and pulling there.
And the powder is everywhere.
Even her appearance doesn't look good because she's got powder all over,
baking powder all over her. hair.
(36:48):
So different departments had different issues.
And he was neglecting the fact that he's coming every morning to say,
why does the car park look like this?
I've told you so many times, put the trolley back clean.
And he's neglecting the fact that the meat is like, the display is not good.
So people are not buying it.
And then the seafood is all over the place as well. And it smells,
(37:11):
you know, so people are not encouraged.
When he took the time to say, I need to start with He said, okay,
we're going to have an away day as a group.
And we're going to regroup and discuss what the problem is. He began to unpack
the problem because he started with the foundation, the culture,
the people who are supposed to be the face of the customers.
And they said that, like I said, with the bakery woman, she was stressed and
(37:34):
she couldn't do other things to keep the bakery area neat or be creative with
baked products because she was just under stress.
So she needed an assistant to be able to help her, first of all.
That's her issue. issue secondly the meat department as
well he knew there was an issue with the displays but he
wasn't getting buy-in from management or he didn't think management cared
about his department after all he's just a little butcher over
(37:57):
there who listens to a little butcher but when he felt head the ideas he brought
about with how to improve the display area for the meat that customers were
encouraged he even brought sales mechanisms to say hey we can put this on offer
and people are gonna buy it he could also say people usually buy this meat and
this meat together so if we can and position them together,
then, you know, you encourage bulk buying, you know, because people are buying
(38:20):
like, you know, the two together as well.
And the, those who had the spillages on the floor, it's like, you own this too.
You have a stake in this business. How would you feel if your family member
came and tripped on that water on the floor?
Then it drove it home to say, I have a sense of responsibility for these people.
It is my duty to ensure that it's clean and it's a safe safe environment.
(38:42):
And after he had that brainstorm meeting, the shop began to look cleaner.
People had more sense of responsibility, that they were cared about,
that their voices were heard, and more customers were purchasing.
So this is just a quick example of a long video that's going to take you through it.
But when you can really visualize how that happened, when he took the time to
(39:03):
say, I'm going to improve it myself.
I come in the morning, I put the trolleys around. You can't don't do that forever.
You need help. You need to delegate. You need to ingrain it in the culture of
people so they can do that.
He started realizing improvement and he didn't have to say a word.
People started doing things and naturally customers felt comfortable in that
environment. So they started patronizing the shop more.
(39:24):
So this is a very snappy example of using Lean Six Sigma in your everyday sort
of retail industry as well, especially with grocery.
Yeah. Oh, that's amazing, Lesley-Anne.
That's really amazing. I picked some things because one of the things that usually
bothers me is how do you motivate cashiers,
(39:49):
for example, store attendants?
Sometimes they feel they don't own the business. How do you motivate them to do things?
A lot of business people in meetings have told me when they are not there,
their staff don't do anything.
So how do you motivate your staff to feel that this is, they have a stake in this as well?
(40:13):
So a lot came out from what you said, but if you'd like to share one or two
tips as well in that regard, because as well, I picked a way day and I think
I'm just going to do it. I've been trying.
I've read wonderful stories and experiences, results of people that took their
staff on a way day, even small businesses that you will think,
(40:36):
oh, I can't close the store.
For example, I read a case of a chef that took his staff on a way day for three
months and they had never done that before. And it's a small business.
And they came back and the business was, wow.
It took time away to really go and engage the staff and be outside of the abnormal place of business.
(41:01):
So I took that from what you said. So anyway, quickly, what comes to your mind?
And that's a really big problem that I hear of how do you motivate store attendants
to do things without you telling them all the time?
So there's a motto that we use on my workplace called run it like you own it.
(41:23):
And this is just encouraging people to say, I own a stake in this.
It may not be that you have shares. Some companies give, you know,
the employees small shares as part of their, I guess, credits or the bonuses and things like that.
But not all organizations have that luxury.
So you can give them incentives like wow points, give them incentives like gift cards, right?
(41:48):
You run it like you own it. And so you get this back because this is what you did for the business.
And when they run it like their own, not forgetting that they were part of that effort.
So you have to reward that effort as well so that you encourage that.
And I like using stories. So forgive me, I'm going to go through another one very quickly.
It was the founders of the company that I work for currently.
(42:10):
They had sort of horses, sort of back then when there were horses and carts,
you know, doing work and everything. thing.
They'd buy the horses and they'll come and find out that people weren't taking
care of the horses. The horses were dying.
The horses were ill. In some aspects, they were being overworked and also they
weren't being watered and fed in the way that they should be.
So what they did is, I give you this horse and you're working to pay for the horse.
(42:36):
So everything that comes out of it, you're going to own this horse at the end. So picture that.
The next time they came back, these horses were well fed, you know,
they had the water and because they're paying for the horse at the end,
they know that if, for example, it takes one year to pay for the horse, the horse is theirs.
And if the horse dies, that's a huge investment they've just lost.
So because they were working, you know, to pay for the horse at the end,
(42:58):
they knew that this is my possession.
This is my property. I have to take care of it. They started taking care of
the horses, feeding them, giving them the right breaks, you know,
taking care of them, you know, taking them to the vet when required and everything,
because they had that mentality now of running it like they own it.
So I think that's sort of what our advice in that sense is to sort of use training
to actually get them to understand and buy in that run it like you own it mentality
(43:24):
and actually give them incentives as well when they do things.
Like I think some of the leaders invest in celebrating the small wins.
When you don't celebrate the small successes and wins, people think it doesn't matter.
But when you start to celebrate those and you start to incentivize that,
you'll be surprised how you just change the culture and how people think about things.
(43:45):
So that's sort of an example of what can be used in that scenario.
Yeah, that's useful. Training, the example of the hers, just having that culture
and making it part of the core value of the business.
I guess sometimes Sometimes having an external person home.
(44:05):
Train your staff could actually be
useful as well because sometimes when they hear it from
the same leader over the same the
body when they hear it from an external person and i talk from experience in
my former place of work it kind of maybe kind of gives it more credibility if
you like when an external person comes to train yes that's really valuable yes you can also practice
(44:31):
benchmarking right where you take them
to places that are doing it right so that they can see
for themselves to say how is this retail store
so magnificent and the customers are polite people are polite how did they get
here and so that they can hear it from those who are doing it well so they can
say i can see i've seen that it's been done well so i'm capable of doing it
(44:55):
well and And this is how it's been done properly as well.
So you can utilize. Benchmarking. I guess, yeah.
Yeah, and benchmarking would have to be, of course, a business that is not your direct competitor.
Oh yeah, you'd be surprised. You'd actually be surprised how open people like that are.
Because, you know, you have to
help each other in business and you have to bring each other up as well.
(45:18):
So even if it's another grocery store, another production line or manufacturing
line, they're usually open for you to come and ask questions.
So long as you are also open for them to come and
see and also ask questions and that at some point
collaboration helps a lot and you move away
from that competition piece because you all want something
as an industry you all want to get somewhere as an
(45:39):
industry so there's a fine line between what you're
looking for you know if it's that you know you're coming to sort
of capitalize on things that you're doing then maybe
not and they might not be as friendly but if you're
trying to look at practices sort of that helps them improve most
businesses tend to be very open to that you'll be
surprised it's just that most people don't ask because they just
(45:59):
assume i'm a competitor so and they're not going to
be willing and happy for me to do that but you will really be surprised if you
probe and find out yeah because they want to do well and they want you if you're
not in their area as well you're not right next door right you're coming all
the way from a different area and you just want to know how things are you are
acknowledging how well they're doing as well.
(46:20):
So they're happy to share and say, yes, I want you to improve there.
And you know what? Maybe, you know, we could have a joint franchise partnership.
You never know what comes out of that. Sure, you never know.
There may be a chance for a bigger thing there.
And like you said, collaboration is really beautiful.
When we collaborate as business people, I have a beautiful conversation.
(46:43):
I could discuss this all day because it applies, you know, and thank you so
much for sharing your insights with us on this show today.
We have a tradition of, we usually like to ask our guests what you would like
to learn next, because a very key belief on this show is continuous learning and connections.
(47:05):
So if I can ask you a listening hand, what would you like to learn next?
Wow. Okay. Maybe like a black belt in Lean Sigma because currently I've done
my yellow belt and completing the green belt as well.
So I'd like to move on to the black belt and of course go into the master belt as well.
So this is kind of what I'm looking forward to learning as well,
(47:27):
to be able to coach other businesses as well.
Because it's my passion to sort of bring other businesses in and help improve
other businesses as well, where they might not even have heard of Lean Six Sigma,
where it could just help alleviate some of the challenges that they are having.
So that's what I'd like to learn next.
So Black Belt is, of course, superior. Does the Black Belt make you a coach?
(47:50):
Yes, it does. And it also puts you on complex, really complex programs and projects as well.
So it's just a step higher from the Green Belt. It's just using the foundation
from the green belt, but applying it on a larger scale and being able to coach
others to be more effective in that too.
Wow. I think that's going to be very useful for businesses. So by all means,
(48:11):
take this as a sign for you to go and do it.
Music.
Thanks for listening. Hopefully that added value to you. I do like to say that
the show aims to highlight broad business patterns that are considered same as ever.
(48:31):
However, I also acknowledge that personal circumstances may differ.
So please apply the lessons in line with your context and seek professional
guidance as may be applicable to your business.
Until next episode, please do share the show so value is added to others as well.
And remember, let's continue to learn together and be encouraged to keep on connecting.
(48:54):
Music.
So you can have your own testimonial portals, yes, where they just,
at the click of a button, they can just post a comment and it's done.
You make it easy for them to just type that and you transfer it to Google with
their permission to say every comment that you put on the portal for my business, I'd like to share on.
Is it okay? You could just put that as a prompt where they're putting the comments.
(00:22):
Could this review be shared on Google review?
It's just a tick. Yes. Once they've just posted their comment and you do that
background work of just posting it on Google with their name and however they've
put it, just as in your phone.
And you do that legwork because you know that Google is blocking them from sort
of doing it by logging in and putting in there and people don't have time for
(00:43):
that. Time is of the essence.
This is really good video for continuous improvement where there was this grocery
shop where it was just cluttered and this store manager was really doing well.
He was actually a high-performing store manager.
But this big store was just not doing well.
So they decided to move him over there. And he really struggled at first when he got there.
(01:05):
When he took the time to say, I'm going to improve it myself.
I come in the morning, I put the trolleys around. You can't do that forever.
You need help. You need to delegate. You need to ingrain it in the culture of
people so they can do that. He started realizing improvement and he didn't have to say a word.
People started doing things. and naturally customers felt comfortable in that
environment so they started patronizing the shop more.
(01:26):
Are you starting a small business or buying an existing business?
This podcast, Small Business Startup School, shares perspectives using the psychology
of retail and financial awareness all with a reasonable dose of optimism.
The show promises to give startup solopreneurs insightful strategies strategies,
and practical solutions that support the mindset to execute business projects.
(01:52):
My name is Ola Williams, your host on the show. I encourage you to join us to
learn with positivity and great exchange of ideas.
Music.
(02:13):
In today's competitive business landscape, small businesses are constantly seeking
innovative strategies to increase their revenue.
One such methodology that has gained significant traction in recent years is Six Sigma.
Originally developed by Motorola in the 1980s, Six Sigma has evolved into a
(02:33):
powerful framework for process improvement and optimization,
with applications spanning across various industries.
In this podcast titled Boost Revenue Using Six Sigma, I'm joined by Leslie Han
George, a Lean Six Sigma Certification Greenbelt.
Leslie Han is a Certified Project Management Professional, and we explored how
(02:57):
small businesses can use Six Sigma methodologies to increase revenue.
I invite you to join us. Don't go anywhere, and we'll be right back.
Music.
(03:20):
Hello, Lesley-Anne. So glad for you to join me today. Let's meet you. Who is Lesley-Anne?
So hi, all. Lesley-Anne is a project management professional in engineering
and tech, and also the founder of EL Empire,
which is a professional services company that caters to academic,
(03:41):
business and career development needs of individuals and institutions as well.
So we call them our ABs, Bs and Cs. So I'm the author of Elevate Your Essay Writing Skills.
And that's just a book to help with academic and professional writing for students
and also professionals alike.
So yeah, it's just helping them to be able to articulate themselves as well,
(04:02):
especially in a corporate environment as well.
When you need to be able to showcase ideas and things like that,
it just helps you to portray yourself better.
In a nutshell, that's what Elevate Your Essay Writing Skills is about.
And it's on Amazon. So if anyone's looking for it. So Six Sigma,
that's what we're talking about today.
What does it mean? So really, Six Sigma is really trying to get the best out
(04:25):
of your company, really.
You're trying to just set processes in place so that you get efficiency going
and effect effectiveness as well, and removing the likes of defects to allow
for operational excellence.
So that's the key core of what Six Sigma is really, trying to remove those barriers
as well and those blockers that do not help businesses to propel forward.
(04:46):
So yeah, these are just some of the tools and resources and techniques.
That's what Six Sigma encompasses, to be able to help remove those defects and
those errors and also to improve efficiencies.
So are there examples that you can give that's maybe of businesses or any projects
that you would like to share that can bring out the context of how Six Sigma
(05:09):
help in increasing revenue?
Yeah, definitely. I mean, there are different ways with which businesses operate.
Of course, it's case by case because you could have a service business and you
could have sort of a manufacturing business as well.
And those have different requirements as well. So I'd use Motorola sort of as
an example, because obviously they spearheaded Six Sigma in the 1980s.
(05:30):
You can see they had sort of fierce competition during that time with the Japanese organizations.
And they had to do what they could sort of as an American company to be able
to sort of sustain business and sort of bring customer satisfaction to customers as well over there.
So they looked at sort of reducing their defects and their errors,
you know, across their production lines as well, and how they could also improve
(05:53):
customer satisfaction.
And sort of that's how Lean Six Sigma came about.
But you look at other companies as well, like, for example, American Express
as well that utilize this, because this is a good example, because they've got
the product, and they've also got the service. this.
So if you look at them as a case study, they had sort of credit cards and they
were having issues with dispute resolution, right?
(06:15):
And also complaints that come through with their credit cards.
So what they focused on was to improve customers and satisfaction by 20% and
to sort of reduce costs by about $30 million and also improve revenue by $100
million, you know, over time by using Six Sigma.
It's just trying to understand the needs and what's really critical to your customer, right?
(06:38):
So it's got a customer centric focus to it as well as improving the business.
Because first of all, if your products or your services have defects or errors,
or they are not fit for purpose, then customers can't sort of patronize your
business because it's not giving to them what they want out of the business.
And what you also have to realize that customers are very different.
So you can't box them into one to say these are their needs,
(07:00):
which is why some people explore opportunities like interviews.
Like focus groups, like speaking with the customer surveys to try and understand
what their needs are, because some people might have geographical needs.
And I'm sure sort of that's one of your pieces as well in trying to sort of
get to Halifax, you know, from where you are and also engage in clients,
right, to patronize business where you are as well.
(07:22):
For that, with some people, it might be pricing factors, right?
So and with some people, it might be quality and functionality.
So you'd have to sort of take the time to assess the customer's needs as well
and to see whether your services and products are are sort of giving them what
they need and if that's sort of critical to quality as well.
So how did American Express, how did they increase their revenue?
(07:43):
It's sort of assessing the pain point and the need, right?
So for them, it was dispute resolution was a constant problem with their credit
cards and also credit card activation.
So if you're able to sort of remove and streamline that process of credit card
activation, then automatically you've reduced costs already because you found a way to automate it.
(08:04):
For example, when maybe you would have had sort of queues with customers calling
lines to kind of activate that.
Now they can just do it sort of at their fingertips, right, where they can just
activate their cards when they get it.
And in terms of dispute resolution, it's trying to understand the core problem
of the disputes. Why are customers calling?
Why are customers engaging for disputes? What's the problem with the product that's driving that?
(08:27):
So it all comes back with the product of the credit card. What is a credit card
not doing that's causing the constant disputes that they have to focus a lot
of time and effort and resources on the resolution piece?
So they looked at sort of how that impacts their business and streamlining it
and reducing the costs by automating processes as well and giving customers
what they want by correcting the problem.
(08:49):
And then in the end, you end up getting more revenue because now they don't
have those pain points. Because you're looking at your pain points,
you're like, oh, no, I don't want an American Express because it comes to this
issue, that issue, that issue and that issue.
But if all these issues are raised, it's like, oh, I can't activate when I want
to. I get blockers when I'm here.
If you remove all those pain points, you're like, no, actually,
(09:10):
it's improved and it does meet my need now.
So I will patronize their business and I'll also spread the word about the business.
Right. So that's kind of how you increase revenue while sort of improving your
product efficiency as well in the process.
So it's promote engagement for customers.
And that's, of course, I get that. For a small business owner,
(09:33):
we'll probably just ask Google reviews where customers primarily engage with the business.
So how would a Six Sigma process help to promote customer engagement?
Because I found out that when customers are happy, they hardly go to Google to review.
(09:53):
But when they are displeased, then they go to Google and put a review there.
They would put a review if you ask them to put a review. And I'm talking from my experience.
But if you don't and they're happy, chances are they're not going to just go
to Google and say, I want to give a review, especially if your business is meeting expectations.
(10:16):
I have heard people that went to to Google to put a review when these customer
service blew their mind. They were just really happy.
But those are, I think those are outliers. Those are rare cases.
But in my business, I have found that.
Ordinarily, when people are just happy with the services we're providing, they don't do anything.
(10:38):
But when they are not happy, then they go and put a bad review on Google.
How can Six Sigma help in that case?
So in that case, what you're trying to do is make it easy for them to go on
Google to give you a review.
Do you have QR codes? Is Google prompting them to log in and put in usernames
and passwords before they can post on there?
(10:58):
You have to look at the blockers that are preventing them from going.
So if reviews are really good for your business and they propel,
of course, for any business, if you get testimonials, it's a good thing because
people sort of thrive and go by testimonials as well.
Then it's removing the blockers that's preventing them from going to do that.
And also, how can you prompt them with an automated process?
(11:20):
So do they scan a code and it just prompts them to say, hey,
give a quick review and give the timeline to say, oh, this is only going to take a minute?
Because sometimes if they think it's going to take a long time,
then it's a deterrence as well, right?
So you're trying to just use Lean Six Sigma to assess what the problem is.
Why don't customers automatically go there to try and give good reviews,
(11:41):
but bad reviews and then try and move sort of that blocker to just say,
how can I turn this around into an opportunity for where they give good reviews?
How can I incentivize them to give good reviews, you know, after they've got a good service?
These are all measures that you'll be looking at. So there will be your critical
factors, you know, that help your business in terms of that.
(12:04):
So that's how you can apply sort of Lean Six Sigma in such a situation or scenario.
I have experienced customers tell me, they scan a QR code in my store.
And they got a blockage. They don't go for that because Google was asking them to sign in.
So are there ways I can go around that? I hear, is that what I'm hearing?
(12:27):
And can you share how I can go around removing those blockages to make customers,
make it easier for them to give a review?
Yeah. So you can have your own testimonial portals, yes, where they just,
at the click of a button, they can just post a comment and it's done.
You make it easy for them to just type that and you transfer it to Google with
(12:49):
their permission to say every comment that you put on the portal for my business, I'd like to share on.
Is it okay? You could just put that as a prompt where they're putting the comments.
Could this review be shared on Google review?
It's just a tick. Yes. Once they've just posted their comment and you do that
background work of just posting it on Google with their name and however they've
(13:11):
put it just as in your phone.
And you do that legwork because you know that Google is blocking them from sort
of doing it by logging in and putting in there and people don't have time for
that. Time is of the essence.
So these are certain barriers that you can have a look at removing as well.
Then you need to look at the factors that you need to put in place, right?
The training, the resources that you need to set in the background to enable
(13:32):
them on this private portal of yours as well.
The good thing as well is it gives you control, right?
Tomorrow, if Google decided to remove Google reviews, your
reviews are gone but you've got it on your own portal that
you can keep and you can sort of utilize on your
websites as well with integration pieces and things like
that so that's sort of a quick way to
try and encourage them that's very useful lesley han i didn't know that before
(13:59):
so i've learned something new today so by porter do you mean my website yeah
okay you can have a Something they can't control, right?
Yes, exactly. Because it's within your means, right?
You can't control what Google does if they decide to take all your reviews down
or they decide to shut down your business page.
(14:21):
But for your website, you control it, you earn it. So you can always have that as well.
And you can promote it in your channels because obviously when you're promoting
Google reviews, you're also promoting Google.
But how can you promote your own business by using your own portal?
If they go and give a comment and they finish giving a comment
what's the next page that loads can they see offers as
soon as they've sort of completed it to say hey we saw that you
(14:43):
know you purchased this so this might be of use and that those are
promotion sort of mechanisms as well that you can use to get customers to sort
of purchase more from you or patronize your business more as well and also learn
about your business like do you know about us you know this is our timeline
just useful facts and fun facts you know that engage customers to sort of read
more and sort of interact with your website or any other sort of,
(15:06):
I guess, sales platforms that you may be using.
When we were chatting, just before we started recording, I was sharing with you.
This concept of Six Sigma, I started getting interested in it when I was studying
to qualify as a certified accountant in England.
(15:26):
And I said, I was reading Six Sigma.
I had done it in business school, but it didn't interest me as much as when
I studied it in performance management.
Management and I knew that
it was applicable because I was studying the
concept of you know structure rise declutter and
(15:47):
all those things and I was just sharing with you Leslie Han how I
thought I could apply that to the storage area
in my business where it would
be easier to move items from the
storage to the shelves and that would make it easier for the staff to do all
So I want us to talk a bit about that because we were just speaking just before
(16:09):
we started recording how it's easy for people to assume that Six Sigma is only
for manufacturing, you know, businesses.
But I know that it can be applied for, you know, it can be applied rather to
small businesses like my business.
So I want us to talk about that.
(16:29):
Okay. Yeah. In terms of Six Sigma can really be applied anywhere you want to apply it.
Even if you wanted to apply it for your daily use, you can.
It applies both. And there is that misconception that it only applies to sort
of manufacturing companies because they've got products and they've got the
likes of production lines.
It's easy to implement and to improve processes. But also it can be used for
(16:51):
service customers as well, because you're driving sort of results for your customers, right?
And you need to improve those results. And you also need to assess what your
customers are looking at.
So I guess I'll use the storage example in this sense.
If the storage is quite far from the shelf, for example, that's a lot of unnecessary motion. Right.
People are spending a lot of time. And I think I gave an example of the downtime,
(17:16):
the acronym downtime, and I sort of broke it down.
But this time, I'm just going to pick letters out of the downtime just to apply
it to the storage area, for example.
So if you're looking at sort of motion, a lot of movement, they're taking a
long distance to sort of come from the storage to the shelves.
And sometimes that can be time consuming when your customer is there and they
(17:37):
need something. So how can you position the storage so that it's as close to
the shelf as possible so there's less motion from people moving all across?
And also you have to consider hazards, right? While people are moving things
as well and sort of the pathway for them to get to the shelves as well,
first of all. You also have to look at waiting time as well.
Who's waiting around for all this to happen before they can do what they need to do as well?
(18:01):
Are there any dependencies on sort of what's being kept sort of in the storage
room as compared to what's going out on outside of the storage room in that instance as well?
And to be able to move it, are the people moving it the same people who are stacking the shelves?
Those are sort of things that you have to look at. And first of all,
in the storage room, are you keeping a lot of inventory in that storage room that you don't need?
(18:22):
Which in that case you know you've got a lot in there that's
just over production really you're just ordering a lot
and having sort of extra processing for those that you
don't need sort of in paying for that storage as
well to have all that there and the transportation right the
transportation to be able to move all these things when you
don't need it as well does just in time sort of help
(18:42):
your business or does having a sort of a set amount if you've
studied your customers do you need a set amount to sort of
be able to satisfy those customer needs and just bring in
that amount you know that you need and then replenish it
as in when you need that and to declutter that space
because you only have what you need and maybe a few extras
if need be and you studied your customer like that so you can sort of use it
(19:03):
in different ways if you know and i've just given you sort of a small fraction
just based on the storage room example over here the storage area closer to
where the items are needed i guess that will be when the architectural design
of the store is being done.
So for someone that's maybe renting a space and doesn't have control over the
(19:25):
position, the storage is already some distance to where the items are needed.
I want us to talk about the five S's and how a business owner can use those
five S's to arrange the storage area to make sure that work is being done efficiently.
(19:48):
Sure. Before we move on briefly to the 5S as well, there's just a quick example that I wanted to give.
Sephora have a very good example of when they're displaying their products,
but the shelves are under the products.
The way they've built their shelves, if they've run out on the display,
you only have to pull the drawer,
(20:08):
and then get the rest. And the way they arrange the drawer is exactly in line
with the display product.
So if you're looking at lipstick A, when you pull the drawer,
that lipstick A is aligned just under that display.
So you know that that's what you're looking for. If this is,
I don't know, face powder B, you pull it and then face powder B is in line with that.
(20:33):
So they don't have to go in the back storage to be able to
get you that because it's built into the shelf and you
know that as a customer so if you see that what you want is run
out of the shelf naturally you just pull that and then you know that you're
going to find it there so that's something that can be implemented as a quick
process that you don't even need them because you know where they keep them
and you can take it and just take it to the till and pay for it but so that's
(20:55):
very useful that's I remember I went to a store once and the owner was,
you know, gave me a tour and I went into the baker's kitchen and it was designed
in such a way that once the bakers finish baking.
They, in the kitchen, there's a shelf and they put the baking,
(21:18):
the baked goods in there and it automatically displays to customers on the other hand.
And I felt, oh, this is so good because it's different from how my store is.
Now, my store is an historical store. It was designed in 1950s or something.
(21:39):
So I appreciate that. For somebody that is looking to go into business and still
has control over design, these are some things to consider, right?
That will make the processes more efficient
and then reduce the cost and
ultimately that leads to better profits
(22:00):
for the business so it's very very very i
consider that very valuable to know yes and innovation as well even the one
you talked about sephora i'm just thinking as you were speaking i'm just thinking
oh that's a very good concept that one can apply given the right resources even
the shelves in my store right now We could do it because there's so much room.
(22:21):
You could still put some design in place such that when we run out of items on the shelf,
customers could still pull out a drawer and still there are some third items
in shelves that customers could access rather than the shelves just being empty.
So that's really useful. Yeah.
(22:43):
Okay. So coming back to the 5S question that you asked.
So the 5Ss that we've been through already is the first S is to sort,
the second S is to set, the third S is to shine,
the fourth S is to standardize, and the fifth S is to sustain. day.
So if you're looking at sorting, it's pretty much sorting out your space.
(23:08):
And I'll come back to the storage example again.
Yeah. Each place is just cluttered.
It's a hazard, first of all. Things are everywhere. People could trip.
People don't know where things are. So they spend a lot of time in that storage
room looking for things because things are not sorted out.
But if it's well labeled, like this is where, I don't know, fruit cans are, for example.
(23:30):
This is where bakery is, for example then they
know exactly where to go and if it's also
sorted by sizes then they know okay this is small
this is where small is kept this is where medium is kept and
this is where large will always be kept so the space has
automatically been decluttered so it can give sort of a clarity of mind first
of all to look for what you're looking for over there then setting things in
(23:54):
process as well setting that process where people know okay if you're looking
for this product is always going to be there and this is the process to get it to the shelf, right?
Everybody knows that that process is set in stone and that's what you do.
So you don't deviate from the process in terms of, oh, it's sorted.
I'm just going to get it and do it my own way. There are set processes in place
(24:16):
that you can use to do that as well.
Then you move that into the shine piece, which is keeping the place clean.
When the place is always clean, you'll be surprised how much it promotes productivity.
How much it actually just boosts an individual's motivation to go and look for
an item because they know that it's going to be very easy to find the item as soon as they go there.
(24:37):
They trust the process to know that it's always going to be there because it's
clean and it promotes them being able to find things as soon as possible.
And just standardizing processes as well. If there's one process for this,
another process for this, and another process.
There's too much thinking just to sort of get something from a storage.
(24:58):
But if things are standardized, like I said, to say this height of product is
here and it will always be small is always here, medium is always here, large is always here.
And if it's a heavy item, this is the standardized process to be able to get a heavy item.
And if something is on the top shelf, this is the standard item process to be
able to use to get to the top of the shelf.
(25:19):
So to ensure that you're safe and to ensure that you get the product and you
sort of come down as well, take that where you need to and then sustain it.
So that your employees, your people know that this is the way you work.
There's no other way. It's ingrained in their induction programs.
It's ingrained in their coaching methods and their hand guides and things like
(25:40):
that. So it's just part of the culture.
They can't think any way because that's how you started them off.
So it's sort of sustained in that sense that when you get a new employee and
the employee does it incorrectly, they're like, nope, that is not how we do
it here. We all follow this because it's sustained.
And as a leader, you've promoted that and got that collective commitment from
(26:01):
your employees to be able to do that as well.
Having that vested interest that their safety is secure and they're pulling
things well, and that they've been trained to lift heavy things properly,
you know, so that everyone can go home safe and also so that the customer can
get what they need, right?
And the products are also intact tech in the inventory room.
Today's kindness key is listen to your inner voice.
(26:23):
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Pay attention and listen to your inner voice.
You may need to be quiet and take moments to listen, and it can lead you to
peace and right actions, enhancing not only your life, but also those around you.
(26:44):
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Thanks very much. Let's talk about KPIs.
(27:06):
Sure. Key metrics. What are those key metrics that businesses should monitor,
when implementing this Six Sigma?
Bearing in mind that we want to increase revenue? It's kind of case by case
again, depending on the business.
So I don't want to say sort of set in stone, this is the KPI that every business
(27:26):
should use because that's why you have to define the problem in the first place
because that's going to lead you into the KPI.
Let's use my business as an example. I have a retail business.
So what kind of KPIs should I be looking at to implement Six Sigma to drive revenue growth?
Yes. So you'll be looking at things like, first of all, strategic indicators.
(27:50):
What are you looking to improve sort of as a leader?
Assessing your business, you spoke about a few things in terms of,
you know, how you want people to handle your storage, how you want people to
sort of, I guess, promote things on the shop floor, how you want things to be set on the shelf.
What is the strategic indicator over there?
What are you measuring at the strategic level to be able to keep these people
(28:12):
accountable, first of all?
Then you drive that down to the effectiveness of the staff.
When you're looking at effectiveness, are the processes that you've set in place
effective for them to do their daily work?
And are you going to put in any daily management KPIs as well to be able to
help them in terms of productivity, for example?
What are you expecting from them in terms of productivity? How do they measure productivity?
(28:36):
So you're looking at productivity indicators in those senses as well.
And if it's quality that you're looking at as well, because there's a certain
quality quality standard that your customers are looking for,
then you're going to look at qualitative indicators as well to be able to help you in that sense.
So you're really looking at the key process output and input variables as well.
Are there certain variables that are not useful for your business?
(28:57):
Do you need it set within a certain limit or threshold of variables to help your business propel?
So you have to look at all these sort of key indicators as well.
And as a leader, are your teammates as well or your group well trained?
And do they have the resources to be able to actually implement Six Sigma as well?
So it just depends on which dimension you're looking at it from.
(29:20):
You can see I approached it from a leadership level, which is from you,
what do you expect from them and what processes and what culture KPIs are you
going to put in place to ensure that they are following what you set for them?
From an employee perspective as well, you're looking at productivity as well.
How do you get them more productive?
Ask them, How do you make their work easier as well? Then from the customer
(29:40):
perspective, you're asking, what does the customer want to see?
What's important to them? So I've just looked at the three factors already,
how leadership can influence that KPI, how employees can influence that KPI,
and how the customer can influence that KPI as well.
So you're looking at all your stakeholders from a well-rounded approach like
that to look at whether it be capacity issues in your storage room,
(30:03):
for example, productivity issues with employees, you know, qualitative issues with customers.
Those are all different indicators that you can consider. Productivity seems like a big thing.
And I say that because I have opportunities to speak with other business owners.
And one thing that we usually struggle with is how do we,
(30:29):
especially for we that we have We
have retail businesses and we have staff that
are doing shift hours and we know that there are downtime and busy times and
the challenge is in terms of productivity is always because you can plan but
sometimes you can't predict when the downtime is going to happen.
(30:52):
And so, and for example, a staff in a retail store is in the store and there's downtime.
But that downtime wasn't emphasized. How do you put productivity measures in
place so that the staff is not just high due?
(31:12):
I do appreciate that there's some amount of high due time that promotes creativity.
You know, you don't expect staff to be on the move all the time.
There should be some reasonable amount of downtime. but I'm talking of excessive downtime and how out.
So that's always been, I wonder if you have any kind of tips to share there.
(31:38):
That's always been, and this is not just me. I have spoken with even more experienced
business people than me.
And it has always been an issue, especially for retail outlets with shift hours for the staff.
Okay in that sense how you can sort of i
(32:00):
guess try and remove that aspect is to
give them alternatives of things to do when there's downtime and instilling
that discipline that as soon as there's downtime you're sort of triggered to
do those things so i'll give you an example do you want to give me an example
to use or are you happy for me to just use something in the shopfront scenario, for example?
(32:21):
Go ahead, use an example, yeah.
If you're looking at a shopfront and you look at someone at a till,
it's very busy sort of and demanding because they're scanning items and sort
of answering questions from customers.
But when there's downtime and there's no one at the till, what does the till look like?
Is it cluttered? Because people picked items and said, I don't need these items anymore.
(32:46):
In that case, do they have a trolley behind them where
they can store away those things that they've
had to keep at the till because people a lot of people come to the till and
change their mind right or they just go no this is too pricey I don't want it
anymore but because the person at the till is still serving they can't just
leave serving and say I'm going to put it on the shelf and come back they keep
(33:07):
it around them so naturally.
It's getting cluttered around them. So when it's downtime, how can they start decluttering?
Are you putting a trolley behind them where they can sort of arrange this because
they know that someone else is going to come and pick the trolley and put it
back sort of on the shelf, for example.
Then in that case, you've ingrained that shine piece to them to say your till
(33:29):
area must always look clean.
So when there's downtime, you engage in this activity.
If someone sort of is on the the shelf area where in busy periods,
customers asking questions and they're replenishing shelves and everything.
If there's downtime, what can they do in the storage room? How can they improve
the storage room, for example?
And you need to also give them time for focus time as well.
(33:51):
So if others are outside, how can others also spend time inside brainstorming ideas?
Because if you don't have that room to think, it's very difficult to do continuous improvement.
So you can split them to say team A is always outside on this time.
Team B, if you're inside, you can spend some of that time with focused time
planning and brainstorming for next ideas and also that.
(34:14):
And you put that on them to say, I want 10% improvement in this area by the end of the month.
There's this really good video for continuous improvement where there was this
grocery shop where it was just cluttered and this store manager was really doing well.
He was actually a high-performing store manager but this big
store was just not doing well so they
(34:35):
decided to move him over there and he
really struggled at first when he got there and I'll
send you the link for the video if you sort of wanted to post that
for people to see as well because I do yeah that would be very useful and I
can put it on show notes of the podcast as well thank you sure and it started
with him getting to the car park in the morning the trolleys were everywhere
(34:58):
when their usual parking spots,
I guess, or designated places for the trolleys, but customers will not return
the trolleys back to where they were because there was no motivation.
The car park was dirty. There was food all over the place, you know,
trash all over the place.
It didn't even promote or encourage the customer to finish with their trolley
and put them at the designated stations for them to return their trolley.
(35:22):
So every morning when he came to work, he had to.
Kind of regroup the trolleys and everything and put them at the designated spot
and try and get someone to clean the car park.
If this is ingrained in your staff's culture, when they come to work as well
and they see that the car park is this dirty, they would do something about
it because it's just part of them.
And they would sort of encourage customers to put trolleys back where they were.
(35:45):
Now, when you went actually into the store, you would have sort of things spill
on the floor and staff sort of tripping over.
He tripped over it himself, you know, because no one's motivated to be like, I own this too.
It's not just my leader's shop. I have a stake in this as well.
So it's my duty to clean that spill just so that somebody doesn't fall.
(36:05):
Then he went to the meat department. The meat was stacked anyhow.
Customers who just passed by the meat area and it doesn't look attractive.
So they don't want to buy the meat. So sales were going down.
Then he went to the bakery.
The woman was complaining that she's the only one every single time.
She's overworked. She's stressed and she has to come in early in the morning
to ensure that the bread and all the pastries are ready.
(36:28):
She feels overburdened and her talent is underutilized because she's actually
a senior staff that can do creative things with the bread.
But she's not being allowed to do creative things with the bread because she's
focusing on all this time that she's pulling here and pulling there.
And the powder is everywhere.
Even her appearance doesn't look good because she's got powder all over,
baking powder all over her. hair.
(36:48):
So different departments had different issues.
And he was neglecting the fact that he's coming every morning to say,
why does the car park look like this?
I've told you so many times, put the trolley back clean.
And he's neglecting the fact that the meat is like, the display is not good.
So people are not buying it.
And then the seafood is all over the place as well. And it smells,
(37:11):
you know, so people are not encouraged.
When he took the time to say, I need to start with He said, okay,
we're going to have an away day as a group.
And we're going to regroup and discuss what the problem is. He began to unpack
the problem because he started with the foundation, the culture,
the people who are supposed to be the face of the customers.
And they said that, like I said, with the bakery woman, she was stressed and
(37:34):
she couldn't do other things to keep the bakery area neat or be creative with
baked products because she was just under stress.
So she needed an assistant to be able to help her, first of all.
That's her issue. issue secondly the meat department as
well he knew there was an issue with the displays but he
wasn't getting buy-in from management or he didn't think management cared
about his department after all he's just a little butcher over
(37:57):
there who listens to a little butcher but when he felt head the ideas he brought
about with how to improve the display area for the meat that customers were
encouraged he even brought sales mechanisms to say hey we can put this on offer
and people are gonna buy it he could also say people usually buy this meat and
this meat together so if we can and position them together,
then, you know, you encourage bulk buying, you know, because people are buying
(38:20):
like, you know, the two together as well.
And the, those who had the spillages on the floor, it's like, you own this too.
You have a stake in this business. How would you feel if your family member
came and tripped on that water on the floor?
Then it drove it home to say, I have a sense of responsibility for these people.
It is my duty to ensure that it's clean and it's a safe safe environment.
(38:42):
And after he had that brainstorm meeting, the shop began to look cleaner.
People had more sense of responsibility, that they were cared about,
that their voices were heard, and more customers were purchasing.
So this is just a quick example of a long video that's going to take you through it.
But when you can really visualize how that happened, when he took the time to
(39:03):
say, I'm going to improve it myself.
I come in the morning, I put the trolleys around. You can't don't do that forever.
You need help. You need to delegate. You need to ingrain it in the culture of
people so they can do that.
He started realizing improvement and he didn't have to say a word.
People started doing things and naturally customers felt comfortable in that
environment. So they started patronizing the shop more.
(39:24):
So this is a very snappy example of using Lean Six Sigma in your everyday sort
of retail industry as well, especially with grocery.
Yeah. Oh, that's amazing, Lesley-Anne.
That's really amazing. I picked some things because one of the things that usually
bothers me is how do you motivate cashiers,
(39:49):
for example, store attendants?
Sometimes they feel they don't own the business. How do you motivate them to do things?
A lot of business people in meetings have told me when they are not there,
their staff don't do anything.
So how do you motivate your staff to feel that this is, they have a stake in this as well?
(40:13):
So a lot came out from what you said, but if you'd like to share one or two
tips as well in that regard, because as well, I picked a way day and I think
I'm just going to do it. I've been trying.
I've read wonderful stories and experiences, results of people that took their
staff on a way day, even small businesses that you will think,
(40:36):
oh, I can't close the store.
For example, I read a case of a chef that took his staff on a way day for three
months and they had never done that before. And it's a small business.
And they came back and the business was, wow.
It took time away to really go and engage the staff and be outside of the abnormal place of business.
(41:01):
So I took that from what you said. So anyway, quickly, what comes to your mind?
And that's a really big problem that I hear of how do you motivate store attendants
to do things without you telling them all the time?
So there's a motto that we use on my workplace called run it like you own it.
(41:23):
And this is just encouraging people to say, I own a stake in this.
It may not be that you have shares. Some companies give, you know,
the employees small shares as part of their, I guess, credits or the bonuses and things like that.
But not all organizations have that luxury.
So you can give them incentives like wow points, give them incentives like gift cards, right?
(41:48):
You run it like you own it. And so you get this back because this is what you did for the business.
And when they run it like their own, not forgetting that they were part of that effort.
So you have to reward that effort as well so that you encourage that.
And I like using stories. So forgive me, I'm going to go through another one very quickly.
It was the founders of the company that I work for currently.
(42:10):
They had sort of horses, sort of back then when there were horses and carts,
you know, doing work and everything. thing.
They'd buy the horses and they'll come and find out that people weren't taking
care of the horses. The horses were dying.
The horses were ill. In some aspects, they were being overworked and also they
weren't being watered and fed in the way that they should be.
So what they did is, I give you this horse and you're working to pay for the horse.
(42:36):
So everything that comes out of it, you're going to own this horse at the end. So picture that.
The next time they came back, these horses were well fed, you know,
they had the water and because they're paying for the horse at the end,
they know that if, for example, it takes one year to pay for the horse, the horse is theirs.
And if the horse dies, that's a huge investment they've just lost.
So because they were working, you know, to pay for the horse at the end,
(42:58):
they knew that this is my possession.
This is my property. I have to take care of it. They started taking care of
the horses, feeding them, giving them the right breaks, you know,
taking care of them, you know, taking them to the vet when required and everything,
because they had that mentality now of running it like they own it.
So I think that's sort of what our advice in that sense is to sort of use training
to actually get them to understand and buy in that run it like you own it mentality
(43:24):
and actually give them incentives as well when they do things.
Like I think some of the leaders invest in celebrating the small wins.
When you don't celebrate the small successes and wins, people think it doesn't matter.
But when you start to celebrate those and you start to incentivize that,
you'll be surprised how you just change the culture and how people think about things.
(43:45):
So that's sort of an example of what can be used in that scenario.
Yeah, that's useful. Training, the example of the hers, just having that culture
and making it part of the core value of the business.
I guess sometimes Sometimes having an external person home.
(44:05):
Train your staff could actually be
useful as well because sometimes when they hear it from
the same leader over the same the
body when they hear it from an external person and i talk from experience in
my former place of work it kind of maybe kind of gives it more credibility if
you like when an external person comes to train yes that's really valuable yes you can also practice
(44:31):
benchmarking right where you take them
to places that are doing it right so that they can see
for themselves to say how is this retail store
so magnificent and the customers are polite people are polite how did they get
here and so that they can hear it from those who are doing it well so they can
say i can see i've seen that it's been done well so i'm capable of doing it
(44:55):
well and And this is how it's been done properly as well.
So you can utilize. Benchmarking. I guess, yeah.
Yeah, and benchmarking would have to be, of course, a business that is not your direct competitor.
Oh yeah, you'd be surprised. You'd actually be surprised how open people like that are.
Because, you know, you have to
help each other in business and you have to bring each other up as well.
(45:18):
So even if it's another grocery store, another production line or manufacturing
line, they're usually open for you to come and ask questions.
So long as you are also open for them to come and
see and also ask questions and that at some point
collaboration helps a lot and you move away
from that competition piece because you all want something
as an industry you all want to get somewhere as an
(45:39):
industry so there's a fine line between what you're
looking for you know if it's that you know you're coming to sort
of capitalize on things that you're doing then maybe
not and they might not be as friendly but if you're
trying to look at practices sort of that helps them improve most
businesses tend to be very open to that you'll be
surprised it's just that most people don't ask because they just
(45:59):
assume i'm a competitor so and they're not going to
be willing and happy for me to do that but you will really be surprised if you
probe and find out yeah because they want to do well and they want you if you're
not in their area as well you're not right next door right you're coming all
the way from a different area and you just want to know how things are you are
acknowledging how well they're doing as well.
(46:20):
So they're happy to share and say, yes, I want you to improve there.
And you know what? Maybe, you know, we could have a joint franchise partnership.
You never know what comes out of that. Sure, you never know.
There may be a chance for a bigger thing there.
And like you said, collaboration is really beautiful.
When we collaborate as business people, I have a beautiful conversation.
(46:43):
I could discuss this all day because it applies, you know, and thank you so
much for sharing your insights with us on this show today.
We have a tradition of, we usually like to ask our guests what you would like
to learn next, because a very key belief on this show is continuous learning and connections.
(47:05):
So if I can ask you a listening hand, what would you like to learn next?
Wow. Okay. Maybe like a black belt in Lean Sigma because currently I've done
my yellow belt and completing the green belt as well.
So I'd like to move on to the black belt and of course go into the master belt as well.
So this is kind of what I'm looking forward to learning as well,
(47:27):
to be able to coach other businesses as well.
Because it's my passion to sort of bring other businesses in and help improve
other businesses as well, where they might not even have heard of Lean Six Sigma,
where it could just help alleviate some of the challenges that they are having.
So that's what I'd like to learn next.
So Black Belt is, of course, superior. Does the Black Belt make you a coach?
(47:50):
Yes, it does. And it also puts you on complex, really complex programs and projects as well.
So it's just a step higher from the Green Belt. It's just using the foundation
from the green belt, but applying it on a larger scale and being able to coach
others to be more effective in that too.
Wow. I think that's going to be very useful for businesses. So by all means,
(48:11):
take this as a sign for you to go and do it.
Music.
Thanks for listening. Hopefully that added value to you. I do like to say that
the show aims to highlight broad business patterns that are considered same as ever.
(48:31):
However, I also acknowledge that personal circumstances may differ.
So please apply the lessons in line with your context and seek professional
guidance as may be applicable to your business.
Until next episode, please do share the show so value is added to others as well.
And remember, let's continue to learn together and be encouraged to keep on connecting.
(48:54):
Music.
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