Why Six Sigma will work in Healthcare?

If ever there were an industry where we want zero defects, it's healthcare. Patients, medical professionals, and healthcare administrators all want mistakes eliminated and quality and efficiency improved. Although most industries have undergone some type of data-supported, systematic, quality-improvement process. Medical and technological advances continue to outpace process and education adjustments. Demand and expectations for medical care are increasing. Unefficiency also leads to(causes, brings about, etc.) overcrowded emergency rooms, customer complaints, and lost revenues.

Six Sigma allows a healthcare organization to break through the status quo and achieve real process improvement. Although Six Sigma has its roots in manufacturing, it works just as effectively in a service industry such as healthcare. Healthcare organizations face unique challenges and it's no secret that they have a harder time applying quality improvement methods. Six Sigma's comprehensive approach means that its methodology can be successful in healthcare organizations with quick results.

In a healthcare organization, the critical factors in quality and efficiency are flow of information and interaction between people. Transforming the process of this flow yields quality results. Six Sigma achieves documented bottom-line strategic business results by initiating an organization-wide culture shift. Until a process focus–rather than a task focus–is developed, the scope and endurance of improvements will be limited. Analyzing and modifying human performance in these environments is complex, but Six Sigma provides the tools and methodology required to achieve significant long-term improvements.

The Six Sigma process is a large step toward creating a learning organization through its well-defined road maps and management structure. Six Sigma defines a vision for the future of the healthcare organization, and then it identifies specific goals and establishes quantitative measures to turn that vision into reality. A formal plan is established to identify the overall program goals and timeline that outline the move from current performance levels to Six Sigma performance levels, with tangible, short-term goals in between. Specific Six Sigma projects are identified and goals defined and tied to a tangible organizational performance measure. A wealth of possible Six Sigma projects within healthcare includes, for example, information flow, surgical site procedures, patient handling, and patient charge items. Any process in healthcare is a candidate for a Six Sigma project.

To successfully implement a Six Sigma program requires long-term vision, commitment, leadership, management, and training. Makes Six Sigma successful is well-chosen training and a commitment from the top that is communicated to all levels of the organization. Financially, the first set of projects usually justifies the entire cost of Six Sigma training. Focusing the Six Sigma tools on virtually any properly scoped project will drive savings to the bottom line and achieve breakthrough change in the healthcare organization.

Experienced healthcare quality management should learn the language of Six Sigma and help integrate new methods into the Six Sigma process to improve effectiveness. Six Sigma is a

proven approach to reduce defects and waste, thus saving money. Six Sigma will help healthcare organizations just as it has industrial, service, retail, and financial organizations.

 by Peter Peterka

How to Find the Best Broker or Brokerage

Brokers are the facilitators or mediators between any two parties looking toward a purchase or a sale transaction. The primary job of a broker is to maintain the business relation between the client. A broker conduct individual transactions, shows the client, the products as well as explains the product details, discloses the name of the producer or owner in the transaction to the intended purchaser and lets both parties come to a conclusion on a deal. On completion of a deal the broker earns commission, or brokerage, which is predefined. After completion of a deal, the brokers are paid by the parties as agreed upon. Sometimes merchants and other sales people also act as brokers. The brokers come in handy most times when a small investor or a small producer wants to tie up with any larger company or principals. Established and experienced brokers are capable of instant decision making with regard to determination of prices, routine deals of various goods and bridging gaps between principals and parties. Brokers also negotiate within various other businesses like property, stock or auto deals which do not deal with producers or manufacturers.

Various industries have various kinds of brokers- for example an auto broker deals in used and new cars in order to earn his commission as a part of sale price. A stock broker is a broker who has the responsibility of analyzing and advising his clients about their investment policies depending upon the prevailing conditions of the stock market and the external influences upon it. In short, a stock broker has an additional responsibility of being a financial consultant to his clients. Thus a few brokerages are simple to understand and execute, some require good technical and analysis skills to earn a commission. Stock broking is a very paying business.

 However , the recent tends in brokering have gone on to the internet, with its increasing influence on everyone’s life. In addition to traditional brokerage methods being available on the internet. New kinds of brokerages have also evolved which can save time and money to the intended parties.

one of the most sought after is the ticket brokering business. Due to the absence of transparency on the transactions conducted through the internet, brokerage has also evolved into a game of chance for a few professionally uncouth elements. Ticket brokering has been at the receiving end due to the advent of many of these elements and it has been seen that tickets are sold at many times their price and often less than their face value, depending upon the availability and other factors.

Access brokerage is also a newly evolved concept over the internet that deals in information relating internet marketing methods. Access brokerage works on the basis of service charges and involves passing on of consumer databases and telemarketing leads. The main work of an access broker is to provide you with telemarketing information on a periodic basis, normally through email.

by: Kip Goldhammer

SIX SIGMA FOR SMALL BUSINESS

It is not surprising that some people may perceive Six Sigma as being only for large corporations. Major corporations such as Allied Signal, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Federal Express, General Electric, Kodak, Motorola, Sony, and Toshiba have all rolled out Six Sigma efforts and achieved outstanding results. Yet, it is incorrect to think that Six Sigma process improvement results can only be achieved by huge organizations. Small businesses can also succeed in implementing Six Sigma and reap the process improvement benefits that Six Sigma provides.

Certainly, there are factors that can be disadvantageous for implementing Six Sigma in a small business rather than a large business, such as lack of resources and expertise in change initiatives. However, there are also characteristics inherent in small businesses that can speed up the effective implementation of Six Sigma more than in large businesses, such as flexible process flows, a shorter decision-making chain, and higher visibility of senior management.

Six Sigma can work in any size business because the nature of Six Sigma is dependent upon characteristics inherent to any business, not on the size of a business. Six Sigma MAIC (measure, analyze, improve, and control) discipline s work no matter the size of the organization or even the size of the Six Sigma project.

Small businesses do have constraints that limit their ability to initiate a large scale Six Sigma implementation. However, there are ways to overcome these limitations. Small businesses don't have large reserves of excess cash to earmark for the massive training programs employed by the large corporations in implementing their Six Sigma programs. Small businesses generally can't afford to have full-time Master Black Belts on staff and may not have the personnel with the skills and expertise to step into the role of Black Belts without extensive training. A certified Six Sigma consultant can act as your Black Belt for the initial projects until you have generated sufficient savings to be able to provide some of those savings for training your own people. Training happens at a slower scale for smaller companies but it still happens. Financially, savings realized from the first set of projects usually justifies the entire cost of the Six Sigma training.

Once some members of the organization have been trained as Green Belts, Six Sigma projects proceed with Green Belts executing Six Sigma processes. Incrementally, Green Belts are developed into Black Belts and new Green Belts are trained. Using a more gradual training approach addresses many of the constraints of smaller companies and allows them to implement Six Sigma at a pace a small business can more easily manage.

There is a benefit to implementing Six Sigma in a smaller business. Because of the size of a small business, the financial results and cultural transformation that stem from Six Sigma will propagate more quickly through a smaller organization. Focusing the Six Sigma tools at virtually any properly scoped project will drive savings to your bottom line and achieve breakthrough change in your organization.

By:Peter Peterka