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JoAnn T. Hackos, PhD
CIDM Director
www.infomanagementcenter.com
The Six Sigma method originated with Motorola as they sought
to reduce the errors in their chip manufacturing process. To
reduce the number of bad chips, Motorola looked for flaws in
the manufacturing process. A process flaw resulted in
defects in the chips. By fixing the process, they could
lower the likelihood of failure and improve the quality of
the product.
How does Six Sigma relate to technical-information
development? As communicators, we produce information, not
chips. But the problem of flaws is just as critical to our
processes as it is to the manufacturing process.
Just what might constitute a flaw in information that we
provide to our customers? Well--as you might expect, the
list is long. Here are just a few thoughts about how flaws
might occur in our information:
- Information may be incorrect or incomplete, resulting in
failed processes on the customer's part.
- Information that the customer needs may be missing.
- Information may be too difficult or time-consuming to find
even when it is available.
- Information may be difficult for customers to understand
even if it is correct and complete.
How might we discover flaws in our information? Customer
feedback is the best source. We might ask customers about
problems they have in accessing and using our information.
We might watch them try to find answers to their questions
during usability tests. We might discuss customer problems
with others in the support chain, including trainers,
consultants, and telephone support personnel.
What happens once we discover a flaw? Let's say, for
example, that we discover that information the customer
needs is missing from the documentation. Once we discover
that something is missing, we can work hard to produce and
distribute the needed information. Unfortunately, responding
to a complaint and fixing the problem will not result in a
long-term solution. In keeping with the Six Sigma
philosophy, we must look at our information-development
process and discover why the information was missing in the
first place. Six Sigma reveals that only by improving the
process do we stop the same problems from occurring in the
future.
If we look at the problem of missing information more
carefully, we are likely to discover that our staff members
never knew the information was required in the first place.
In too many information-development organizations, we find
that communicators have very little insight into the
information needs of the users. For example, a writer
recently complained to me that he would have to meet with
many different user groups in an effort to learn what they
need to know because his product was used in many different
parts of the customer's organization.
In our application of Six Sigma concepts to information
development, we must concentrate on those parts of the
process that add value for the customer. Knowing what the
customer's job duties and tasks are all about will ensure
that we provide the information required to support the
tasks, rather than the information that is easily available
to us from the product developers.
As you know, we have no substitutes for customer knowledge.
The more we understand our customers and what they do with
our products, the better we can be at providing them with
valuable information. Yet, customer knowledge is one of the
most rare commodities in an information-development
organization.
If you'd like more information about the Six Sigma method,
you might find these books helpful:
What
is Six Sigma? (McGraw-Hill 2002)
Six
Sigma for Managers (McGraw-Hill 2002)
The
Six Sigma Way: How GE, Motorola, and Other Top Companies are Honing Their
Performance (McGraw-Hill 2000)
Design
for Six Sigma: The Revolutionary Process for Achieving Extraordinary Profits
(Dearborn 2002)
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