Using 'Yokoten' To Manage Risks Associated With Six Sigma Implementations

Commonly utilized risk management tools such asimplementations.
FMEA (failure mode and effects analysis) are noSuch a team can certainly help because it will know
doubt quite effective, but since they often make riskexactly the data or information that needs to be
management a long drawn process, businesses needgathered from the completed projects and shared
to try out other less taxing options that might be justwith the ongoing project. This will eventually make the
as effective.implementations a lot more affordable and risk-free, all
For example, businesses that are not afraid to takeof which will prove beneficial for the business, both in
calculated risks can try out the highly successfulthe short term and long term.
Japanese technique 'Yokoten', which basically meansSharing Data from Concurrent Projects
taking something from one place to another.The fact that Yokoten calls for sharing data from
For better understanding, we'll look at how 'Yokoten'completed projects may tempt many people to
can help businesses in streamlining and simplifying theirbelieve that it can only be deployed by old patrons of
risk management functions.Six Sigma, but this is certainly not true obviously
Sharing Data Available From Completed Projectsbecause Yokoten does not prohibit the sharing of data
It is true that each and every Six Sigmafrom concurrent projects, which works just as well.
implementation project is different in terms of theData and information collected from concurrent project
stated goals and objectives, but since the major risksmay be relatively less reliable, but since businesses that
involved such as customer dissatisfaction, increasedhave just recently opted for Six Sigma, hardly have
cost of operations, etc. are more or less the same,any other effective option, it does make sense to opt
businesses can always depend on Yokoten to takefor Yokoten.
proper care of the associated risks. Yokoten canFor best results, businesses need to avoid using data
certainly help, because it emphasizes increasingand information that may lack conclusive evidence in
learning at the organizational level through the sharingterms of its applicability to a given business process.
of implementation data and other critical information asBoth the methods described above are quite effective,
might have become available from completed projects.but if businesses want to provide the best cover for
However, since the amount of data and informationthe associated risks, they should opt for the
collected from completed projects is often too largepenultimate 'Yokoten' technique, which lays emphasis
and unclassified, businesses are required to put inon getting the most critical data and information from
additional efforts, especially if they are to derive anyboth completed and concurrent projects.
real benefits from the vast amount of collected dataThe usability of this technique is however limited
and information. The best that businesses can do isobviously because there are not many businesses that
create an independent team comprising of membersclaim to have both completed and concurrent Six
having the requisite technical knowledge and expertiseSigma implementation projects, apart from the project
and a fair amount of experience in Six Sigmacurrently being targeted.