Customer dissatisfaction is often caused by product defects and variations. The Six Sigma methodology directly addresses the collection of such data. The data must be collected so that it can be analyzed with later improvements to be put in place. The customers are the source that provides the data, so if you want to be able to get the right information, it will be necessary to ask the proper questions.
In the Measure phase, the data that is collected likely will come from team members who are affected due to the changes that are being made. Similarly, when the end user or external customer is the source, getting them to provide you with the precise information is possible only when you ask the right questions. The most important thing to do is approach the right person for information. That person should be aware of the utility and the importance of the data being collected.
Teams should inform the customer about the reason and need for the data. Only then can they get an answer suited to their questions without misunderstandings or misgivings about the objective. The person asking the question needs to be clear about the aim of data collection. The person collecting the data should not have any prejudices about anything related to the data being collected. It may be better to hand over the data collection to a third party that is neutral to the outcome of data collected.
If you choose to interview the person during work hours, they may feel rushed because of a heavy work load and rush right through their answers, thus providing incomplete or inaccurate information. Questions should be asked in an environment and time that is comfortable and convenient for the people answering them. If the questions are asked verbally, they should be phrased simply in order to get the best replies. If you use questionnaires, the best plan is to put them in column format, as that has been shown to be easier to understand by most people.
It is important to provide the respondents with guidelines on how best to provide answers to the questions. This will assure that the answers are valuable and can be used in the process. It is up to the implementation team to make sure there is no confusion. Pertinent information such as name, department, and job title is also helpful in case clarification is needed later on. The process of collecting data is important to the entire process because if it proves to be inaccurate, then the entire program will be flawed. Asking easy and simple questions in a comfortable environment will help to assure the correct answers are received so that the Six Sigma implementation can move forward successfully. - 16747
In the Measure phase, the data that is collected likely will come from team members who are affected due to the changes that are being made. Similarly, when the end user or external customer is the source, getting them to provide you with the precise information is possible only when you ask the right questions. The most important thing to do is approach the right person for information. That person should be aware of the utility and the importance of the data being collected.
Teams should inform the customer about the reason and need for the data. Only then can they get an answer suited to their questions without misunderstandings or misgivings about the objective. The person asking the question needs to be clear about the aim of data collection. The person collecting the data should not have any prejudices about anything related to the data being collected. It may be better to hand over the data collection to a third party that is neutral to the outcome of data collected.
If you choose to interview the person during work hours, they may feel rushed because of a heavy work load and rush right through their answers, thus providing incomplete or inaccurate information. Questions should be asked in an environment and time that is comfortable and convenient for the people answering them. If the questions are asked verbally, they should be phrased simply in order to get the best replies. If you use questionnaires, the best plan is to put them in column format, as that has been shown to be easier to understand by most people.
It is important to provide the respondents with guidelines on how best to provide answers to the questions. This will assure that the answers are valuable and can be used in the process. It is up to the implementation team to make sure there is no confusion. Pertinent information such as name, department, and job title is also helpful in case clarification is needed later on. The process of collecting data is important to the entire process because if it proves to be inaccurate, then the entire program will be flawed. Asking easy and simple questions in a comfortable environment will help to assure the correct answers are received so that the Six Sigma implementation can move forward successfully. - 16747
