Case study
Six-Sigma for Etisalat
Emirates Telecommunication Corporation (Etisalat) is based in United Arabs Emirates and has various subsidiaries. The firm provides various products including telecommunication services, equipment and media, consultancy and contracting services in the global market in association with other firms. It has various business divisions that support its operations such as Ebtikar, company, Emirates Internet Exchange and Emirates Data Clearing Center (Etisalat, 2015). The major products for the firm include wireless communication, voice communication, and data communication that is offered in cooperation with its subsidiaries. The firm was incorporated in 1976 and expanded to the large market in the Middle East and East and North Africa. The vision of the fir is to be a leader among the emerging markets telecom firms. Its mission involves the provision of best overall customer experience, deliver good returns to shareholders and support job creation through economic development and be socially responsible (Etisalat, 2015).
The choice for Sig Sigma is supported by the program's assistance in the process of business management by providing an essential and concrete result required through reduction of variation and process improvement (Bhargava, 2010). Etisalat is a data-driven firm and Six Sigma can help in creating processes and delivering services with most possible minimum defects. Quality management is an essential strategy in business management while aiming to achieve competitive advantages and performance improvements. The quality program offers an essential framework for all other tools like Failure Mode Effect Analysis and Statistical Process Control can to be useful to management (Bhargava, 2010). As a service providing firm, Etisalat can use the Six Sigma program in various functions including information system management, human resources, and finance and marketing processes in solving arising problems. This methodology can improve the quality of services provided by identifying various problem areas and devising ways of finding solutions for such problems to enhance customer experience. Etisalat has to be effective in customers' attraction, retention and improve their satisfaction with services provided.
The DMAIC process in Six Sigma that includes defining, measuring, analyzing, improving and controlling can help in improving processes that do not meet the outlined specifications or in their current form, do not improve quality (Bhargava, 2010). The defining phase involves identifying any problems and measurable objectives or results that can be achieved by improving quality of service delivery. The measuring phase involves creating an assessment for the prevailing state of service delivery and ranking the potential reason to improve quality. This would allow for benchmarking of the performance of the present process. The analyze phase involves examining the data that have been collected in the previous phase and come up with various causes of variation in the firm. The improvement stage is aimed at identifying available options or solutions that fit the problems identified during the analysis. The best alternative for improvement is recommended and then implemented during the provision of services. The control phase involves designing the recommended solutions and consulting in order to accelerate service delivery improvement (Bhargava, 2010). The application of this program in quality improvement will ensure that customer satisfaction is improved and the confidence of shareholders is boosted in the process. The firm can, therefore, be able to maximize the experience of customers by reduction of wait times and enhance network quality. The firm will also be able to respond to any quality issues that arise in future.
References
Etisalat, (2015).Annual Report: Business Snap-short. Retrieved from: http://www.etisalat.com/en/system/docs/12-4-2013/Etisalat-AnnualReport2015-English.pdf
Bhargava, M., Bhardwaj, A., & Rathore, A. P. S. (2010). Six Sigma methodology utilization in telecom sector for quality improvement-a DMAIC process. International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 2(12), 7653-7659.
Quality programs
ISO 9000 Family explores the different facets of quality management and provides tools and guidance for organizations and firms that are interested in consistently improving the quality of services and products to meet the requirements of customers. ISO 900 is based on some various principles that will ensure quality is achieved in management (ISO, 2016). Customer focus involves customer experience including present and future customers' needs and an organization has to align its objectives with such needs. Leadership involves having a vision, setting goals, creating values and trust in an organization, equipping employees and recognize their contributions (ISO, 2016). People engagement involves using and valuing their abilities, making them accountable, ensuring continual improvement participation, evaluating individual performance, enable sharing of knowledge and learning and open discussion of the existing problem. The other principles a process approach, improvement, making decisions based on available evidence and managing relationship in the organization.
On the other hand, Six Sigma explores the performance of a process in an organization, with the basic objective being to implement a strategy that is based on measurement, improvement of processes and minimizing variation. The improvement of the process is achieved through DMAIC and DMADV methodologies. The DMAIC method comprises of five steps including defining existing problems, measuring the extent of the issue, analyzing data collected during measuring, improving the process through best solutions and controlling performance of the process (Gupta, 2015). In DMADV methods, the last phases involve design and verification of process to ensure performance with minimum possible defects (Gupta, 2015). Baldrige Award has its framework aimed at assisting organizations in improvement and attaining excellence and follows some critical areas, core concepts and values representing behaviors and beliefs existing in organizations that are high performing. The framework of this program focuses on how processes are evaluated and improved. This includes the effectiveness of approach used in accomplishing a firm's work, consistency of processes deployed, learning and sharing of major process improvements and the integration of the process with needs of the organization, both present, and future (NIST, 2016).
The Deming's 14 points programs describe various aspects aimed at improving productivity and quality in an organization. Organizations have to constantly aim at service and product improvement and ensure that this new philosophy is adopted. The organization has to stop focus on inspection to improve quality and cease awarding business on the basis of prices alone but reduce cost by partnering with one supplier (HCI Professional Services Pty Ltd, n.d). The firm also has to focus on constant improvement, job training, leadership and eliminating fear. Breaking barriers, removing unnecessary barriers and cease workforce targets, exhortations, and slogan setting; establishing a program for education and individual self-improvement and have all people work towards the transformation of the organization (HCI Professional Services Pty Ltd, n.d).
The differences in these programs are only seen in the descriptions of how quality will be achieved in products and services provided by organizations. While six-sigma tend to focus on processes, the other programs focus more on core values that guide the improvement process. While Six-sigma offers tools for change implementation, ISO 9000 is more focused on discovering improvement objectives. Six-sigma program is more proactive in ensuring value maximization and improving competitive advantage. Baldrige Criteria is system-based and holistic in improving performance and quality of services and product. However, the four programs are complimentary when applied in leadership as they are used at the right moment. The major focus of the programs includes appreciating the existing system, understanding any existing variation, understanding people or process and aligning their interests to organizational goals and embracing knowledge all along.
References
ISO, (2016). Selection and use of the ISO 9000 family of standards. Retrieved from: https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/archive/pdf/en/selection_and_use_of_iso_9000_family_of_standards_2016_en.pdf
NIST, (2016).About the Baldrige Excellence Framework.Retrieved from: https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/about-baldrige-excellence-framework
HCI Professional Services Pty Ltd, (n.d). Deming's 14 points Retrieved from https://www.hci.com.au/deming-A/
Gupta, D. (2015). Success using Lean Six Sigma in terms of operations and business processes. Hamburg: Anchor Academic Publishing 6-7
