Let’s create a Work Breakdown Structure and go step-by-step with the WBS composition
on an actual project.
[Intro Video]
Hi this is Mike Negami, Lean Sigma Black Belt.
In the earlier video, I announced that a new project has begun in the Mentoring Program.
In this episode, we’ll make a project plan.
Please click this link and see what this project looks like.
I always create a WBS first.
It makes it easy for me to make a project plan.
If the project has a small scale, the WBS alone works fine as a project plan.
There is a link in this video’s description to download the WBS template.
Please click the link and try the template.
First type rough milestones for your project.
The Kaizen project has a basic framework.
That is DMAIC.
Consider your milestones along the DMAIC framework.
That’s been said, here is very important mindset in a Kaizen project in service operations:
“You don’t need to use all tools and follow the DMAIC steps unnecessarily, but be creative
in order to achieve the projects’ goal.”
This project is my wife Lara’s improvement project to improve her artwork production
business flow.
Usually I would do a current business flow analysis, but since there is no standardized
process in her case, we decided to make a new business flow from scratch.
Let’s break down our work on the template.
I’ve typed the milestones here.
Since Lean Sigma always starts from VOC (Voice Of Customers), we’ll make a CTQ Tree.
I’ll put “Conduct a CTQ Tree analysis and understand client’s CTQ.”
Double-click here.
Its Deliverable will also be a “CTQ Tree”.
Next is “Design an ideal business flow.”
Deliverables will be the “SIPOC Analysis”
and “Value Stream Map.”
Next is “Develop a business operation system with Excel.”
You may think, “Can you do such a thing with Excel?”
Yes, we can.
I’ll talk about this in the near future.
Its Deliverable is also a “Business operation system”.
Lara’s biggest problem is that her workplace is not maintained organized.
I’ll practice Lean’s 5S here.
It will be Milestone 4.
Let’s do a little more work decomposition.
Always a goal and plan comes first, so Deliverable 1 is
“Workplace Layout Map incorporating the new process.”
Next is “Action Plan” and
“Equipment shopping list and purchasing”.
Deliverable 4 is “Execution of the plan.”
The last milestone is “Train Lara and hand this new operation over to her.”
If this project was on a bigger scale, I would decompose to a deeper layer, “Tasks”,
but it’s not necessary because the only Deliverable’s Task Lead is myself.
By the same reasoning, I didn’t make a Gantt Chart.
I received some unusual requests from my client, such as “Don’t commit me to a specific
design, ahead of time – that’s not how art works.”
This is a tough request because I have to make a process without relying on planning.
Artists and engineers are very different animals.
But, It’s very important to understand a project’s constraints.
We completed our WBS.
We will conduct our project in accordance with this WBS.
This is a great start.
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