With the business world facing a tough economy, organizations are being forced to cut costs and still finish projects on time, on budget, and with a high level of quality.  In this environment, an organization will quickly realize there is no room for error and must implement new ways to ensure their success.   This will require such projects to be managed by an organization or individual with the appropriate knowledge, skill set, and specific project management experience.

The Cascade Experts team is proud to say we have long realized that our strength as an organization comes from creating a culture where the client comes first and we proactively listen to your needs.  It is important for us to create an atmosphere where we think of ourselves as a partner rather than a vendor. With this philosophy, your challenges during these tough economic times are our challenges and it is our responsibility to deliver successfully.

With Cascade Server projects in mind, we are taking the management of projects to a new level by extending our current project philosophies to include Six Sigma concepts and methodologies.   These methods are used by America’s most recognizable organizations such as Textron, GE, Motorola, Amazon, and Dell, and Cascade Experts believes that Six Sigma is a project methodology that strives for perfection.

So what exactly is Six Sigma?

Six Sigma is a rigorous and disciplined methodology that uses data and statistical analysis to measure and improve  operational performance by identifying and eliminating “defects” in manufacturing and service-related processes. Commonly defined as 3.4 defects per million opportunities, Six Sigma can be defined and understood at three distinct levels: metric, methodology and philosophy.  The word Sigma is a statistical term that measures how far a given process deviates from perfection. The basic idea behind Six Sigma is that if you can measure the number of “defects” in a process, you can systematically figure out how to eliminate them. This will help you get as close to “zero defects” as possible, thus insuring a project thats completed on time, on budget, and with a high level of quality.

At its core, Six Sigma revolves around a few key concepts….

  • Critical to Quality: Attributes most important to the customer
  • Defect: Failing to deliver what the customer wants
  • Process Capability: What your process can deliver
  • Variation: What the customer sees and feels
  • Stable Operations: Ensuring consistent, predictable processes to improve what the customer sees and feels
  • Design for Six Sigma: Designing to meet customer needs and process capability

What this means for your project…

  • Each engagement will begin with the definition or initiation of the project.  With this, the project team will be defined and their various roles will be assigned.
  • We define the project plan and scope of the effort in Cascade Server terms. This includes defining the requirements of the effort you manage. Explore the priority of each requirement and assign a cost and time estimate to each.
  • We will determine how each task within the project will be measured for success. Establish checkpoints throughout the project to ensure the project is on track and meeting the quality levels you’ve established.
  • The project will be executed with a defect identification and resolution process in place. Identify potential risks that could occur and how you’ll mitigate those risks should they occur.
  • We will provide continuous reporting to the project owner and team on the progress of the project including the points of risk. We will also monitor how your project is doing compared with the plan including finances and resources.
  • A review at the end of the project will be conducted to see how your project did in comparison with the plan and what could be done better in the future.

In conclusion…

If you are one who thought that Six Sigma was only for large corporations, you’re not alone. Many people believe that Six Sigma process improvement results can only be achieved by huge organizations. What they don’t realize is that any organizaion can benefit from having their projects managed with Six Sigma methodologies.  As your partner, your success is our success and we believe this is another tool that will create additional value for your organizaion.

So, we ask…Who would you trust?