BUS366
End-of-Course Assessment – July Semester 2022
Lean Six Sigma
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INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS:
1. This End-of-Course Assessment paper comprises 12 pages (including the cover page).
2. You are to include the following particulars in your submission: Course Code, Title of the ECA, SUSS PI No., Your Name, and Submission Date.
3. Late submission will be subjected to the marks deduction scheme. Please refer to the Student Handbook for details.
IMPORTANT NOTE
ECA Submission Deadline: Tuesday, 13 September 2022 12:00 pm
ECA Submission Guidelines
Please follow the submission instructions stated below:
A - What Must Be Submitted
You are required to submit the following THREE (3) items for marking and grading:
• A Report (you should submit this item first as it carries the highest weightage).
• A Video Presentation: Refer to Canvas L/LG course site’s announcement on “ECA Video Submission Technical Know How”, which will be posted three weeks before the ECA cutoff date.
• The set of PowerPoint slides, converted to PDF, upon which the video presentation is based.
Please verify your submissions after you have submitted the above THREE (3) items.
B - Submission Deadline
• The THREE (3) items of Report, Video and Presentation Summary are to be submitted by 12 noon on the submission deadline.
• You are allowed multiple submissions till the cut-off date for each of the THREE (3) items.
• Late submission of any of the THREE (3) items will be subjected to mark-deduction scheme by the University. Please refer to Section 5.2 Para 2.4 of the Student Handbook.
C - How the (3) Items Should Be Submitted
• The Report: submit online to Canvas via TurnItIn (for plagiarism detection)
• The Video: submit online to Canvas (refer to Canvas L/LG course site’s announcement on
“ECA Video Submission Technical Know How”, which will be posted three weeks before the ECA cut-off date.)
• The Presentation Summary:
o Submit online to Canvas via TurnItIn (PPT must be converted to PDF and submission is in PDF only)
o The PPT must contain at least 20 words
• Avoid using a public WiFi connection for submitting large video files. If you are using public wireless (WiFi) connection (e.g. SG Wireless at public areas), you might encounter a break in the connection when sending large files.
D - Additional guidelines on file formatting are given as follows:
1. Report • Please ensure that your Microsoft Word document is generated by Microsoft Word 2016 or higher.
•
The report must be saved in .docx format.
2. Video • Showing your PowerPoint projection in the background is NOT required.
• Time Duration: a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 6 minutes
There are two methods for ECA video assignment submission; either Record Media or Upload Media.
For Record Media
Video can be recorded via Canvas through desktop/laptop with builtin webcam and microphone or through Canvas mobile app. Live recording duration must be less than 10 minutes. No file size limit for live recording.
For Upload Media
Video can be recorded using other recording devices and uploaded as a media file. Do ensure that your video file conforms to these requirements:
a) File Format: .mp4
b) File Size: No more than 500MB
Note: Refer to Canvas L/LG course site’s announcement on “ECA Video Submission Technical Know How”, which will be posted three weeks before the ECA cut-off date..
3. Presentation Summary •
•
Your PowerPoint presentation must contain at least 20 words.
Please ensure that your PowerPoint presentation is converted to PDF format before you submit.
•
The maximum number of slides is fifteen (15).
•
Please do NOT download and use PowerPoint slide design templates from the Internet.
E - Please be Aware of the Following:
Submission in hardcopy or any other means not given in the above guidelines will not be accepted. You do not need to submit any other forms or cover sheets (e.g. form ET3) with your ECA.
You are reminded that electronic transmission is not immediate. The network traffic may be particularly heavy on the date of submission deadline and connections to the system cannot be guaranteed. Hence, you are advised to submit your work early. Canvas will allow you to submit your work late but your work will be subjected to the mark-deduction scheme. You should therefore not jeopardise your course result by submitting your ECA at the last minute.
It is your responsibility to check and ensure that your files are successfully submitted to Canvas.
F - Plagiarism and Collusion
Plagiarism and collusion are forms of cheating and are not acceptable in any form in a student’s work, including this ECA. Plagiarism and collusion are taking work done by others or work done together with others respectively and passing it off as your own. You can avoid plagiarism by giving appropriate references when you use other people’s ideas, words or pictures (including diagrams). Refer to the APA Manual if you need reminding about quoting and referencing. You can avoid collusion by ensuring that your submission is based on your own individual effort.
The electronic submission of your ECA will be screened by plagiarism detection software. For more information about plagiarism and collusion, you should refer to the Student Handbook (Section 5.2.1.3). You are reminded that SUSS takes a tough stance against plagiarism or collusion. Serious cases will normally result in the student being referred to SUSS’s Student Disciplinary Group. For other cases, significant mark penalties or expulsion from the course will be imposed.
Important Note: Grading of TMA/GBA/ECA Submissions
Marks awarded to your assignment are based on the following guidelines:
1. 80% of the marks are allocated to the content of your answers:
• The marks awarded to what your answers cover depend on the extent to which they cover the key points that correctly and comprehensively address each question.
• The key points should be supported by evidence drawn from course materials and, wherever relevant, from other credible sources.
2. 20% of the marks are allocated to the presentation of your answers:
Wherever applicable, the marks awarded to how your answers are presented depend on the extent to which your answers:
• form a sound reasoning by developing those key points in a clear, logical and succinct manner;
• provide proper and adequate in-text citations and referencing to content drawn from course materials and other credible sources;
• strictly follow APA formatting and style guidelines[1], in particular for:
• in-text citations and end-of-report references;
• the identification of figures and tables;
• use, wherever relevant, the specialised vocabulary and terminology commonly used in discussions about the topic(s) covered by each question;
• provide a reference or bibliography at the end of the main report;
• include the less relevant details in an Appendix;
• use sentence constructions that are grammatically and syntactically correct;
• are free from spelling mistakes; present the workings, numerical formulations and results in a logical manner that follows the APA formatting and style guidelines;
• design and present graphs, diagrams and plots that follow the APA formatting and style guidelines;
• are highly original;
• have proper formatting, which may:
• include a properly formatted cover page;
• respect the answer length/word count set out in the assignment guidelines, if any is prescribed;
• present answers in paragraphs with proper spacing and page margins; • include page numbers and appendices, if necessary.
[1] You can find a short tutorial on the APA formatting and style guidelines here: https://apastyle.apa.org/index.
Additional details (pertaining to tables and figures) can be found here: https://is.gd/O4vDdT .
Video Presentation Evaluation Criteria
Note: Students will be assessed on the quality of the presentation and not the quality of the video recording. However, the recording is expected to have video and audio clarity. Showing your PowerPoint projection in the background is NOT required.
Organisation of Presentation ?/8
• Logical flow of presentation
Posture & Body Language ?/5
• Posture: Standing, straight back etc…
• Body language:
– Hand gestures supporting oral arguments, etc…
Eye-Contact ?/5
• Looking at the video camera
• No reading of slides or notes or cue cards
Pace & Articulation ?/7
• Pace: Speaks neither too fast nor too slow
• Articulation: Oral expression is clear and confident in the presentation.
TOTAL ?/25
Presentation Summary Evaluation Criteria
Format and Style of Slides ?/3
• Layout, clarity of text elements, colour blends, graphical enhancements
Clarity and Coherence ?/4
• Proper flow - title page, introduction, body, results, recommendations / discussion points, conclusion/summary; quick to understand, free from grammatical errors
Creativity ?/3
• Ability to use creative elements to value-add to the presentation so as to enhance understanding and clarity of difficult concepts
TOTAL ?/10
(Full marks: 100)
Section A (65 marks)
Answer all questions in this section.
Background and Overview of Report
The COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 has brought substantial impact and changes to the economy and society. Organisations have to adjust or completely redesign their business processes to cope with the impact and changes brought by the pandemic. Lean Six Sigma has been recognised as a useful approach to improving business processes by identifying the process gaps and implementing effective improvement measures.
You are asked to identify a business process in the organisation where you are currently working or worked before or are familiar with. You may discuss with your supervisor or experienced colleagues to select this process which is facing challenges to meeting customers’ expectations or internal performance targets. You are going to lead a Lean Six Sigma project team to improve this process. Submit a report on how you would identify the process issues, analyse the problems, recommend and implement ideas to improve the process, and establish control plans to sustain the improvement using the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC approach. We shall thereafter call your selected organisation the “subject organisation” and the selected process the “subject business process”.
This ECA focuses on the process-centric approach and qualitative analysis of the DMAIC model. Collecting extensive data and performing data analysis are not required.
Report Requirements
You have to produce a report of not more than 10 pages (excluding the cover page and content page) in Microsoft Word (*.docx) format, with Times New Roman font in size 12, single line spacing. You must address the following questions in order. Your analysis and report should be developed in the context of the subject organisation and its current situation. You are asked to clearly list the question numbers and indicate the word count of the answers to the respective questions in the report.
Question 1 – Organisation Background
(a) Introduce the subject organisation, including its name (use a pseudonym if it is sensitive to provide the real name), its major businesses and customers, its products/services. Provide the website or real address of the organisation. (Word limit: 150)
(3 marks)
(b) Discuss how the organisation’s businesses have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including its financial and operational performance, and its value/supply chain, e.g., customers, suppliers, and/or the processes in the production or the service delivery, etc. (Word limit: 150)
(4 marks)
(c) Appraise the suitability of Lean Six Sigma in improving the business process in the subject organisation during the COVID-19 pandemic. You must relate the discussion to the business process of the subject organisation. (Word limit: 200)
(5 marks)
(d) Describe the role/function of the subject business process, and the issues or challenges the subject organisation has been facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Word limit: 100)
(3 marks)
(15 marks)
Question 2 – Define and Measure
(a) Compose the SIPOC diagram of the subject business process and list the steps or changes if any in the process due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(7 marks)
(b) Explain the problem statement about the issue(s) in the subject business process. Examine the impact of the issue(s) on the organisation’s businesses. (You may refer to the problem statement template in Gitlow et al., 2015, p. 247.)
(5 marks)
(c) Define the CTQ and its operational definition by analysing the VOC and the issues in the subject business process. Compare the current CTQ performance of the subject business process with its performance before the COVID-19 pandemic. Propose the project objective.
(8 marks)
(20 marks)
Question 3 – Analyse, Improve, and Control
(a) Develop the “As-Is” Process Map for the subject business process which should reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the process.
(5 marks)
(b) You need to organise a brainstorming session to discuss the possible causes of the issues in the process. Describe or show a photo of the brainstorming session. Show the Fishbone/Cause and Effect diagram of the potential causes.
(5 marks)
(c) Conduct a Gemba walk and describe or show photos of at least two (2) wastes and the likely root causes of each of the wastes in the subject business process. Discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the observed wastes and the likely root causes. Update the Fishbone diagram in Question 3(b) on the likely root causes.
(7 marks)
(d) Recommend and describe two (2) countermeasures/improvement ideas to improve the process. Indicate whether the countermeasure is to address the root causes or remove/eliminate the wastes identified from the Gemba walk in Question 3(c). (Word limit: 200)
(4 marks)
(e) Propose two (2) measures to standardise the improved process in Question 3(d). Examine the effectiveness of the measures. (Word limit: 200)
(4 marks)
(f) Develop a control plan for the improved process. You can make assumptions for the metric specification/requirement and any other quantitative figures in the control plan.
(5 marks)
(30 marks)
Section B (25 marks)
Answer all questions in this section.
Question 4
Your Lean Six Sigma project has successfully completed the DMAIC Control Phase Tollgate 5 review meeting. The project sponsor was very pleased with the results and was impressed with the DMAIC approach taken. He has now asked you to prepare a presentation to update the CEO on the Lean Six Sigma project. Arrange your presentation in a manner suited to the CEO.
Prepare a video recording of the presentation of at least 3 minutes but not exceeding 6 minutes.
There are two methods for ECA video assignment submission; either Record Media or Upload Media. For Upload Media, please note that your file size should be no more than 500MB and the format is in .mp4.
(25 marks)
Section C (10 marks)
Answer all questions in this section.
Question 5
Prepare a set of PowerPoint presentation slides upon which the video presentation is based. Please note that the PowerPoint must not be more than 15 slides and be converted to PDF before submission to SUSS (Canvas).
(10 marks)
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