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Six sigma & The GRIP process

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paul654

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Hello

Any knowledgeable GRIP / six sigma people?


Can you give an example of:-

1. Where The GRIP process ( Guide to Railway Investment Projects) is used
and where Six Sigma system is used at Network Rail?

2. how do they complement each other?


3. Do they conflict each other in any way?

4. As Im confused how and why there is a need for both.

Sorry if my questions are naive but I'm just wandering if using so many systems in an organisation is confusing to the managers.

and i'm just wondering is it just adding over-complex layers to the decision making


Thank you
 
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Doobyjangler

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Sounds like a leaked exam paper fella. :p sure there's a few on here can answer it for you. Errrr ....... I mean shed some light on the subject for you.
 
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Crossover

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Well, I know at work we have a 'Six Sigma Black Belt'...but despite having him it's still just a word to me :|
 

High Dyke

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Six Sigma: A structured methodology adopted by NR (from 2003) to improve project performance.

I've copied and pasted that from a document i read. Apart from that, like many staff, i have little clue of the concept and function of the set-up. Sorry!
 

paul654

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Sounds like a leaked exam paper fella. :p sure there's a few on here can answer it for you. Errrr ....... I mean shed some light on the subject for you.

Not really,

I'm from the outside looking in

If you go to network rail - careers you see plenty of managers jobs

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/careers/

In the job spec both systems are listed

and network rail have run a load of careers events around the country in september. I attended and picked up a booklet.

I have done a bit of Six Sigma and was just wondering how it fits in with GRIP

I know nothing about the railway industry.

I'm from a totally different sector - Software
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Well, I know at work we have a 'Six Sigma Black Belt'...but despite having him it's still just a word to me :|

Is he good at managing projects because he's a black belt or did he become a black belt because he's a natural organiser/planner/strategist?


Six sigma methodology includes analysing and managing "proccesses" to see where the problems / errors could occur and what we could do to prevent them from happening i.e. how to avoid the occurrence.

Do you think therefore Six Sigma is more about managing the process (micro managing) whereas GRIP is more about the milestones/ phases of a project, i.e when and where, the order of events to make a project happen (timescales), the cost etc.

So i suppose what i'm saying is:-

Maybe one is about spending money and one is about saving money?

i.e.
GRIP is more about what budgets / pots of money will be needed for each phase. Change projects, new project rollouts

Six Sigma is about looking at existing projects and trying to fine tune, optimise, reduce waste etc.

That to me would then work and the 2 systems would have there place.

I know nothing about the community on the http://www.railforums.co.uk/ website

I hope im not coming across as a total idiot !!

maybe i'm not posting on the right forum?
 

The Planner

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GRIP is the process that is followed in the development of projects from conception to development to option selection to delivery to completion and has to be followed. Six Sigma always seemed a project management qualification fad that doesnt actually get mentioned much at all these days, it all seems to be LEAN, deep dives and bowtie processes now which mean even less!
 

paul654

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GRIP is the process that is followed in the development of projects from conception to development to option selection to delivery to completion and has to be followed. Six Sigma always seemed a project management qualification fad that doesnt actually get mentioned much at all these days, it all seems to be LEAN, deep dives and bowtie processes now which mean even less!

Thanks for insight - Although i have never heard of these two systems:-

"We have a new initiative that is better than the current one. The old was just a fad and didn't really work"

I found a snippet about both, here goes:-


BOWTIE
The BowTie Risk Management approach is the process of looking at the case where Multiple Threats can cause a specific Undesirable Event (note the Many to one relationship between Threats and Undesirable Events). For example Contamination of food by Bacteria, Viruses and Chemical contaminants can all cause one Undesirable Event such as Food Poisoning. This would represent the LEFT side of the BowTie.

The center of the BowTie is the Undesirable event itself and between this and the Threats is where we place the Control Measures in order to Prevent the Undesirable Event. In my example we may have Temperature Controls, Cross Contamination Controls and Supplier Assurance Controls to act as Control Measures against the Threats.

On the right of the BowTie diagram are one or more Consequences. For example Consumer Illness or Death, Damage to the Manufacturers reputation and fines or imprisonment. This shows that that an Undesirable Event may result in one or more Consequences. This one to many relationship between the Undesirable Event and the Consequences gives the shape of the right hand side of the BowTie diagram.

Between the Undesirable Event and the Consequences are the Recovery Measues. These are the methods of minimising the impact of the undesirable event and in my example may include Product Recall, Hostpial Treatment and Mandatory notification to the relevant Authorities for assistance.

Thus the BowTie approach takes account of both Threats and Consequences as well as the Control Measures taken to prevent the Undesirable event as well as ways to minimise the Consequences in the form of Recovery Measures.



Deep Dive ™ (i found it hard to get a good definition - this company seems to do a good job)

Deep Dive is a focused team approach to developing solutions to specific problems or challenges. It is intended to harness the idea-power of everyone on a team in a focused, creative, energetic, fun, and ultimately useful way. A Deep Dive ™ is a combination of brainstorming and rapid prototyping melded together into an approach which any change catalyst can use to identify actions to move an issue forward. I was one of the creators of the Deep Dive ™ methodology for management, together with Andy Boynton, Bill Fischer, Marianne Vandenbosch, Ken MacLean and Peter Zahnd. We initially discovered the methodology when we began working with IDEO, in Silicon Valley.


Together with various colleagues we’ve used the Deep Dive ™ methodology on issues as diverse as improving passenger experience at Heathrow, understanding how to better use technology in the service of governments (a workshop done in parallel to the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm), developing new packaging for a confectionary product in the UK, redesigning the product strategy for a business school and developing a vision and mission for one of the world’s largest chemical companies.
 
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Doobyjangler

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Not really,

I'm from the outside looking in

If you go to network rail - careers you see plenty of managers jobs

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/careers/

In the job spec both systems are listed

and network rail have run a load of careers events around the country in september. I attended and picked up a booklet.

I have done a bit of Six Sigma and was just wondering how it fits in with GRIP

I know nothing about the railway industry.



Bit of banter mate, looks like they've come good for you anyway. Good luck :D
 

TheVicLine

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Lean and Six Sigma :D, that takes be back to my LU days. Think I'll stick to driving my trains now.
 

Olaf

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GRIP is the currently defined framework for gating, controlling, and tracking projects.

Six Sigma is a tool-set for measuring, analysing, and improving business process.

They have different goals and tools. There is no conflict in their purposes, but Six Sigma might well be used to review and redesign the GRIP process for example.

Six Sigma might be getting used within NR for example around the work for assessing risk and weightings on the level crossings program, contractor frameworks, data fit for purpose, internal decision systems, customer communications enhancements, product procurement processes, processes for options analysis, and may have played a part in the development of the LTPP.
 

paul654

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GRIP is the currently defined framework for gating, controlling, and tracking projects.


Thanks for your explanation.

It makes sense to me.

Project gating - never heard of , but .......googled it

WHAT IS PROJECT GATING PROCESS?
Project Gating Process is a series of activities and procedures intended to provide control and supervision over the project and its performance against planned goals and objectives at all development stages. This process uses analysis as the major tool for assessing project performance and measuring achievements at any given stage throughout the project lifecycle. The process begins once a project is defined and ready for startup.

The gating process makes it clear for management team to determine whether their project runs in line with preset requirements and moves towards its goals and objectives. Through analysis and assessment of project performance, a project manager can identify current status of the project and then use special criteria or gates to control project milestones or deliverables.

Project gates help determine whether to proceed to next milestones or deliverables. Gates also provide an opportunity to assess quality of project work, evaluate timeliness of project goals, and take remedial actions if necessary. Using gates throughout project course is the key control point of the gating process. If a milestone or deliverable is not satisfactory, then an appropriate gate describes this situation and is used for further decision making
 

Crossover

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Is he good at managing projects because he's a black belt or did he become a black belt because he's a natural organiser/planner/strategist?

We're not in the rail industry - Six Sigma with us seems to be about Lean Production more than anything else (alongside 5S and a whole host of other buzzwords). Never heard of GRIP
 
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