Agile Sigma Methodology©
Agile Sigma Creator
‘‘’Timothy T. Gaffney’’ graduated from Northwestern University with a BS in Industrial Engineering and has worked over 35 years in the Engineering and Telecommunications industries. As a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, Tim delivered significant increases in revenues on multiple projects. As an Agile Scrum Master, Tim led efforts that provided rapid, expert team-driven updates via enhanced workflows to improve the customer service process significantly. Tim developed the Agile Sigma Methodology as an actively retired professional interested in improving the methods available to improve business processes. Tim is currently providing Agile Sigma, Six Sigma, Lean, and Project Management training and consulting directly to clients and through Business Outreach programs at local community colleges.
Definition:
Agile Sigma (also referred to as “The Agile Sigma Methodology ”) is a customer-centric business process improvement methodology that iteratively delivers significant process improvements resulting in optimal operational efficiency and Sigma levels while maximizing customer satisfaction.
Resulting from integration of Six Sigma’s DMAIC business process improvement methodology1 with the Agile Development approach, Agile Sigma leverages the strengths to deliver the ”best of both” methods.
History:
The Agile Sigma Methodology was created in 2017 by Timothy T. Gaffney, who developed the new method based on customer and student feedback to improve and upgrade the Six Sigma methodology. The genesis for combining the two methods is also based on his experience leading improvement projects as a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt and also as an Agile Scrum Master.
Since creating the methodology, Timothy T. Gaffney obtained a copyrighted in 2018 and has published multiple articles to create awareness of the new Agile Sigma approach including “Introducing Agile Sigma ” on iSixSigma.com, and several articles on Greycampus.com. He also developed training for Agile Sigma Yellow and Green Belts in 2018 to enable practitioners to have access to training in the new methodology.
Through use of portions of the methodology by clients in 2018 and 2019, the methodology was improved by its’ developer and it is ready for use by a “beta test” customer to fully utilize the method on a pilot project(s). As of the end-of-2020, Mr. Gaffney is establishing the Gaffney Institute to provide training and consulting services to further promote the awareness, use and evolution of the Agile Sigma Methodology by businesses worldwide so they can optimize their processes for their customers.
Applicability & Use:
The Agile Sigma Methodology can be used by any business or organization interested in improving their business processes in a structured, statistically-grounded manner. Several methods are available and in use at this time by businesses to accomplish process efficiency including Total Quality Management (TQM), ISO9000, Lean, Six Sigma, and Lean Six Sigma among others. Now, with Agile Sigma on the list, there is a choice that can provide faster and more effective results2 as compared to traditional Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, etc. approaches.
In a typical Agile Sigma project, the Agile Sigma Team will cycle through the 4 phase, streamlined process, using Six Sigma tools and statistical analysis together with Agile Sprint and Scrum Team techniques. The team identifies and acts upon the critical process info rapidly to develop, test, validate, and deliver statistically significant process improvements — iteratively — to optimize the process and achieve the project goals.
Attributes and Differentiators:
- Agile Sigma is a streamlined, customer-centric, data driven, statistics-based structured four-phase workflow methodology that uses Agile Scrum and time-boxed Sprints techniques to deliver impactful results rapidly for customers.
- Further differentiation is provided via Agile Sigma’s iterative improvement approach that enables delivery of incremental, team-driven and statistically significant improvements iteratively to achieve optimized process performance and sigma levels.
Agile Sigma Methodology Components:
- Agile Sigma Project Workflows
The Agile Sigma Methodology includes infographic-based workflows describing the process steps the Agile Sigma team leader and team utilize to conduct an Agile Sigma project. The summary level and detailed workflows and info flows have been developed and integrated into the Agile Sigma training, to provide easy-to-use, step-by-step flows for the team leader (Agile Sigma Green or Black Belt) and team members (Agile Sigma Yellow Belts) to use to accomplish the project goals.
- Agile Sigma Project Process Documentation
In support of the process workflows, the Agile Sigma Methodology includes narrative-style descriptions for each process step of each of the four project phases to facilitate use of the methodology. The process documentation has been developed in both summary and detailed formats for use for various purposes and by various roles.
- Agile Sigma Toolkit
The Agile Sigma Methodology also includes a complete toolkit for use by the team leader and team members throughout the Agile Sigma project, building from the Six Sigma, Lean, and Agile toolkits. The toolkit is supported by a process-to-tool usage matrix to assist and facilitate the use of the tools.
- Agile Sigma Implementation Planning Documentation
Finally, the Agile Sigma Methodology includes a set of planning tools and planning process steps that can be used to asses, plan, execute, and evaluate an Agile Sigma pilot project and/or establish a full-scale Agile Sigma program for business process optimization. (see “Agile Sigma Implementation Considerations” summary below)
Agile Sigma Project Phases:
The Agile Sigma Methodology utilizes a structured, workflow-based project approach, similar to traditional Six Sigma DMAIC1 process improvement projects, but streamlined and improved through use of Agile tools and techniques. Agile Sigma utilizes a four phase project approach to rapidly and iteratively deliver significant improvements to optimize customer-driven process performance and quality.
The four project phases in an Agile Sigma project are described below:
- Phase 1.0: Assess & Plan: Assess the current situation, develop the project plan, and kick-off the project.
- Phase 2.0: Measure & Analyze: Define, measure, and analyze the key process output metrics. Document current and future state processes
- Phase 3.0: Improve & Validate: Improve and validate the process using iterative Agile Sprints to deliver a statistically significant impact on key process output metrics to deliver improved customer value.
- Phase 4.0: Iterate & Optimize: Iterate through the process improvement cycle using Sprints to optimize the process to meet or exceed the project goal relative to the key process output metrics to deliver improved value to the customer.
Agile Sigma Implementation Considerations:
Trial the Process: Any corporation, business unit, or operating segment that provides services or produces products can implement an Agile Sigma pilot program after initial training of involved participants. Initial pilot projects can be identified, screened, and executed using the Agile Sigma Methodology , to assess the effectiveness of the approach.
Fine-Tune the Process: Based on results of the initial Agile Sigma pilot projects, companies or organizations can fine-tune the program for wider rollout and impact to deliver improved process efficiencies throughout the corporation and to internal and external customers.
Evolve the Process: Ultimately, a mature Agile Sigma environment would consist of a corporate-level Center of Excellence devoted to Agile Sigma , with Program and Project Offices to manage portfolios of programs and projects to achieve significant improvements in customer-centric results across the enterprise.
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1 — Refers to the Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) methodology currently used by many businesses as the basis for their structured process improvement efforts.
2 Agile Sigma projects include 4 phases: Assess & Plan, Measure & Analyze, Improve & Validate, and Iterate & Optimize. Agile Sigma projects are designed to deliver 1st improvement sooner (during the Improve & Validate phase), and to optimize process performance in the final project phase.
In contrast, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma projects are designed to deliver a 1st improvement near the end of the project (in the Improve phase) and then lock in the singular improvement in sigma level in the final (Control) phase of the project — with no changes except per the Control Plan for the next 12 months.
Alternatively, Agile Sigma projects provide incremental, iterative improvements beyond the 1st improvement in the process sigma level (in the Improve & Validate phase), to deliver optimal process performance in the final (Iterate & Optimize) phase of the project.
Referrences:
a. Introductory Articles on the Agile Sigma Methodology(c):
1. Link to “Introducing Agile Sigma” as published on iSixSigma.com in 2018:
https://www.isixsigma.com/methodology/lean-methodology/introducing-agile-sigma/
2. Link to “Agile is Not Just for IT Anymore” as published on greycampus.com in 2020:
https://www.greycampus.com/blog/quality-management/agile-is-not-just-for-it-anymore
b. Road to Agility Article Series as published on greycampus.com in 2020:
1. Link to Road to Agility — Part 1 “How to be Agile — Getting Started” Article
https://www.greycampus.com/blog/quality-management/how-to-be-agile-everyday
2. Link to Road to Agility — Part 2 “How to be Agile — Sprinting Forward” Article
https://www.greycampus.com/blog/quality-management/how-to-be-agile-every-day-part-2
3. Link to Road to Agility — Part 3 “How to be Agile — Questions & Answers” Article
https://www.greycampus.com/blog/quality-management/road-to-agility-questions-and-answers
