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Quality is both a battle cry and a boasting benchmark in corporate America, with organizations implementing processes to reduce waste, minimize defects, maximize resources and improve efficiency. The intent, of course, is to improve products and services with the ultimate goal of increasing profitability. Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma process improvement are arguably the two best-known systems for attaining this goal.
Group plans to apply lean manufacturing, Six Sigma strategies at local nonprofit. Quality is both a battle cry and a boasting benchmark in corporate America, with organizations implementing processes to reduce waste, minimize defects, maximize resources and improve efficiency. The intent, of course, is to improve products and services with the ultimate goal of increasing profitability. Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma process improvement are arguably the two best-known systems for attaining this goal. But efficiency is beneficial beyond the profit-making world. It not only applies to running a business but also to running a home, running a campaign or running a nonprofit. And the benefits of process improvement can be applied to any facet of business. “What a lot of people have a misconception about is that you have to be in production—making a widget,” says Pat Holtz, a validation specialist at Hollister-Stier Laboratories. “That is where these concepts were born, but you can pretty much apply them across the board.” It’s about doing more, doing it better and doing it with less. That’s why a group of local American Society for Quality members decided to use their expertise to help a local nonprofit. “I’d like to help them save time and people-energy so they can allocate their people-resources to other activities and ultimately save them some money,” says Amy Walker, a methods analyst at Itron and the Spokane ASQ chapter chair. “Nonprofits always struggle with resources, whether having enough volunteer people or money and donations. If we can use our time and expertise and go in and show them how to be a little more efficient and save time and resources … long term they will be better off being able to use what they have more efficiently.” Walker got the idea at an ASQ leadership conference in Milwaukee. While networking and sharing ideas for best practices, she heard how a group in Florida had a lot of success helping nonprofits. “I thought, ‘Gosh, this is a good way to get the section in action and help the community at the same time,’” Walker says. She put out a plea to local ASQ members and now has a team of four, including Holtz, that plans to help the Union Gospel Mission improve processes in its public relations department. They chose the Union Gospel Mission in part because Holtz has been volunteering there as a tutor for four years. A social-service agency with an annual operating budget of $4 million, a full-time staff of 120, six areas of ministry, 200 regular volunteers and 200 to 300 short-term volunteers, the mission’s facilities include the Men’s Mission, Anna Ogden Hall, a crisis shelter, two thrift stores, an automotive division and a kids’ camp. “We are big and spread out,” says Greg Barclay, director of volunteers for the Union Gospel Mission, noting that public relations is the mission’s biggest department for paid staff and one that has a direct impact on funding, which comes entirely from donations. “It is the heartbeat of the mission as far as public awareness and community involvement.” Barclay hopes the mission becomes more effective at applying for grants, publishing marketing materials and advertising to reach the community. “Maybe there is insight there we have missed,” he says. “We spend a lot of money through public relations, and that is also how (money) comes in.” Dave Wall, the mission’s director of development, says that for a long time, he has wanted someone objective to come in and look at how the mission’s public-relations component operates. “It is easy to think you are doing great because it is effective or people are responding,” Wall says. “If we can do it better, I’d like to know how. I’m looking for fresh eyes, someone who can ask hard questions or give direction.” And that’s exactly what lean manufacturing and Six Sigma are about. First, the ASQ team will meet with mission staff to assess their needs, taking the time to understand what they are currently doing before recommending changes, much the same as in a corporate setting. The team will use value-stream mapping and a Suppliers, Input, Process, Output and Customers exercise to define where the process starts and where it ends, customers, suppliers and restrictions, says Holtz, noting this requires a lot of sticky notes so they can make changes on the fly. “The more data, the better, clearer picture,” she says. Sometimes, people have aha moments and see areas for improvement early on and are eager to make changes before they have finished mapping out the current process, says Holtz, cautioning that it is important to “see what it is before we see what it will become.” After that, the mission staff will consider and implement changes. “Perhaps we can help them to the point where they can get more done with fewer people,” says Holtz. “We can smooth out the variation, and that alone will help speed things up.” While the mission may benefit from improved efficiency, a possible side benefit is that more people will be able to recognize efficient processes. “If more and more people get involved and more people understand what lean manufacturing and Six Sigma are about, it will be easier to apply,” says Holtz. “Rather than cut down waste, they will develop processes that are waste-free in the beginning.” Meanwhile, the community and everyone the nonprofit serves benefit, too. “If we can teach one (nonprofit) how to operate efficiently to maximize their resources, we will increase their impact on the community,” Walker says. “We are hoping that this is successful (and that) we can do it again, and there may be others in the ASQ community who will get excited about it. I’m hoping it will breed some more activity.”
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