Page 106 - Six Sigma Advanced Tools for Black Belts and Master Black Belts

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References 91
The fishbone diagram has the advantage that it can be created using common soft-
ware such as PowerPoint, Excel, Visio or any other graphic software. On the other
hand, the mind map has the advantage of having powerful dedicated software that
makes creating a mind map effortless, although without it too much effort is required
to create a mind map the way it should look.

7.3.3.2 Acceptance level
All new tools need time before they are accepted. The fishbone diagram has the
advantageofbeingtheindustrialstandardasabrainstormingtoolforproblem-solving
and for quality improvement. The mind map, on the other hand, is still not widely
accepted in industry although it has been gaining popularity over the past few years.
What will probably close the gap between them is that for a person who is familiar
with the fishbone diagram, learning about the mind map does not take much effort.

7.4 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Looking at the tools from objective point of view in the context of Six Sigma, what we
need in the measure phase is a tool that enables us to brainstorm the possible causes
of a problem effectively and to summarize them in a one-page diagram. The fishbone
diagram, which has served the Six Sigma community well for many years, remains a
good enough tool. Nevertheless, we can also capitalize on the software support and
the useful ideas of the mind map. Below are some recommendations:

1. Introduce the mind map as alternative way of presenting the fishbone diagram
for those who have mind mapping software. This will improve the efficiency of
creating fishbone diagrams and make them more presentable.
2. Include the mind map as a tool in define/measure phase when the problem is not
very well defined.
3. Include the mind map as one of the tools for design for Six Sigma. Creating a
new design requires mapping of the customer’s needs. The mind map can act as a
more effective input generator for quality function deployment than the fishbone
diagram.
4. When using mind maps as the replacement for fishbone diagrams, use the estab-
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lished guidelines for the fishbone diagram -- M E for operational and P ME for
transactional -- so as not to miss out any important area and make the brainstorm-
ing session more focused and efficient.

REFERENCES

1. Buzan, A. (1996) The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain’s
Untapped Potential. Toronto: Plume.
2. Mukerjea, D. (1998) Superbrain. Singapore: Oxford University Press.