Purpose
InboxTM was created to provide a participant-driven simulation of a transactional process with a virtual (electronic) work flow, for the purpose of practicing the application of a comprehensive set of Lean Six Sigma process improvement tools. InBox employs an email-based work process, providing first-hand experience with Lean Office concepts within a setting which closely mirrors the current state of the "knowledge workplace", where the work flow is invisible. A class size of 15-20 can be accommodated by active assignements within this role-play simulation.
How it Works
During the InBox simulation, participants assume a role, or job, within the work process. Each role is provided with printed work instructions and an email account. New work projects are initiated by the participant filling the first role using an automated web-based “Market Demand” scheduling device, and work flows from one process step to another via forwarding of email. Other job roles are supported by additional online “gadgets” which handle work processing by turning inputs from the prior process step into outputs for the current step (such as site selection, rent pricing, accept/reject decisions, and so forth). Emails are forwarded from the first process step to the last, preserving the email string, and therefore documenting all the process activity. Since emails are automatically time-stamped, it is easy to collect data on cycle time by work project, which facilitates statistical analysis and data-driven decisions to improve the process.
After the first run, the simulation participants collaborate as an instructor-facilitated group to create a value stream map, identify process waste, and design improvements to the process. Those improvements are incorporated into revised work instructions, and the simulation is then run using the revised rules to determine whether or not the changes have been effective. An additional cycle of analysis and improvement can be used to further refine the process.
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The first available instance of InBox uses the same SigmaBrewTM case study employed by MoreSteam.com’s SigmaSim® DMAIC project game. InBox and SigmaSim can be paired together to illustrate different improvement project approaches (Kaizen vs. DMAIC), and to practice a wider range of analytical and improvement tools within a blended learning model.
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What Makes InBox Unique?
Other Lean Six Sigma simulations use role-play activities and a sequence of runs to practice improvement tools, but these all process a tangible product: paper or assembled items. InBox is the first Lean Six Sigma simulation built around an electronic workflow – the type of work environment common in service businesses or the support functions of a manufacturing enterprise. InBox effectively illustrates the use of Lean tools within an office environment, including: takt time, work-in-process metrics, error-proofing, line balancing, standardized work, Little’s Law, and Theory of Constraints (TOC). Several patents are pending for MoreSteam's innovative simulation and game technologies.
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For more information, please call Tim Kelley at 414-247-1080, or contact us via email.
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FASTER • BETTER • CHEAPER
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MoreSteam.com LLC
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Also Available:
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