Summary
The launch phase of Six Sigma is roughly the period between making the decision to deploy Six Sigma, and completing the initial wave of Black Belt training. This typically lasts 6-9 months. The purpose of this phase is to ensure that you "hit the ground running" in Six Sigma deployment. The key deliverables are:
An overall deployment plan (strategy)
The initial wave of projects
Trained Black Belts, and other key roles, in place
As noted in Chapter 3, committed leadership is the key success factor in this phase. It will take committed leadership to make time to actively participate in leadership workshops, persevere through completion of the deployment and implementation plans, allocate the human resources and funding required for the effort, and address any resistance from within the organization. Leaders will need to provide clear vision and direction. Other important success factors are:
Selection of good initial projects
Selection of people for key roles
Full-time allocation of Black Belts and MBBs
Effective, tailored training for key roles
Support from functional groups as needed