Skills management is the practice of understanding, developing and deploying people and their skills.

Well-implemented skills management should identify the skills that job roles require, the skills of individual employees, and any gap between the two.

Overview
The skills involved can be defined by the organization concerned, or by third party institutions. They are usually defined in terms of a skills framework, also known as a competency framework or skills matrix. This consists of a list of skills, and a grading system, with a definition of what it means to be at particular level for a given skill. To be most useful, skills management must be an ongoing process, where individuals assess and update their recorded skill sets regularly. These updates should occur at least as frequently as employees' regular line manager reviews, and certainly when their skill sets change. Skills management systems record the results of this process in a database, and allow analysis of the data. To perform management functions and assume multiple roles, managers must be skilled. Robert Katz identified three managerial skills essential to successful management: technical, human, and conceptual*. Technical skill involves process or technique knowledge and proficiency. Managers use the processes, techniques and tools of a specific area. Human skill involves the ability to interact effectively with people. Managers interact and cooperate with employees. Conceptual skill involves the formulation of ideas. Managers understand abstract relationships, develop ideas, and solve problems creatively. Thus, technical skill deals with things, human skill concerns people, and conceptual skill has to do with ideas. A manager's level in the organization determines the relative importance of possessing technical, human, and conceptual skills. Top level managers need conceptual skills that let them view the organization as a whole. Conceptual skills are used in planning and dealing with ideas and abstractions. Supervisors need technical skills to manage their area of specialty. All levels of management need human skills so they can interact and communicate with other people successfully. As the pace of change accelerates and diverse technologies converge, new global industries are being created (for example, telecommunications). Technological change alters the fundamental structure of firms and calls for new organizational approaches and management skills. There are different types of skills in the corporate world. Soft Skills, communication skills, business writing, corporate presentation, public speaking, sales, marketing, leadership and managerial skills are few of the skills.

Employees who benefit

Skills management provides a structured approach to developing individual and collective skills, and gives a common vocabulary for discussing skills. As well as this general benefit, three groups of employees receive specific benefits from skills management.

Individual employees
As a result of skills management, employees should be aware of the skills their job requires, and any skills gaps that they have. Depending on their employer, it may also result in a personal development plan (PDP) of training to bridge some or all of those skills gaps over a given period. Employees gain from improved identification and understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses, from being able to set personal goals, and to understand the value they bring to the organization (which in turn can boost morale)

Line managers
Skills management enables managers to know the skill strengths and weaknesses of employees reporting to them. It can also enable them to search for employees with particular skill sets (e.g., to fill a role on a particular job.)

Organization executives
A rolled-up view of skills and skills gaps across an organization can enable its executives to see areas of skill strength and weakness. This enables them to plan for the future against the current and future abilities of staff, as well as to priorities areas for skills development.

Kaizen refers to a Japanese word which means improvement or change for the better. Kaizen is defined as a continuous effort by each and every employee (from the CEO to field staff) to ensure improvement of all processes and systems of a particular organization. Work for a Japanese company and you would soon realize how much importance they give to the process of Kaizen. The process of Kaizen helps Japanese companies to outshine all other competitors by adhering to certain set policies and rules to eliminate defects and ensure long term superior quality and eventually customer satisfaction. Kaizen works on the following basic principle.

Change is for good. Kaizen means continuous improvement of processes and functions of an organization through change. In a laymans language, Kaizen brings continuous small improvements in the overall processes and eventually aims towards organizations success. Japanese feel that many small continuous changes in the systems and policies bring effective results than few major changes. Kaizen process aims at continuous improvement of processes not only in manufacturing sector but all other departments as well. Implementing Kaizen tools is not the responsibility of a single individual but involves every member who is directly associated with the organization. Every individual, irrespective of his/her designation or level in the hierarchy needs to contribute by incorporating small improvements and changes in the system.

Following are the main elements of Six Sigma:

Teamwork Personal Discipline Improved Morale Quality Circles Suggestions for Improvement

Five S of Kaizen Five S of Kaizen is a systematic approach which leads to foolproof systems, standard policies, rules and regulations to give rise to a healthy work culture at the organization. You would hardly find an individual representing a Japanese company unhappy or dissatisfied. Japanese employees never speak ill about their organization. Yes, the process of Kaizen plays an important role in employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction through small continuous changes and eliminating defects. Kaizen tools give rise to a well organized workplace which results in better productivity and yield better results. It also leads to employees who strongly feel attached towards the organization. Let us understand the five S in Detail:

1. SEIRI - SEIRI stands for Sort Out. According to Seiri, employees should sort out and organize things well. Label the items as Necessary, Critical, Most Important, Not needed now, Useless and so on. Throw what all is useless. Keep aside what all is not needed at the moment. Items which are critical and most important should be kept at a safe place. 2. SEITION - Seition means to organize. Research says that employees waste half of their precious time searching for items and important documents. Every item should have its own space and must be kept at its place only. 3. SEISO - The word SEISO means shine the workplace. The workplace ought to be kept clean. De-clutter your workstation. Necessary documents should be kept in proper folders and files. Use cabinets and drawers to store your items. 4. SEIKETSU-SEIKETSU refers to Standardization. Every organization needs to have certain standard rules and set policies to ensure superior quality. 5. SHITSUKE or Self Discipline - Employees need to respect organizations policies and adhere to rules and regulations. Self discipline is essential. Do not attend office in casuals. Follow work procedures and do not forget to carry your identity cards to work. It gives you a sense of pride and respect for the organization. Kaizen focuses on continuous small improvements and thus gives immediate results.

Kanban
.

Kanban principles

Kanbans maintain inventory levels; a signal is sent to produce and deliver a new shipment as material is consumed. These signals are tracked through the replenishment cycle and bring extraordinary visibility to suppliers and buyers.

Purpose

Logistic control system

Implemented at

Toyota

Date implemented

1953

Kanban (literally signboard or billboard) is a scheduling system for lean and just-in-time (JIT) production. Kanban is a system to control the logistical chain from a production point of view, and is not an inventory control system. Kanban was developed by Taiichi Ohno, at Toyota, to find a system to improve and maintain a high level of production. Kanban is one method through which JIT is achieved. Kanban became an effective tool in support of running a production system as a whole, and it proved to be an excellent way for promoting improvement. Problem areas were highlighted by reducing the number of kanban in circulation.

Origins
In the late 1940s, Toyota started studying supermarkets with the idea of applying store and shelfstocking techniques to the factory floor. In a supermarket, customers obtain the required quantity at the required time, no more and no less. Furthermore, the supermarket stocks only what it expects to sell within a given time frame, and customers take only what they need, since future supply is assured. This observation led Toyota to view a process as being a customer of one or more preceding processes, and the preceding processes are viewed as a kind of store. The customer "process" goes to the store to obtain required components which in turn causes the store to restock. Originally, as in supermarkets, signboards were used to guide "shopping" processes to specific shopping locations within the store. A Kanban system, when combined with unique scheduling tools, can dramatically reduce inventory levels, increase inventory turnover, enhance supplier/customer relationships and improve the accuracy of manufacturing schedules. Kanban aligns inventory levels with actual consumption; a signal is sent to produce and deliver a new shipment when material is consumed. These signals are tracked through the replenishment cycle, bringing visibility to both the supplier and the buyer. Kanban uses the rate of demand to control the rate of production, passing demand from the end customer up through the chain of customer-store processes. In 1953, Toyota applied this logic in their main plant machine shop.

Operation
One important determinant of the success of production scheduling based on demand "pushing" is the ability of the demand-forecast to receive such a "push". Kanban, by contrast, is part of an approach where the "pull" comes from the demand. The supply or production is determined according to the actual demand of the customers. In contexts where supply time is lengthy and demand is difficult to forecast, often, the best one can do is to respond quickly to observed demand. This situation is exactly what a kanban system accomplishes, in that it is used as a demand signal that immediately travels through the supply chain. This ensures that intermediate stocks held in the supply chain are better managed, and are usually smaller. Where the supply response is not quick enough to meet actual demand fluctuations, thereby causing significant lost sales, stock building may be deemed more appropriate, and is achieved by placing more kanban in the system. Taiichi Ohno stated that to be effective, kanban must follow strict rules of use. Toyota, for example, has six simple rules, and close monitoring of these rules is a never-ending task, thereby ensuring that the kanban does what is required.

Toyota's Six Rules

Do not send defective products to the subsequent process. The subsequent process comes to withdraw only what is needed. Produce only the exact quantity that was withdrawn by the subsequent process. Level the production. Kanban is a means of fine tuning. Stabilize and rationalize the process.

Kanban cards
Kanban cards are a key component of kanban and signal the need to move materials within a manufacturing or production facility or move materials from an outside supplier in to the production facility. The kanban card is, in effect, a message that signals that there is a depletion of product, parts, or inventory that, when received, the kanban will trigger the replenishment of that product, part, or inventory. Consumption therefore drives demand for more production, and demand for more product is signaled by the kanban card. Kanban cards therefore help create a demand-driven system. It is widely held by proponents of lean production and manufacturing that demand-driven systems lead to faster turnarounds in production and lower inventory levels, thereby helping companies implementing such systems to be more competitive. In the last few years, systems sending kanban signals electronically have become more widespread. While this trend is leading to a reduction in the use of kanban cards in aggregate, it is still common in modern lean production facilities to find widespread usage of kanban cards. In Oracle ERP (enterprise resource planning), kanban is used for signalling demand to vendors through e-mail notifications. When stock of a particular component is depleted by the quantity

assigned on kanban card, a "kanban trigger" is created (which may be manual or automatic), a purchase order is released with predefined quantity for the vendor defined on the card, and the vendor is expected to dispatch material within a specified lead time. Kanban cards, in keeping with the principles of kanban, simply convey the need for more materials. A red card lying in an empty parts cart conveys that more parts are needed.

Three-bin system
An example of a simple kanban system implementation might be a "three-bin system" for the supplied parts, where there is no in-house manufacturing. One bin is on the factory floor (the initial demand point), one bin is in the factory store (the inventory control point), and one bin is at the supplier's business. The bins usually have a removable card containing the product details and other relevant information the classic kanban card. When the bin on the factory floor becomes empty (an indication that there was demand for parts), the empty bin and kanban cards are returned to the factory store (the inventory control point). The factory store then replaces the bin on the factory floor with a full bin from stock, which also contains a kanban card. The factory store then contacts the suppliers business and returns the now-empty bin with its kanban card. The supplier's full product bin, with its kanban card, is then delivered into the factory store, completing the final step in the system. Thus, the process will never run out of product, and could be described as a closed loop in that it provides the exact amount required, with only one spare bin so there will never be an oversupply. This 'spare' bin allows for the uncertainties in supply, use, and transport that are found in the inventory system. The secret to a good kanban system is to calculate just enough kanban cards required for each product. Most factories using kanban use the coloured board system. This slotted board was created especially for holding the cards.

Quality circle
A quality circle is a volunteer group composed of workers (or even students), usually under the leadership of their supervisor (or an elected team leader), who are trained to identify, analyze and solve work-related problems and present their solutions to management in order to improve the performance of the organization, and motivate and enrich the work of employees. When matured, true quality circles become self-managing, having gained the confidence of management. Quality circles are an alternative to the rigid concept of division of labor, where workers operate in a more narrow scope and compartmentalized functions. Typical topics are improving occupational safety and health, improving product design, and improvement in the workplace and manufacturing processes. The term quality circles derives from the concept of PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) circles developed by Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Quality circles are typically more formal groups. They meet regularly on company time and are trained by competent persons (usually designated as facilitators) who may be personnel and

industrial relations specialists trained in human factors and the basic skills of problem identification, information gathering and analysis, basic statistics, and solution generation. Quality circles are generally free to select any topic they wish (other than those related to salary and terms and conditions of work, as there are other channels through which these issues are usually considered). Quality circles have the advantage of continuity; the circle remains intact from project to project. (For a comparison to Quality Improvement Teams, see Juran's Quality by Design)

8D
8D (Eight Disciplines of Problem Solving) is a meticulous process used to solve complex problems. This is a popular method for problem solving because it is reasonably easy to teach and effective. 8D uses composite problem solving methodology, by borrowing tools and techniques from various approaches. The original 8D process was pioneered by Ford Motor Company and called TOPS (Team Oriented Problem Solving). The process is documented on a form with attachments; however, following the form does not complete the 8D process and will not yield desired results. What Are the Steps Used in 8D? What is the Relationship Between 8D and FMEA? How Can I Learn More About 8D?

What Are the Steps Used in 8D?

The 8D steps and tools used are as follows:
D0: Prepare for the 8D

Collect the Symptoms Symptoms Checklist Emergency Response Action

D1: Form a Team

Core Team Structure Team Preparation

D2: Describe the Problem

5 Why Problem Statement Affinity Diagram Is / Is Not Problem Description

D3: Interim Containment Action

Verification of Effectiveness

D4: RCA (Root Cause Analysis) and Escape Point

Differences and Changes Root Cause Theories Verification Process Flow Diagram Escape Point

D5: Permanent Corrective Action

Acceptance Criteria Risk Assessment / FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) Balanced Choice Control Point Improvement Verification of Effectiveness

D6: Implement and Validate

Project Plan Validation of Improvements

D7: Prevention

Similar Products and Process Prevention Systems Prevention Standard Work or Practice Procedures / Policy Updates

D8: Closure and Team Celebration

Archive Documents Team Lessons Learned Before and After Comparison Celebrate Successful Completion

The 8D process or Global 8D, as it is known by Ford, alternates inductive and deductive problem solving tools to steadily progress towards a solution. The Quality-One approach uses a core team of three for inductive activities with data driven tools and a larger SME (Subject Matter Expert) team for the deductive activities through brainstorming.

What is the Relationship Between 8D and FMEA?

FMEA is a tool used in the planning of product or process design. The Failure Modes in a FMEA are equivalent to the problem statement or description in an 8D. Causes in a FMEA are equivalent to potential causes in an 8D. Effects of failure in a FMEA are problem symptoms in an 8D. The relationships between 8D and FMEA are outlined below:

The problem statements and descriptions can be linked between both documents. An 8D can be completed faster by utilizing easy to locate, pre-brainstormed information from a FMEA to solve problems. Possible causes in a FMEA can immediately be used to jump start 8D Fishbone or Ishikawa diagrams. Brainstorming information that is already known is not a good use of time or resources. Data and brainstorming collected during an 8D can be placed into a FMEA for future planning of new product or process quality. This allows a FMEA to consider actual failures, occurring as failure modes and causes, becoming more effective and complete. The design or process controls in a FMEA can be used in verifying the root cause and Permanent Corrective Action in an 8D.

The FMEA and 8D should reconcile each failure and cause by cross documenting failure modes, problem statements and possible causes. Each FMEA can be used as a database of possible causes of failure as an 8D is developed.

A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart, developed by Henry Gantt in the 1910s, that illustrates a project schedule. Gantt charts illustrate the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary elements of a project. Terminal elements and summary elements comprise the work breakdown structure of the project. Some Gantt charts also show the dependency (i.e. precedence network) relationships between activities. Gantt charts can be used to show current schedule status using percent-complete shadings and a vertical "TODAY" line as shown here. Although now regarded as a common charting technique, Gantt charts were considered revolutionary when first introduced. In recognition of Henry Gantt's contributions, the Henry Laurence Gantt Medal is awarded for distinguished achievement in management and in community service. This chart is also used in information technology to represent data that has been collected.

Advantages and limitations

Gantt charts have become a common technique for representing the phases and activities of a project work breakdown structure (WBS), so they can be understood by a wide audience all over the world. A common error made by those who equate Gantt chart design with project design is that they attempt to define the project work breakdown structure at the same time that they define schedule activities. This practice makes it very difficult to follow the 100% Rule. Instead the WBS should be fully defined to follow the 100% Rule, then the project schedule can be designed. Although a Gantt chart is useful and valuable for small projects that fit on a single sheet or screen, they can become quite unwieldy for projects with more than about 30 activities. Larger Gantt charts may not be suitable for most computer displays. A related criticism is that Gantt charts communicate relatively little information per unit area of display. That is, projects are often considerably more complex than can be communicated effectively with a Gantt chart. Gantt charts only represent part of the triple constraints (cost, time and scope) on projects, because they focus primarily on schedule management. Moreover, Gantt charts do not represent the size of a project or the relative size of work elements, therefore the magnitude of a behindschedule condition is easily miscommunicated. If two projects are the same number of days behind schedule, the larger project has a larger effect on resource utilization, yet the Gantt does not represent this difference.

Although project management software can show schedule dependencies as lines between activities, displaying a large number of dependencies may result in a cluttered or unreadable chart. Because the horizontal bars of a Gantt chart have a fixed height, they can misrepresent the timephased workload (resource requirements) of a project, which may cause confusion especially in large projects. In the example shown in this article, Activities E and G appear to be the same size, but in reality they may be different orders of magnitude. A related criticism is that all activities of a Gantt chart show planned workload as constant. In practice, many activities (especially summary elements) have front-loaded or back-loaded work plans, so a Gantt chart with percent-complete shading may actually miscommunicate the true schedule performance status.

Flow process chart

Subway Fare Card Machine Flow Process Chart. The flow process chart in industrial engineering is a graphical and symbolic representation of the processing activities performed on the work piece.

Symbols
Symbol Letter Description

O I M D S

Operation Inspection Move Delay Storage

Operation: is to change the physical or chemical characteristics of the material. Inspection: is to check the quality or the quantity of the material. Move: is transporting the material from one place to another. Delay: is when material cannot go to the next activity. Storage: is when the material is kept in a safe location.

When to use it It is used when observing a physical process, to record actions as they happen and thus get an accurate description of the process.

It is used when analyzing the steps in a process, to help identify and eliminate waste. It is used when the process is mostly sequential, containing few decisions.