A well developed Six Sigma program has always called for a properly defined project charter. The project charter itself is a great tool that addresses many different aspects of an improvement initiative such as the executive sponsor(s), related metrics, milestones, team members, and so on. But many project charters lack what tend to be an important piece of the puzzle: the rightful assignment of roles and responsibilities of each person involved with the project. Similarly, a well developed Six Sigma planning stage asks for a detailed DMAIC breakdown (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control), which nicely sets the tone for the entire project approach.
The RASCI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Supportive, Consulted, Informed) serves the continuous improvement practitioner as a cross-reference tool that links the roles and responsibilities of involved personnel with the DMAIC steps. One can even utilize a previously developed WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) to list the specific activities in each stage of the DMAIC approach.
The figure below depicts an example of a RASCI matrix.
Once the project's and project manager's names are entered at the top of the matrix, the CI practitioner lists all individual activities (that again, may come from a WBS previously developed) within each of the DMAIC stages. To the right of the matrix, each person's name as well as his/her role in the project are entered (note: this is not necessarily the person's position or title, but his/her role within the project).
For each activity listed under the DMAIC stages, the facilitator should enter the words Responsible, Accountable, Supportive, Consulted, or Informed, according to each of the roles taken.
The tool itself, of course, is just a tool if not used properly or if not followed up on. The Six Sigma practitioner should always refer back to the RASCI matrix when in doubt about each team member's accountability. The team itself should always consult the RASCI matrix to speed up the decision making process, and along the same lines the team should always be aware of those who need to be consulted and/or informed of critical tasks.
eZsigma Group has extensive expertise in DMAIC deployment and we would welcome our readers to discuss what fits best in your organization's journey with process excellence. Call today to set up a meeting with our team of professionals.
