Quality Alchemist (品質煉金術師): ISSC 11th Anniversary and Annual Dinner 2017

Mr. Peter Fung, Dr. Aaron Tong and I represented Hong Kong Society for Quality (HKSQ) were honor to be invited by International Six Sigma Council (ISSC) to join their 11^th Anniversary and Annual Dinner on 18 May 2017. We met many friends in different society included Dr. Catherine Chan, QFDHK, etc. Before the event, we took some photos for memory.

In Cocktail reception, we met Dr. Rita Wan (Chairman, ISSC) and Dr. Jason Kong (Vice-Chairman/Marketing, ISSC), Dr. Percy Chan (Quality Director & Acting Global Supply Chain Director, GP) and Mr. Larry Lee (Customer Services & Compliance Quality Manager, GP).

Then we met Sanmina team included Ms. Becky Chan (Director, Program Management), Mr. Quincy Wong (GM – MU2), Mr. Edward Law (Director, Operations) and Mr. William Chui (VP). We took a photo together. Both GP and Sanmina had sponsored HKSQ Student Project Competition in 2015 and 2017, respectively.

Then I met Dr. PK Chan (Honorary Advisor, ISSC) and Prof. Philip Chan (Honorary Advisor, ISSC) and Mr. Solomon Poon (VP – Quality and Operation Excellence, Sanmina), as well as, Ms. Wendy Ma (VP/GM, Zhenzhen Optical Plant, Greater China Operation, Sanmina).

In the beginning, Dr. Rita Wan (Chairman, ISSC) introduced the ISSC vision and reviewed the activities in the past 11 years (from 2006 to 2017). ISSC Building Blocks which contained six pillars to support the quality excellence and to provide a list of six sigma & lean professionals to employers to create business values. Six pillars included:

- To Promote Best Practices and Standards

- To Support Business to Employ Qualified Six Sigma People

- To Promote a Diversity of Offerings for Members

- To Provide Access to the ISSC Community

- To Encourage Development of Products & Services for Quality Improvement

- To Drive for Standardization in Six Sigma Field

Dr. Rita Wan mentioned the 1st Asia Quality Best Practice Award (AQBPA) was launched in 2015. The awards celebrated winners’ application of quantitative methods in process improvement using Six Sigma and Lean. Dr. Aaron Tong and Prof. Fugee Tsung were in judge panel.

Dr. Percy Chan (Quality Director & Acting Global Supply Chain Director, GP) was our guest speaker and his topic named “Establishment and Development of Sustainable Lead Six Sigma Management System in Multinational Companies”. Firstly, he introduced GP background that they had 10 factories with 5900 employees.

Then Percy introduced their Knowledge Management approach for their Lean Six Sigma Sustainable Strategy. They aimed to maximize Intellectual Capital through Relational, Structural and Human aspects. He said each Belts were knowledge worker.

After that he briefed the GPBI Six Sigma Organization Structure. They set up Six Sigma Project Team and Corporate Six Sigma Club, as well as Six Sigma Full Time Promotion Team. For sustainable view point, promotion team must be full time that is the key success factor.

Another important measure was six sigma belts annual recertification requirement that could refresh each belt’s knowledge and kept them more practicable through different projects.

For six sigma belts development path, they prepared training workshop, practicing project, written exam, project assessment and award & recognition at the end. The belt training contents were reference to ISO 13053-1. The Black Belt was 20 training days and Green Belt was 5 days. Since the high turnover rate in Green Belt, they would be focus on Yellow Belt training for frontline staff since 2014. They had 2 MBB, 12 BB, 12 GB (where >40 GB since 2011) and 60 YB in 2015 to 2016.