Dmaic Method Organizational Process Improvement

Identify a process within your organization that requires improvement. Explain how using the DMAIC method differs from how improvements are currently made.

I currently work in the financial services industry which requires a large amount of improvement form the larger more establish players in the industry. I worked as personal banker at Wells Fargo. Here the company was heavily bombarded with large sales incentives the ultimately undermined the integrity of the organization. For one, the process involved a clear sales incentive that encouraged personal bankers to engage in nefarious actions such as opening accounts that where not requested or provided products that where ill-suited for the customer.

The DMAIC method differs materially from the improvement that where currently made. When I was working in the organization, the improvements where related to ignoring the underlying issues within the organization. For example, as a personal banker, I was tasked with selling a certain number of products to customers irrespective of their suitability. My monthly wages, salary, and bonuses where based on sales. Management was reluctant to change the overall culture as their salaries too where predicated on sales figures irrespective of if these products helped the customer or not.

Using the DMAIC method, the organization-initiated improvement measures to help improve operational efficiency. The DMAIC methodology is outlined below. Here as it relates to banking, the revised approach was related to defining the customer needs. Next, management must measure the overall outcomes of the decisions by personal bankers and review if other products, goods or services could be offered. Next, management must analyze if the products offered to customers are suitable and appropriate give the circumstances of the consumer. If management determines that employee decisions were ill-advised, they will redesign the overall bank operation to mitigate any fraudulent behavior on the part of personal bankers. Next, the organization improve operations by instituting initiatives designed to lesson the sales pressures that many employees face. Likewise, the organization is redesigned to review the long-term needs of the customer as oppose to making short term sales figures. Finally, controls are put into place to ensure that the egregious issues plaguing Wells Fargo do not occur again in the future (Gitlow, 2001).