Originally Published 6.13.2017

MAKATI CITY, Philippines - The Philippines gained yet another Lean Six Sigma Black Belt last May 26, 2017. Jen Villanueva-Amar, Currently an Operations Manager at Pepper Financial Services Group, received her Black Belt certification after reducing the average cycle time for "Work Tracker Entry" from 8 hours down to 40 minutes. YES, 40 MINUTES! This huge decrease in cycle time led to an almost 100% SLA achievement rate from a previous rate of 65% + Of course, eliminated process wastes + a Projected Annual Cost Savings of ₱906,434.14!

"Sometimes the solution to our problems is right under our nose, but we do not notice it because we are too busy reworking waste. Inexpensive Solutions are available, we just need to open our “Lean Eyes” to identify them." - Jen Villanueva-Amar, CSSBB

Without further adieu, our team would like to share our one-on-one interview with Jen so that more and more Filipino professionals can gather tips and be inspired by this amazing story of how Jen reduced that cycle time by hours. All you need to do is scroll down a little further, and all the details are there!

Go Ahead! Be inspired, Be awesome.

Q. What prompted you to take the Lean Six Sigma Workshop?
A. I've always been a fan of Lean Six Sigma methodology even when I was in my previous company where I earned my Yellow Belt. Pepper Money gave me an opportunity to pursue this passion and supported me in taking the Black Belt workshop.

Q. What Prompted you to start your project?
A. With the Work volume increasing rapidly, our team encountered difficulty meeting Service Level Agreements. The team has been working very hard, doing daily overtime and under breaks just to make tasks achieve their required SLA. This kind of practice is not sustainable and will eventually lead to the burn-out of our people. Not to mention how it affects our customers since we are not meeting promised timelines.

Q. What was your project about?
A. The Project is titled 'Reduction of Out of SLAs (OSLA) for Work Tracker Entry". I'm handling the Servicing Team in Manila. We are the back-office support of the Customer Service Team in Sydney. Our team receives email requests from different parties regarding loan documents, i.e. statements, payment history, etc. The Project Scope is from the time we receive the email request to the time we enter the said request (work tracker entry) into the system, so the work tracker can be allocated to a person who will complete the request and send it to our customer. This process has an SLA of 2 hours. However, our VSM shows that it can take up to an average cycle time of 8 hours to complete the process. It’s causing delays in delivering customer requests and stress to our people.

Q. What were the results of your project?
A. From the Pre-Project SLA of 65.86%, we have now achieved 99.30% SLA. Before the average Cycle time is 8 hours, Post-Project VSM shows an average Cycle time of just 40 minutes!

"That's one reason why companies give high value to Certified Lean Six Sigma individuals. One does not just attend a program and receive his certification but has to successfully apply and show proper use of tools and methodology with actual work processes. One has to earn his Lean Six Sigma certification,"- Rex Tuozo, “The Six Sigma Guy”

Q. Among/Aside from the Action Items that were done, what were the key elements that led to the success of your project?
A. Stakeholder Support I would say is a pivotal aspect of the success of our project. Without them pushing for the solution we proposed, our project wouldn't have been successful.

Q. What was the impact of your project on your company?
A. Eliminating process wastes, also resulted in Projected Annual Cost Savings of PHP 906,434.14.

Q. What would be your message to those who are currently taking/planning to take the Green Belt Program or those who are currently conducting their own projects?
A. Sometimes the solution to our problems is right under our noses, but we do not notice it because we are too busy reworking waste. Inexpensive Solutions are available, we just need to open our “Lean Eyes” to identify them.

To be certified in Lean Six Sigma, one has to complete an actual Lean Six Sigma project and apply process improvement tools, methodology, and techniques learned in class. "That's one reason why companies give high value to Certified Lean Six Sigma individuals. One does not just attend a program and receive his certification but has to successfully apply and show proper use of tools and methodology with actual work processes. One has to earn his Lean Six Sigma certification," Tuozo said. "If you attend our Lean Six Sigma programs, unlike other training providers, you get continuous support after the program, for no additional cost. You'll be assigned a Black Belt to help you complete your project," Tuozo added.

"If you attend our Six Sigma programs, unlike other training providers, you get continuous support after the program, for no additional cost. You'll be assigned a Black Belt to help you complete your project," –Rex Tuozo, “The Six Sigma Guy"

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