Description

A Tollgate Review will help you determine if the goals in the Lean Event stages (PDCA or DMAIC) have been completed and whether you can move on to the next stage. A Lean Event Tollgate Review is like a checkpoint at which the various team members meet with a project Champion and determine whether the work has been performed as indicated in the project plan and whether the objectives mentioned have been achieved.

Below is -snippet- of the Lean Event Tollgate Review:

Lean Event “Day 0” Tollgate and Deliverables

* This should happen no less than two weeks before the Lean Event (Day 1-5) takes place

1. Has the Project Team has been developed?

• Is the team and project sponsored by a champion or business leader?
• Does the Team include SME’s
• Have they had the Lean and Six Sigma White Belt Training

2. Has the “Project Charter” been developed?
   (The following questions should help determine the answer)?

Business Case

• What are the compelling business reasons for embarking on this project?
• Is the project linked to key business goals and objectives?
• What key business process output measure(s) will the project leverage and how?
• What are the rough order estimates on cost savings/opportunities on this project?

·         Problem Statement (Starting Line):

• What specifically is the problem?
• Where does it occur?
• When does it occur?
• What is its extent?

·         Goal Statement (Finish Line):

• What is the goal or target for the improvement team’s project?
• Do the problem and goal statements meet the SMART criteria (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound)?
• Has anyone else (internal or external to the organization) attempted to solve this problem or a similar one before? If so, what knowledge can be leveraged from these previous efforts?
• How will the project team and the organization measure complete success for this project?

·         Project Scope

• What are the physical boundaries of the scope?
• What is in bounds and what is not?
• How does the project manager ensure against scope creep?
• Is the project scope manageable? What constraints exist that might impact the team?

·         Milestones:

• When was the project start date?
• When is the estimated completion date?
• Is the project currently on schedule according to the plan?
• Has a project plan with milestones been developed?
• Is there a critical path (due dates to each phase of the DMAIC) to complete the project?
• How will variation in the actual durations of each activity be dealt with to ensure that the expected project completion date is met?

3. Do we understand the Customers’ Requirements?

• Have the customer’s been identified?
• Has the improvement team collected the ‘voice of the customer’ (obtained feedback – qualitative and quantitative)?
•  What customer feedback methods were used to solicit their input?
• Have the customer needs been translated into specific, Measurable requirements?

4. Has a SIPOC diagram been produced describing the Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers?