Brecker Clients
obtain strong Results

Clients obtain excellent results from our Value, Quality, and Productivity improvement workshops. Non-disclosure agreements and professional ethics prevent us from discussing specific clients and product and process improvements. However, we can share some generalized results.

Six Sigma Value Analysis workshops on specific products and processes have been particularly successful. These workshops concentrate on eliminating quality problems to reduce costs. Materials costs and productivity issues are addressed as needed. The focus of individual workshops varies according to the specific product and processes.

Our Six Sigma Leaders training involves working on a major business process. Six Sigma Leader candidates work on coordinated projects. The results are significant improvements in a key business process. Training that produces results.

Re-engineering identifies key business processes and aligns process improvement projects to strategic and financial objectives. A major portion of the business or department is usually involved. Work processes are analyzed and non-value adding activities are eliminated. A significant re-alignment of work responsibilities usually results.

Cost Reduction

A manufacturing client has used Six Sigma Value Analysis Workshops

• To reduce costs
• To improve quality (reduce rework and scrap)
• To reduce cycle time

On one product, the client has reduced costs more than 50% over a two year period -- exceeding the cost savings identified in the workshop. Similar cost savings have been obtained on other products. Many cost improvements are implemented with only minor product or process changes. Rigorous follow-up has ensured that savings identified in workshops are obtained or exceeded.

Similar Process Improvement workshops reduce costs in service businesses and administrative processes.

Process Improvement

Under construction

Also see Re-engineering below.

Six Sigma Leaders

Under construction

Re-engineering

Brecker Associates helped
Beaver County Transit Authority
improve operations and customer service and
earn a Greater Pittsburgh Total Quality Award.

Beaver County Transit Authority, BCTA, operates a shared-ride Demand and Response Transit (DART) system which provides senior citizens, social service agency patrons, and the handicapped with 500 door-to-door trips per day. Reservations may be made one-day to one-week in advance.

An in-depth re-engineering of this shared-ride system was undertaken to

• improve customer service
• increase operating efficiency
• reduce operating costs
• reduce workplace stress.

The Brecker Six Sigma Improvement Methodology was applied to re-engineer the paratransit system. In Phase 1, customer needs (riders and social service agencies) were determined from focus groups, surveys, and market research. An activity-Based Costing survey was used to evaluate the value of employee activities. Process performance was measured in detail for a one-week sample period. A multi-functional team identified and prioritized quality and productivity issues in Phase 2. Potential solutions were developed, quantified, and prioritized. In Phase 3, teams re-designed the key reservations and scheduling processes. Process changes were tested, improved, and implemented in Phase 4. Measurements to monitor system performance were set in place.

The re-engineering process produced these excellent results:

• Operating Performance
  • Reservations
    • 90% of trips are scheduled on-line
    • 50% reduction in customer call-backs
    • 50% reduction in trip day cancellations
  • Actual vs scheduled pick-ups / drop-offs
    • 94% within 15 minute window
    • 99% within advertised 30 minute window
    • 99% on-time for appointments
  
  
  
  
• Customer Service
  • Excessively long travel times ( 2 hour ) were eliminated.
  • Convenient grocery and mall shopping was made available for all residents.
  
  
• Operations
  • Reservations and scheduling staff was reduced 20%.
  • Scheduling and schedule change stress was reduced dramatically.
  • Drivers were able to work regular hours.
  
  
• Capital Expenditures
  • The purchase of expensive new scheduling software was avoided.
  • The purchase of a new bus was avoided.

This quantitative approach to performance improvement
contributed strongly to BCTA winning
a 1997 Greater Pittsburgh Total Quality Award.