Applying the DOE technique for the work process

Select one (1) project from your working or educational environment that you would apply the DOE technique for the work process. Next, analyze the overall manner in which you would utilize DOE to manage and improve the work process of the project in question. Provide a rationale for your response.

DOE is applied statistics that deals with planning, conducting, analyzing and interpreting controlled tests to evaluate the factors that control the value of a parameter or group of parameters. One project we are currently working will require use to use DOE.  The purpose of the project is to implement a close loop problem solving system.  In this case the DOE would be used to show the effectiveness of our quality tracking system, taking a known issue an applying our new process.  With the help of the DOE we would have quantitative data as proof that our solution to the issue is efficient and effective.

Answer 2

In this case I would use my work environment to explain the use of DOE. My company works hard to improve the customer satisfaction, and also ensure quality products and services in every restaurant. In order to do so, they used the DOE system to test different ways in which they could improve the quality of the customer experience. They tested by surveys, kitchen experience, overall quality, and restructure of systems. These four were tested all at the same time to determine which driver would influence more quality in the way the company was providing and ensuring customer satisfaction. There were other drivers that were tested, but they did not fulfill the overall requirements for the company. The tests showed the customers view, the speed and delivery of the food from the kitchen, and overall quality of the whole experience. These drivers encouraged by the results to restructure the systems of the kitchen and restaurant to ensure a better quality experience for the customer. This also caused the company to do a total system replacement of how we do things, provided a new system that instilled a stronger purpose for quality such as “seat to eat”, and many other principles that changed the way we do business. Every result caused the company to change everything from the host stand, seating, to how we cook our food. This system was so important that it cost the company 325 million dollars to ensure that every store will have what it needs to provide a better experience for their guests.

The company also just improved some of the ways we do things even from the new system. In the ten new stores that are just opened, the company changed everything around from the positioning of the store, kitchen computers, and even the production line. Things are even faster and easier to cook, while controlling labor and food cost. This system in used in the west, but plans to move it over to the east once the final tests are ran to ensure that this system will work. They are testing all of the drivers needed to provide the best quality service for their guests. These tests take a year or so, but the company feels they are worth it in the long run. It is also used in management, because they are trained about all the drivers, the ones tested, and the ones used for the improvement of the company. Since this is a very big company, they use a lot of drivers to test before moving forward. The goal is to improve what they are testing, so home office ensures that these tests are to do just that.

Answer 3

I would like to use the example of the travel agency that used to work for in the Middle East. The company was trying to improve their customer services and for that reason, they were in the experimentation phase. I must confess that at that time I did not know that DOE technique was utilized but after I have studied this topic here, I have realized that this technique was utilized and had good results in terms of understanding the behavior of customers and what form of communication they felt good with.

The travel agency started experimentation by using different techniques to reach out to customers who had used the services of the company in the last two months. They used two techniques of reaching out to different customers. It is obvious that they could not reach out to all the customers as they had a lot of customers. They selected two groups of 30 each customers and sent one group a survey that required to select between answers. An objective survey I may say. The other group was sent an open ended questionnaire with just a few questions.

The company waited for 7 days and after the analysis was made, 80% of the people who were sent objective survey responded while 55% of the people who were sent open ended questions replied. This proved that the company should focus on sending put objective type of surveys to get customer feedback.