Six Sigma SpotLight: Michael G. Daniels, VP Quality, Cott Beverages

Six Sigma SpotLight is a regular feature of the e-Zsigma newsletter, and allows us to introduce one of the global six sigma community's superstars.

In this issue, we are extremely pleased to introduce you to Mr. Michael G. Daniels, Vice President Quality for Cott Beverages, (www.cott.com), the world's leading supplier of retailer brand carbonated drinks.

Mike has been active in the six sigma community since his first introduction to the business excellence strategy at Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) in 1989, and has been responsible for the over 500 Black Belts and Green Belts, and associated projects resulting in tens of millions of dollars of savings.

Recently, we had the privilege of interviewing Mike for this issue of SpotLight. 

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e-Zsigma Interview with Mike Daniels, VP Quality, Cott

1. News: "You have been actively involved in the six sigma global community for almost one and one half decades now, Mike.  We often hear references to a six sigma cookbook or recipe for success.  With the expansion of six sigma not only into service industries such as banking, insurance, and healthcare, but also into small to medium enterprises (SME), is there such a thing as a single recipe or cookbook, or in fact, did one ever exist?"

1. Mike: "I think you can view the six sigma strategy as an outline, but certainly not a cookbook.  Every organization is different... is at a different stage in its development, and as such, has a management structure which will either embrace six sigma, or at some level, roadblock it."

2. News: "Certainly being Vice President of Quality at Cott has been the most senior role in your six sigma career.  What are some of the challenges and opportunities you see in the coming twelve months for your mandate there?"

2. Mike: "The major challenge right now is to keep up the steam... to move into (areas of the business) that have not embraced or don’t see how to embrace six sigma."

3. News: "You had mentioned in your biography that you had worked and trained as a six sigma Black Belt under the tutelage of Dr. Mikel Harry.  Many, if not all of our readers, will immediately recognize Dr. Harry as being the co-founder of Six Sigma Academy, and one of the fathers of today’s six sigma global community.  What was it like training and working with Mikel Harry?"

3. Mike: "Well, Mikel Harry is a very energetic man and he lives and breathes six sigma.  One of the things that struck me was his application of six sigma to traveling.  We were doing some training in Germany and it was my first trip to that country.  I thought we might try some typical German cuisine.  Mike’s choice of restaurant, however, was McDonalds.  He said that the variation from country to country at McDonalds was smaller than for any other restaurant - and on an aggressive travel schedule which entails moving from country to country over a short period of time can wreak havoc with the digestive system!" 

4. News: "After thirteen years of six sigma experience, which of your previous projects would you still consider your favorite today, and why?"

4. Mike: "I can’t really say that I have a favorite.  They are all different, exciting and challenging.  Even the projects which might be repeats from other companies always have a new side them.  I would say that the most challenging work is within companies that are not driven to six sigma from the top.  Not having the man at the top increases the time it takes to internalize the six sigma strategy considerably and increase the risk of failure.  While I can’t say that I have a favorite project, working in this environment is my least favorite way of deploying six sigma."

5. News: "It is said that we are witnessing the emergence of a mature six sigma global community, evidenced by the proliferation of public events and forums hosted by organizations including the American Society for Quality (ASQ), the International Quality & Productivity Center (IQPC), and the International Society of Six Sigma Professionals (ISSSP).  In addition, there is now a vast network of companies offering a variety of on-site, blended, public, and web-based six sigma training as well as supporting technologies.  Where do you see this community headed and what would you consider to be the top three concerns that need to be addressed in the next decade for a healthy six sigma community to continue to grow and mature?"

Scroll up to right-hand side of page to continue interview...

Michael G. Daniels, VP Quality, Cott Beverages. 
Image courtesy of Cott Beverages. Unauthorized use not permitted.

Click on image to go to Cott Beverages website

Interview with Mike Daniels (continued)

5. Mike: "I think the driving force in the deployment of six sigma is to reduce the cost of training six sigma professionals.  The smaller companies that can benefit from six sigma don’t have the resources (dollars) to invest in even a proven bottom line improvement process like six sigma. So, growing Black Belts from within at an affordable first cost is needed. The top three concerns are 1) Consistency of training such that a Black belt is a Black Belt is a Black belt.  2) The development of an acceptable certification process. 3) Training from within our  educational institutions so that six sigma Black Belts are emerging from our colleges and universities in both the technical and non technical curriculums."

6. News: "We have seen an increasing number of companies, both large and small, choosing to deploy a six sigma strategic program using internal resources – that is, hiring personnel that can deploy six sigma for them, without having to rely on outside partners and consulting firms, or at least, minimizing their reliance on outside help.  What words of advise would you have for companies exploring this option?  What are some of the pitfalls to watch out for in six sigma deployments and some strategies or tools that will make their program more successful?"

6. Mike: "The biggest pitfall is the lack of credibility these people will face.  The biggest challenge in six sigma is not the math and science, but rather the ability to make change.  You can define, measure and analyze as much as you want, but unless you change something because of your new knowledge, six sigma fails!  Developing resources from within utilizing already accepted change agents is one of the key elements of success in the deployment of six sigma.  Now, once you have a critical mass of internally accepted six sigma practitioners, then bring in new blood from the outside to enhance and grow your program."

Staff Writer, e-Zsigma, Inc. 

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If you have a six sigma "superstar" you would like to have featured in SpotLight, send your submission to news@e-zsigma.com.

Please include in your email;

1. a brief biography of the person you are recommending

2. the reason you are submitting their name

3. a photograph or "action shot" if you have one

4. your nominee's contact information (so that the e-Zsigma news team can obtain their consent as well as conduct an brief interview)

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