Lean Six Sigma Frequently Asked Questions
Lean Six Sigma is an integrated set of methodologies that encompasses
both Lean and Six Sigma concepts. It combines two powerful toolsets
to provide the tools to address all aspects of quality, cost,
and delivery. Both sets of methodologies have a strong customer
and quality focus and rely on continual improvement, which enable
them to be very complimentary.
Lean focuses on providing products and services at competitive
prices by eliminating waste and its drivers, while Six Sigma
focuses on minimizing and reducing process variation that cause
defects. Lean Six Sigma integrates traditional Six Sigma thinking
and methods with Lean thinking and approaches to provide customers
the faster creation of value at the lowest possible cost.
Lean Six Sigma combines the strength of Six Sigma rigor and
data-driven analysis with the straight-forward Lean approaches
to eliminating waste and its drivers. The combination of the
two methodologies provides a more robust toolset for organizations
to apply to solve problems, using those tools and techniques
that are best suited for the specific problem being addressed.
Instead of the traditional separate use of the tools, Lean Six
Sigma blends Lean approaches within the Six Sigma DMAIC model
as well as allows Lean approaches to be used on their own within
the DMAIC model.
Lean Six Sigma incorporates many successful elements of past
initiatives and builds on them. It combines the Six Sigma performance
measure that evaluates processes based on their ability to meet
customer requirements, and incorporates Lean approaches to reduce
and eliminate waste and its drivers, providing the faster creation
of value at the lowest possible cost.
It combines two powerful toolsets to provide the tools to address
all aspects of quality, cost, and delivery. There are strategies
for all three phases of management—process (re)design,
process management, and process improvement. There are specific
qualitative and quantitative tools and activities for each strategy.
The goal of Lean Six Sigma is to provide customers with the
faster creation of value at the lowest possible cost; drive
out waste while aligning processes with customers.
- Combines two powerful toolsets to provide the tools to address
all aspects of quality, cost, and delivery
- Forces a focus on understanding and meeting customers requirements
in the most cost effective manner
- Creates a process focus
- Accrues many benefits by driving out waste while aligning
a process with customers
- Allows measurable tracking of improvement
- Allows for greater participation across all levels of
the organization
- Increases use of continual improvement concepts into everyday
work
Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques can be used to identify,
document, measure, monitor, and control critical processes,
to ensure performance meets customer requirements.
Process improvement is required when an organization’s
performance is not meeting customer requirements. Lean Six Sigma
provides a comprehensive set of tools, techniques, and approaches
to allow an organization to gather customer requirements, analyze
existing performance against those requirements, implement solutions
to address performance gaps, and maintain the improved state
ongoing. Tools and techniques are utilized that are best suited
for the specific problem being addressed.
Process (re)design is required when an organization does not
have the existing capabilities to meet customer requirements
which require new products or services to be developed.
Lean Six Sigma provides a comprehensive set of tools, techniques,
and approaches to allow an organization to gather customer requirements,
develop specifications based on those requirements, develop
and implement solutions to meet the requirements, and verify
the requirements have been met by the new product or service.
Solutions are built to drive out waste while aligning processes
with customers.
Yes, many organizations that have started with Six Sigma are
incorporating Lean into their programs. STAT-A-MATRIX can work
with your organization to integrate Lean concepts and tools
into your existing structure, giving you the ability to use
the tools and techniques that are best suited for the specific
problem being addressed.
Yes, due to the complimentary nature of both methodologies,
Six Sigma can be integrated into an existing Lean program. STAT-A-MATRIX
can work with your organization to integrate Six Sigma concepts
and tools into your existing Lean efforts, giving you the ability
to use the tools and techniques that are best suited for the
specific problem being addressed.
There are seven essential steps to implementing Lean Six Sigma:
- Understanding and commitment of top leadership.
- Access to current information on customer needs—your
critical data pool.
- A process-management system to measure current performance
and identify where you need to make improvements.
- Resources—Coaches, Black Belts and Green Belts—trained
to design and improve processes and to assist process owners.
- Ongoing management involvement and review to reinforce
process management, improvement, and design.
- Communication to ensure that customer focus and Lean Six
Sigma methods are embraced throughout the organization.
- Assigned responsibilities for Six Sigma within the organization.
Anywhere from two to five years. There are no short-cuts. Progress
depends very much on how well top management leads the initiative.
If top management is out front leading the effort, then Lean
Six Sigma will permeate the organization quickly and more permanently.
Not every process needs immediate improvement. Start by considering
which processes concern your customers the most and place your
priorities there. For example, a hospital might learn from surveys
that their customers care less about the time it takes to be
admitted than they do about safe medical procedures and proper
medications.
There is a systematic process for selection that begins with
the organization’s strategy and top management. They identify
what processes are “hurting” the organization the
most, and then translate the broad topics into executable projects.
Based on the nature of the problem being addressed, the appropriate
Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques are applied. Once the projects
are prioritized, then process improvement teams are assigned
to work on the problems.
Based on the nature of the problem being addressed, the appropriate
Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques are applied. When the detailed
solution and root causes are unknown and more advanced statistical
tools are needed, the DMAIC method can be applied – this
involves incorporating known Lean approaches in the Improve
phase and executing the improvement in a project manner.
When the detailed solution is unknown, less rigorous tools
are needed, and a known Lean approach can be applied to address
the problem, the Lean DMAIC method can be applied – this
involves using mainly Lean tools throughout the DMAIC phases
and executing the improvement in a Lean (kaizen or blitz) event.
A Lean (kaizen or blitz) event is an intense, brief team effort
to apply specific Lean approaches to reduce waste, defects,
and cycle time and implement improvements in a particular process
or department.
There are various levels of expertise that exist within the
Lean Six Sigma structure. Based on each of the levels, the training
requirements vary. Here is a list of some of the most-recognized
qualification levels:
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
These are individuals who have advanced expertise in DMAIC,
Lean DMAIC and DMADV to lead a major improvement or (re)design
project.
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt candidates are assessed in three
stages:
- The organization ensures that the candidate possesses the
personal and leadership skills, and experience to lead project
teams.
- The candidate attends an intensive seven-week training
program with weekly sessions spaced about a month apart. At
the end of each week and after the entire seven weeks, the
candidate must pass a written examination.
- The candidate leads to conclusion a successful Lean Six
Sigma project authorized and validated by the organization,
and submits a report to the examiner. This report must demonstrate
the candidate’s mastery of the tools and methods of
Lean Six Sigma. Any tools not required by the project itself
can be demonstrated by means of separate case studies.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
These are individuals who have sufficient expertise in DMAIC
and Lean DMAIC (or DMADV) to contribute to a major improvement
or (re)design project through data collection, analysis, and
other activities. They may sometimes lead smaller scale improvement
projects.
Candidates take a two-week training class and pass a written
examination. Project work is normally assigned and evaluated
by the organization itself.
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