Lean Six Sigma is an amalgamation of two leading global process improvement methodologies i.e.:
Lean
Lean is a management philosophy that utilizes several tools and techniques to improve efficiency and effectiveness by utilizing fewer resources and reducing or eliminating non-value-adding activities and waste.
Lean relies on 3 very simple ideas:
1. Value delivery from the customer’s perspective
2. Elimination of waste and all non-value-adding activities
3. Continuous improvement
We make use of several lean tools and techniques either individually or in combination to help your organization become ‘lean and fit’. Here is a list of some of our lean tools and techniques:
- Waste [Muda] elimination – focusing on the globally recognized seven deadly wastes
- 5S – Workplace Organization
- Value Stream Mapping – Identification and elimination of non-value-adding activities
- Total Productive Maintenance [TPM] – Efficient and effective maintenance of facilities
- Just-in-Time – Inventory management method that reduces waste and carrying costs
- Poka Yoke – Mistake/Error-proofing in operations
- Overall Equipment Effectiveness [OEE] – Maximizing the productivity of equipment and operations
- Plan, Do, Check, Act [PDCA Cycle] – Problem-solving, change management, and continuous improvement framework
- Kanban – Work visualization and load balancing
- Hoshin Kanri – Policy Deployment
- Heijunka – Level scheduling to reduce unevenness and overburden in a production process
- Single Minute Exchange of Die [SMED] – Reduction of set-up [changeover] time to less than ten minutes
- Bottleneck Analysis – Identifying and removing obstacles to optimize process throughput
- Jidoka [Autonomation] – Partial automation of production processes with automatic stops when errors are detected
- Standardized Work – Precise documented work procedures
- Kaizen – Continuous improvement practices involving everyone in the organization
- Visual Management – Use of visual aids to convey messages quicker and more efficiently.
We would be delighted to deploy these tools to help you achieve your business process excellence goals as well as help you entrench lean philosophy throughout your organization. Please contact us today.
Learn the Concepts…. Apply the Tools…. Get the Results. —Richard Charron
Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a statistical and data-driven quality management methodology that helps create better products and services by applying a wide range of proven tools and techniques to identify root causes of problems, reduce or eliminate variation and defects in processes and establish a culture of continuous process improvement in an organization.
There are two major methodologies used within Six Sigma abbreviated as DMAIC [used for improving existing processes] and DMADV [used for creating new processes, products, and services]:
DMAIC stands for:
- Define the problem and project goals
- Measure the various aspects of the current process
- Analyze data to, among other things, find root defects and causes
- Improve the process
- Control how the process is executed in the future.
DMADV stands for:
- Define project goals
- Measure critical components of the process and its capabilities
- Analyze data, develop various designs and pick the best one
- Design and test details of the process
- Verify the design through simulation and piloting before handing it over to the client
Lean Six Sigma utilizes many tools and techniques such as
- Activity Network Diagram
- Affinity Diagram
- Analysis of Variance [ANOVA]
- Benchmarking
- Brainstorming
- Bureaucracy Elimination
- Cause and Effect Analysis
- Check Sheet
- Control Charts
- Control Plan
- Correlation and Regression Analysis
- Critical-to-Quality [CTQ] Drilldown
- Data Collection Plan
- Design for Six Sigma [DFSS]
- Design for X [DFX]
- Design of Experiments [DOE]
- DMADV
- DMAIC
- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis [FMEA]
- Force Field Analysis
- Graphical Analysis
- Hypothesis Testing
- Impact Matrix [PICK Chart]
- KANO Analysis
- Measurement Systems Analysis [MSA]
- Min/Max Analysis
- Nominal Group Technique
- Pareto Analysis
- Program Evaluation and Review Technique [PERT]
- Pugh [Decision] Matrix
- Quality Function Deployment [QFD]
- Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed [RACI] Matrix
- Root Cause Analysis
- Spaghetti Chart
- Stakeholder Analysis [ARMI]
- Statistical Process Control [SPC]
- Supplier, Input, Process, Output, Customer [SIPOC]
- Theory of Constraints
- Tree Diagram
- Triz Theory
- Voice of the Customer [VOC].
We can deploy any or a combination of these tools in your organization to help you consistently delight your customers and boost profitability for the benefit of all your stakeholders. Please contact us today.