Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that organizations use to improve their processes. It is a powerful method which is proven to work. There are key tools and principles within the Lean Six Sigma methodology that have been proven to lead to organizational success. At......
Today, lean six sigma, lean and six sigma are the dominant process improvement methodologies. And for very good reason. They are very effective in fixing process issues. Specifically, six sigma focuses on variation reduction, while lean focuses on waste reduction. Lean six sigma, of course,......
When I am asked “What is the key to a successful lean six sigma initiative?”, my answer is always “leadership.” Think of the continuous improvement organization as an inverted triangle. At the top are the people we serve, internal and external customers. Below them are......
Even organizations that are initially successful with a continuous improvement (CI) initiative, such as Lean Six Sigma, still find it challenging to sustain their success. Over time, the initiative loses momentum and begins to wither. Over time, the business benefit declines precipitously and the initiative......
This question is a complex one and there is not a single answer. However, based on 20+ years of assisting organizations with continuous improvement, there are some common themes that can be observed. One of the primary problems is that organizations don’t consider the issues......
There are many organizations that have chosen a lean six sigma approach to continuous improvement, while a significant percentage of the others have chosen just lean or just six sigma. Any of these approaches can successfully drive continuous improvement and there are countless examples of......
We were recently reviewed in a recent LSS study conducted out of the University of Amsterdam. This paper focuses on various methodologies used in implementing the Lean Six Sigma method (Linderman et al. 2003; Schroeder et al. 2008; Zu, Fredendall, and Douglas 2008; Arumugam, Antony, and......
Currently, most organizations embrace some form of continuous improvement. It could be lean, lean six sigma, total quality management, agile or some other methodology. These methodologies are used to solve process issues and improve the business. The questions that are most often not asked however......
When teaching lean six sigma green belts and black belts, I tell them very early in the training “Do not share your opinion with me, because I just don’t care. It’s not personal, but the last thing in the world that I need is another......
With Alabama winning the national championship this year, I am once again reminded of coach Saban’s focus on “the process.” The reason that coach Saban is so successful is just that – his unrelenting focus on “the process.” Less successful organizations don’t focus on the......
