Services Six Sigma™ / Lean

Six Sigma is a statistically based improvement approach that originated in Motorola and was developed in GE and other companies. It focuses on relentless reduction of variation to ensure process, product and service consistency and is typically deployed by the development of so-called Black and Green Belts who are respectively concerned with full-time and part-time improvement actions.

The methodology makes use of approximately 140 statistical tools and concepts and uses specialist software programmes, typically Minitab and Excel.

Six Sigma projects may be strategic or process-orientated and are conducted using the so-called DMAIC methodology which consists of the project-stages of Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control. We have found that the DMAIC project methodology is particularly effective when an additional T: ‘transfer’ stage is added at the end to spread the learning to other areas. Typical projects may be focused on cash-reduction and improvements in customer satisfaction and before and after project management is a crucial aspect of the application with projects not being signed off (nor belt candidates qualified) until targeted numerical goals are achieved.

Lean can be summarised as the systematic pursuit of perfect value through the elimination of waste in all aspects of the organisations business processes. It requires a very clear focus on the value element of all products and services and a thorough understanding of the detailed operations of the business processes by which the product or service is provided (the’ Value Stream’).

Both Six Sigma and Lean have at heart the business process and the process improvement approaches. An holistic model and methodology should thus retain this at its heart. The route through their approaches should depend primarily upon the issues that the organisation is facing and its nature, as well a being influenced by the organisation’s and individuals aspirations and perceptions.