Basic Questions about Lean and Six Sigma Answered
April 9, 2020 10:56am
Adapted from the webinar “Basic Concepts of Lean and Six Sigma” by Joel Martycz
Some of the most popular questions in the fields of business quality management and operations management tend to be regarding Lean and Six Sigma. Many want to learn what they are, how their tools work, and how the processes can help them. But the task to learn more can be daunting considering their complexities. Here are some of the basic questions regarding each answered.
What are Lean and Six Sigma?
Lean and Six Sigma are two related, but distinct, approaches to process improvement and business operations. Both have their own origins in manufacturing, but principles of each can be applied to nearly any business operation in any industry. The primary goal of Lean is to eliminate waste, which is identified as anything that doesn’t add value to the process as defined by the customer. The primary goal of Six Sigma is to eliminate defects, which are defined as being anything non-conforming to the demands of the customer. So while they are different, they tend to go hand in hand. As you improve one, you tend to improve the other as a matter of course.
What are their methodologies?
The central methodology of Six Sigma is DMAIC. The acronym stands for define, measure, analyze, improve, and control. It calls to define who is impacted and what the specific problem is. You’ll measure how success will be defined and what metrics will be used to verify it. Then you’ll analyze where the current process is falling short and what is the root cause. After that is identified, you can decide what actions can be taken in order to improve and eliminate that root cause. Finally, you’ll determine how to control and maintain the countermeasures put in place during the improve stage.
Tools that can be used in Six Sigma include fishbone diagrams, the five whys, regression analysis, scatter diagrams, value stream mapping, and control charts to name a few.
The central methodology of Lean is PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act). With Lean, you are never done improving. You are never done eliminating waste and optimizing your process. The idea behind lean methodology is you work in sequence, you plan your solution, you do, you check to verify you saw the improvement you thought you would, and then you act. You continue that cycle forever. It’s never lean enough, you are never done optimizing.
Lean utilizes a central tool looking at eight wastes (DOWNTIME) – that stands for defects, overproduction, waiting, not utilizing talent, transportation, inventory, motion, and excess processing. You’ll look at how wasted time of workers, people not performing tasks at their skill level, moving things unnecessarily, making items better than required by the customer, and tying up resources and space with inventory all contribute to waste in an organization.
How do I obtain my certification?
It’s important to know there is no central governing body of certification for Lean and Six Sigma. If you are pursuing a certification, the best options usually include either rigorous academic work through lecture or class projects paired with work experience. In this case, you would generally do something at work, then discuss it in class and get hands-on experience learning the material. Another option is a proctored, independent, “closed book” exam. Certifications are usually issued as “belts”. Traditionally, you would see green, black, and master black belts. However, some groups also offer white and yellow belts.
Some popular certifying bodies for you to consider include the American Society for Quality (ASQ), the International Association for Six Sigma Certification, and a variety of companies and universities with their own variety of certifications.
It’s important to note that many employers will provide their own tests to validate and verify you have the knowledge you claim to have, especially if you are applying for a job where your primary function will be a process improvement or six sigma specialist. So even if you have your master black belt, you should still be prepared to be tested by a prospective employer.
You can dive more deeply into Lean and Six Sigma by watching this recorded webinar.