A logical justification for blending Six Sigma with Lean is given by Devane (2004). He states that a pure six sigma approach lacks three desirable lean characteristics:<\/p>\n

\n
1. No direct focus on improving the speed of a process<\/li>\n
2. No direct attention to reduction in the amount of inventory investment<\/li>\n
3. No quick financial gains due to the time required to learn and apply its methods and tools for data collection and analysis.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

   He further states that on the other hand, a pure lean improvement effort has the following shortcomings:<\/p>\n

   \n
   1. Processes are not brought under statistical control<\/li>\n
   2. There is no focus on evaluating variations in measurement systems used for decisions<\/li>\n
   3. No process improvement practices link quality and advanced mathematical tools to diagnose process problems that remain once the obvious waste has been removed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Smith (2003) comments that when six sigma and lean production methodology run separately they will collide with each other and in contrast, a combination of lean and six sigma will have a positive impact on employee morale, inspiring change in the workplace culture because teams see the results of their efforts put to work almost immediately. Similar opinion is expressed by George (2002) who says that Lean Six Sigma directly attacks the manufacturing overhead and quality costs more effectively than any previous improvement methodology because it comprehends both quality and speed. Hence it can be stated that an integrated approach blending lean tools and Six Sigma will produce greater solutions in search of business and operational excellence.<\/p>\n

      Ramaswamy (2007) has described an approach for integrating training and application of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies that captures the key principles and philosophies of each method. This approach will work in both the situations when an organization is deploying Lean Six Sigma from the scratch and when an organization wants to overlay on an existing Lean or Six Sigma program<\/p>\n

      However, LSS is not without its detractors. Micklewright (2006) comments that six sigma and lean tools are time consuming and require special efforts to achieve success. He contends that six sigma itself takes longer time duration to put into practice. Quoting the Quality Guru \u201cKaoru Ishikawa\u201d he states that 90% of the quality problems can be solved by using Seven Quality Control Tools and hence a different program or approach is not necessary.<\/p>\n

      Guarraia, Carey, Corbett, and Neuhaus, (2008) remark that not every company would reap success by adopting LSS and passing every process through LSS would be a waste. They argue that LSS fails to detect the hidden sources responsible for waste reduction, cost savings or revenue generation and hence it is first necessary to decide where to focus before embarking on LSS journey. They contend that for every Lean Six Sigma success story there are tales of dissatisfaction, and state that in a recent survey of 184 companies, 80 percent say their Lean Six Sigma efforts are failing to drive the anticipated value<\/p>\n

      Swartwood (2003) states that although by combining Lean and Six Sigma, it is possible to achieve highly effective improvements in a company\u2019s operations, there are weaknesses in this approach. First, the project selection process is not well defined and projects may or may not be aligned with the corporate business strategy and goals. Second, Lean Six Sigma efforts tend to be aligned by organizational functions (silos) rather than by supply chains. This can result in departmental improvements, but fall short in achieving end-to-end supply chain improvements. He further comments that Lean Six Sigma depends primarily on brainstorming for project ideas, and it can be difficult to sustain long-term momentum once the initial waves of projects are complete.<\/p>\n

      The truth is that most companies adopting this Lean version of Six Sigma are doing it for cost reasons. They know that Six Sigma is popular and effective, but they are not willing to invest in setting up the program and all of the training that is required. The Lean version is sold as having little or no infrastructure. All you have to do is to set up a few improvement teams, task them with a process to look at, and get them going. In fact, I insist on groups being formed before my classes when I do live classes. And the classes focus on those groups, their projects, and the tools that they need as we progress. So, Lean here actually means \u201ccheap\u201d as opposed to the meaning we have been learning.<\/p>\n

      This leads to the another reason beyond lower cost, faster results. In the Lean version, we go straight for the projects and the results, and within a month or two can show significant savings or improvement to a process. I usually end my Lean classes with presentations to management, and they are always impressed. In the traditional Six Sigma approach, it takes months to get things set up, and then a typical project team can take months more to get results. So here the word Lean is used to mean \u201cquick\u201d again different than the true meaning.<\/p>\n

      But something is missing here when using Lean Six Sigma. It fails to address the culture changes required. As a result, these efforts are often short lived, and no program survives. When companies are doing it for these reasons, I stress that these are pilot projects, and management has to be setting up a longer term structure for this as we go.<\/p>\n

      Another reason people choose this approach is that people have heard the benefits of the Lean methodology, but assume it is just for manufacturing. Sometimes we emphasize that the Lean Six Sigma brings the Lean concepts from manufacturing to the service industry. In this context, it is not a Lean version of Six Sigma, but a service oriented version of Lean.<\/p>\n

      There is no need to elaborate on the best reason for adopting the Lean Six Sigma approach. We believe that the tool sets of these two approaches come together to complement each other. The result is an approach to improving business processes that is better than either one by itself.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Proposed Approach for Adopting LSS<\/strong><\/p>\n

      In the previous paragraphs, the LSS approach and its merits and demerits have been described. Based on these observations, we see that the LSS method will give faster results and that it will be less expensive to implement.\u00a0 Since no one argues these conclusions, our recommendation is always to begin any improvement effort with LSS, not Six Sigma.<\/p>\n

      On the other hand, the claim that LSS provides better solutions is questionable.\u00a0 It should be obvious, however, that a larger tool set can provide better results. Where one question comes in though is that LSS fails to look below the surface at underlying causes of problems in quite the way that Six Sigma does.\u00a0 A second issue is the long lasting effects, where Six Sigma seems to be a more sustainable approach relying on a structure to support it in the organization, not just a few projects here and there. And the third issue is the strategic one, where Six Sigma again provides a better global view of the improvement efforts and links them with the goals of the organization.<\/p>\n

      Based on this, our recommendation is to begin to build a Six Sigma organization, a structure for sustaining the improvement efforts in the long run, as soon as the initial LSS projects provide valuable results. In this way, LSS builds the momentum, and Six Sigma can then sustain it. The linkage between the two comes from the governance of the LSS projects.<\/p>\n

      Another key issue is resources.\u00a0 Six Sigma, with its hierarchy of Green Belts, Black Belts, Champions and so forth, provides the resources to make the program work in the long term.\u00a0 LSS claims that training at the Green Belt level can solve most problems. While this is correct, the support provided by more knowledgeable leaders is important.\u00a0 Once success comes from the initial LSS projects, a few individuals should be selected to be provided with more training and groomed for leadership roles, much like is done in Six Sigma.<\/p>\n

      Finally, we want to provide one suggestion that carries the LSS idea to its extreme in terms of fast and inexpensive. It is a good idea to start a LSS program with no prior training.\u00a0 Our experience is that training can be provided on an as-needed basis (just-in-time, or true Lean) with groups from a company that have improvement projects to work on. The \u201ctrainer\u201d then guides the improvement teams, providing training in the tools they will need at each stage of the project.\u00a0 This yields immediate results without the costly investment in training up front.<\/p>\n

      The approach we describe is, in our opinion, the best way to implement LSS.\u00a0 Perhaps more important though, is that it minimizes all resistance to establishing an improvement system.\u00a0 That resistance usually stems from the cost of initial training, and from the cost of the management structure required, and from the long time needed to see initial results. This approach to implementing LSS avoids all of those problems, allowing larger funding decisions to be made later after valuable results are achieved.<\/p>\n

      \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

      How to Conduct the Improvement Project – The Double LEAN Method<\/strong><\/p>\n

      A Six Sigma project follows the DMAIC process steps.\u00a0 But there are problems with this approach.\u00a0 First, the five phases take too long to complete, delaying results.\u00a0 More importantly, it misses key steps and is unclear in where to finish one phase and begin the next.<\/p>\n

      For an example of a missing step, the Define phase fails to look at the organization and define its processes.\u00a0 It also fails to help choose the process to study for improvement.\u00a0 This is all done in some vague process outside DMAIC, and DMAIC starts with this process chosen.<\/p>\n

      For an example of how the delineation of the phases is not clear, look at the line between Define and Measure.\u00a0 Define should state the goal for the project, but too often this cannot be done until results are in from the Measure phase. So Define is not complete until much of Measure is complete.\u00a0 The lines are blurred.<\/p>\n

      Another example is between the Analyze and Improve phases.\u00a0 It is not specified anywhere if identifying the improvement is in one or the other.\u00a0 Most would say it is in Improve, but the results of the Analyze phase identify the improvements.\u00a0 And then it is not clear whether the actual improvements are put in place in Improve or Control.\u00a0 IT is done differently on each project.<\/p>\n

      In response to this, a new approach is proposed here.. The authors have coined the \u201cLL-EE-AA-NN\u201d acronym for the proposed Double LEAN Approach.<\/strong> Each of the letters represents a particular action to be taken up by the group or the team responsible for quality improvement through the Lean Six Sigma approach. Further every two letters of the acronym constitute a phase and thus four phases are involved in the proposed methodology.<\/p>\n

      By having four phases instead of five, the time to completion is already reduced.\u00a0 By having clear lines between the phases, or phase gates to apply the term used in project management, the conduct of the projects is made more clear and easier.<\/p>\n

      The four steps of the Double LEAN method follow:<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      PHASE 1 \u2013 Look and Locate<\/strong><\/p>\n

      In the first phase, the LL stands for Look and Locate. Here we \u201cLook\u201d at the organization and its customers and processes and \u201cLocate\u201d the process in need of improvement. The organization is described in terms of its Critical-to-Quality customer-based measures of success, and the set of processes in place to achieve those measures. The organization is modeled in a way that leads to customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n

      The Look and Locate (LL) phase seeks to identify the process to be studied. The main outputs of this phase are the justification for the selection of the project chosen and the charter for that improvement project. While these outputs are similar to the Define phase of DMAIC, the justification is has much more in it and the lines between this and the next phase are more clear.<\/p>\n

      Begin by Looking. Look at the business organization. Describe that organization in terms of its business processes. This is the Six Sigma view, or the Process View (the LOOK) of the organization.<\/p>\n

      The first approach to this step is to use brainstorming. Find the right people and start to list the processes. A convenient approach used is to list the high level processes first, and then list the processes under each of those. Continue this until the 3rd or 4th level of processes to get the necessary level of detail in the LOOK.<\/p>\n

      A common Six Sigma tool is to use the Voice of the Customer. The suggestion is to use this in conjunction with a high level SIPOC. Start with the Customer, the \u201cC\u201d, and see what the main needs of the customer are. Then, go backward to see what processes, the P\u2019s, are in place to provide those needs.<\/p>\n

      Once all of those processes are identified, it is time to LOCATE the issues and select the process to be studied. Process mapping can identify where most problems or delays are occurring in a process. A Pareto chart can identify and rank the urgency of looking at any particular process. Financial analysis can help determine which process improvements can save the most money for the time invested. Multi-voting can be used for the selection where multiple factors weigh in on the decision.<\/p>\n

      Ultimately, the process is selected and a Charter is written. The charter should list the team members and the goals of the project, while also outlining a work plan and a schedule. It should be approved by management, or a sponsor, prior to continuing, or beginning, the actual process improvement work.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      PHASE 2 \u2013 Explore and Establish<\/strong><\/p>\n

      In the second phase, \u201cEE\u201d represents \u201cExplore\u201d and \u201cEstablish\u201d.<\/p>\n

      The basis for improving a process is to understand the process, how it works as well as how well it is working. EXPLORE the process to understand it. Use detailed process mapping or value stream mapping here.\u00a0 The more detailed version of the SIPOC done earlier can also be used. Tools like swim lane flowcharts and spaghetti diagrams are also useful.<\/p>\n

      Then, collect data on the process to ESTABLISH a baseline, or the before improvement position, on how well the process is performing. These measures are mostly on process outputs. Tools like the Pareto chart, the run chart, the control chart, and the tools of descriptive statistics can all apply.<\/p>\n

      The main output of this phase is the knowledge and the measures of the degree of problems in the process. At this point, the problems can be seen more clearly, hopefully bringing the solution to those problems into sight.<\/p>\n

      The fact that this phase ends with the establishment of a baseline is valuable in three ways.\u00a0 From a prescriptive viewpoint of what to do, it provides a clear phase gate in the project.\u00a0 A review can take place to refine what needs to be improved, what needs to be further investigated, and the goals for improvement can be established.\u00a0 It also allows for a decision not to continue the project, if the data does not justify continuing.<\/p>\n

      The second item of value at this point is the understanding of the current process that is gained from this step.\u00a0 Most times when a process is conducted, especially if done by many people, there is no clear understanding of it.\u00a0 Everyone is doing it differently.\u00a0 This Establish phase yields improvements just by getting everyone doing the same thing.<\/p>\n

      The third item of value is the baseline itself, the main goal of this phase.\u00a0 The baseline provides a point to look back at and compare to prove later that improvement was achieved. This baseline will be needed in later phases to reach that conclusion of success and to identify the degree of success.<\/p>\n

      \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

      PHASE 3 \u2013 Analyze and Apply <\/strong><\/p>\n

      The third phase is denoted by \u201cAA\u201d which stands for \u201cAnalyze\u201d and \u201cApply\u201d.\u00a0 In this phase the effects that potential changes in process inputs will have on the process outputs related to customer satisfaction are analyzed. This leads to a list of process improvement actions. These actions are then applied to the process to check the validity of the changes, and to assess the feasibility of implementing them.\u00a0 Again, a clear line is established to end this phase.<\/p>\n

      To ANALYZE the problems, or the processes, it is necessary to identify the possible process parameters or steps that lead to those out measures established in the previous phase. The linkage between inputs and outputs from the process, the causes and effects, is the most critical step in this entire methodology. By linking the causes of problems to the problems, we can then APPLY that knowledge to identify the improvement steps to take and try out those improvement actions. The goal is to improve the outputs by modifying the process inputs.<\/p>\n

      The most common tool in this phase is the cause and effect diagram. Many times the Pareto chart is used here, most often looking at the items listed in the cause and effect diagram. Another approach is the use of the 5 Whys. Some of the Lean improvement tools can apply in this phase. For most processes, these tools suffice. But the statistical tools of correlation analysis, especially regression for quantifying the relationships between inputs and outputs of a process may be helpful. In situations where there is a lot of data available, especially manufacturing, design of experiments can be used.<\/p>\n

      The output of this phase is the identification of the improvement actions to take, and their use on a trial basis to test them out. The tools of hypothesis testing and ANOVA can be used to verify that improvement is achieved.<\/p>\n

      Another key phase gate is introduced here.\u00a0 In the DMAIC, the improvements are really identified in Analyze, but not mentioned until the next phase.\u00a0 But since these cannot really be separated, they are combined here.\u00a0 At the end of the phase, another phase review can take place.\u00a0 The improvements are reviewed and any required investment decisions can be made.\u00a0 The decision to go ahead or not with implementing the improvements is made before going to the next phase.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      PHASE 4 \u2013 New and Navigate<\/strong><\/p>\n

      The fourth phase consists of \u201cNN\u201d indicating \u201cNew\u201d and \u201cNavigate\u201d. In this phase a \u201cNew\u201d process is developed based on the evaluation and improvement implementation of the existing process. Schedule and budgets are prepared to implement the desired changes and improvements. Besides the improvement tools, project management and change management tools are introduced to facilitate the move to the improved process. Plans are introduced here to \u201cNavigate\u201d the use of the new process, to ensure that the improvements achieved are monitored and maintained.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      The improvements have been selected, and the process improvements are ready to implement. The NEW process should be described with a new process map. The tool of process mapping should be used. The major tools needed now are the tools of project management to implement the new system. Change management may also be needed.<\/p>\n

      The improvement process is now ready to use with the new system. Finally, a plan to NAVIGATE the new system needs to be prepared. The poka yoke can be used to prevent problems from occurring. New operating procedures (SOP\u2019s) are developed. Control processes like user logs or control charts are used. The intent is to make sure that the system continues to show the improvements and that they are not just temporary. To some degree, this Navigate is similar to the Control phase of DMAIC, but more fully developed.<\/p>\n

      At the end of this phase the improvements should be visible and the cycle can be repeated with other processes.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Conclusions<\/strong><\/p>\n

      This paper has clearly established that there is good reason to adopt a LSS approach, either in place of Six Sigma or as an introductory step toward adopting Six Sigma. It also shows that no methodology exists for conducting a LSS project, separate from a Six Sigma project.<\/p>\n

      An approach to implementing a LSS program is developed, providing suggestions for how to plan and manage that evolution in the company.\u00a0 It can be done independently or in conjunction with a Six Sigma program.<\/p>\n

      The main result of this paper is the method for conducting a LSS project.\u00a0 This is the Double LEAN method.\u00a0 The four phases are each described.\u00a0 They are:
      \nLL — Look and Locate
      \nEE — Explore and Establish
      \nAA — Analyze and Apply
      \nNN — New and Navigate.<\/p>\n

      The Double LEAN method is more prescriptive and easier to use than the DMAIC.\u00a0 In addition, the establishment of phase gates is a major improvement over the DMAIC.<\/p>\n

      \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

      References<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
      1. Alukal, George and Manos, Anthony. (2007), \u201cLean Kaizen\u201d, Pearson Power, New Delhi, India.<\/li>\n
      2. Arthur, Jay. (2007), \u201cLean Six Sigma Demistified\u201d,<\/li>\n
      3. Devane, T. (2004), \u201cIntegrating Lean Six Sigma and High-Performance Organizations: Leading the charge toward dramatic, rapid and sustainable improvement\u201d, Pfeiffer.<\/li>\n
      4. George M L. (2002) \u201cLean Six Sigma: Combining six sigma quality with lean speed\u201d, McGraw-Hill.<\/li>\n
      5. George, Mike. Rowlands, Dave. and Kastle, Bill. (2004), \u201cWhat is Lean Six Sigma?\u201d McGraw Hill, New York.<\/li>\n
      6. Guarraia, Peter.,Gib Carey, Gib., Corbett, Allistair. and Neuhaus, Klaus (2008) \u201cLean Six Sigma for manufacturing\u201d Bain & Company, Inc.<\/li>\n
      7. Hall, Richard. J. Using Lean Six Sigma to drive business results to achieve high performance<\/li>\n
      8. Micklewright, Mike. (2006) \u201cLean Six Sigma – An Oxymoron?\u201d, Superfactory<\/li>\n
      9. Ramaswamy, Rohit (2007) \u201cIntegrating Lean and Six Sigma Methodologies for Business Excellence\u201d, www.statamatrix.com<\/a><\/li>\n
      10. Smith, B. (2003), \u201cLean and Six Sigma \u2013 A One-Two Punch\u201d, Quality Progress, Vol.36, No. 4, pp. 37-41.<\/li>\n
      11. Stephen, Philip. (2004) \u201cApplication of DMAIC to integrate Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma\u201d, MS Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.<\/li>\n
      12. Swartwood, Dan. (2003) \u201cUsing Lean, Six Sigma, and SCOR To Improve competitiveness\u201d, www.pragmatek.com<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Introduction \u201cSix Sigma\u201d is a well accepted philosophy for quality improvement across business and industries, and continues to attract organizations seeking process improvement. Though two decades have already passed since… <\/p>\n

          <\/div>\n

          Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":3825,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[100,99,95],"class_list":["post-3824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-six-sigma","tag-double","tag-lean","tag-six-sigma"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldclasstraininginstitute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldclasstraininginstitute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldclasstraininginstitute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldclasstraininginstitute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldclasstraininginstitute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3824"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/worldclasstraininginstitute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3826,"href":"https:\/\/worldclasstraininginstitute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3824\/revisions\/3826"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldclasstraininginstitute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldclasstraininginstitute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldclasstraininginstitute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldclasstraininginstitute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}