What Is Six Sigma?
Lean Six Sigma is an altered form of the Six Sigma process. Although it has the basic fundamentals of Six Sigma, Lean has a few differences that set it apart from basic Six Sigma Training. Knowing the difference can prove to add more to your quality improvement projects then you would have ever thought possible.
Lean Six Sigma focuses on eight elements of waste, or work that doesn't add value to an organization or company. It has been found that many places that eliminate these wasteful areas can actually improve quality with just that elimination alone. The following is a list of the wastes according to the Lean process, along with examples of what each one alludes to:
-Wasted Human Talent: This category includes any employee that is not pulling their weight, thus slowing the process down. It also includes anyone without a specific job function within the process.
-Defects: This refers to any product or process within your company that is not properly functioning. Prior to eliminating these defects, however, a solution to fix them needs to be put forth.
-Inventory: Too much product waiting to be worked. This can also refer to too many patients in a doctors waiting room, for example.
-Overproduction: Having to much of something before it is needed may be harmful to the organization and efficiency of the operation you are working in.
-Wasted Time: The amount of time that is spent waiting for a product. Any down time should be spent on needed areas of various activities or process. For example, you should never have five employees just standing around waiting for a supply truck to arrive, instead find other areas that they can be useful while they wait.
-Motion: When you are moving people around and it is not necessary to do so. An example of this would be, when a clinic send a patient that has an appointment to triage. Instead the patient should be going straight to the exam room.
-Transportation: If the company is using a means of transportation for a person or product that is not needed, then that would fall under the wasteful category.
-Process Waste: Anything that needs to be done within the company, but does not add any value to the process, product or service. For example, a manager may be required to fill out paperwork each night, but it has nothing to do with improving the product or customer service.
By utilizing Lean Six Sigma and understanding the areas of waste, you are sure to improve the quailty of the product that is produced by you company.
Lean Six Sigma focuses on eight elements of waste, or work that doesn't add value to an organization or company. It has been found that many places that eliminate these wasteful areas can actually improve quality with just that elimination alone. The following is a list of the wastes according to the Lean process, along with examples of what each one alludes to:
-Wasted Human Talent: This category includes any employee that is not pulling their weight, thus slowing the process down. It also includes anyone without a specific job function within the process.
-Defects: This refers to any product or process within your company that is not properly functioning. Prior to eliminating these defects, however, a solution to fix them needs to be put forth.
-Inventory: Too much product waiting to be worked. This can also refer to too many patients in a doctors waiting room, for example.
-Overproduction: Having to much of something before it is needed may be harmful to the organization and efficiency of the operation you are working in.
-Wasted Time: The amount of time that is spent waiting for a product. Any down time should be spent on needed areas of various activities or process. For example, you should never have five employees just standing around waiting for a supply truck to arrive, instead find other areas that they can be useful while they wait.
-Motion: When you are moving people around and it is not necessary to do so. An example of this would be, when a clinic send a patient that has an appointment to triage. Instead the patient should be going straight to the exam room.
-Transportation: If the company is using a means of transportation for a person or product that is not needed, then that would fall under the wasteful category.
-Process Waste: Anything that needs to be done within the company, but does not add any value to the process, product or service. For example, a manager may be required to fill out paperwork each night, but it has nothing to do with improving the product or customer service.
By utilizing Lean Six Sigma and understanding the areas of waste, you are sure to improve the quailty of the product that is produced by you company.
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