Lean Six Sigma is an altered form of Six Sigma Training, but also a process all its own in many capacities. Knowing the vital differences that come with Lean can prove to add more to your quality improvement projects than you might have thought possible. There are basic fundamentals of Six Sigma that will not be absent in the Lean process, but there are also a few additions to the process that make it what it is.
There are eight elements of waste that Lean Six Sigma focuses on. It has been proven that once these areas are removed from a company, their quality has improved. The following is a list of what the Lean process considers to be waste and examples to each area.
-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: You never want to have to much of something before it is needed. This can get in the way of a well-organized operation.
-Wasted Time: many times you will find that you can not go any further until you receive a product or piece of information from someone. Instead of sitting around waiting, this time would be better spent on processes or activities that may need some extra assistance.
-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: Any form of ineffective transportation that is used to move people or a product. If it is not necessary then it is wasteful and not needed.
-Process Waste: Things that have to be done, but don’t add value to the process, product, or service at hand. For example, a bank manager has to process a lot of paperwork, but this doesn’t help customers or increase the banks ability to serve those customers in most cases.
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.
Create the most of your business skills with six sigma training. Getting green belt six sigma will benefit yourself in addition to your business. To learn more go to www.sixsigmaonline.org.
categories: six sigma,lean six sigma,business,corporate,quality assurance,company improvement,product improvement,self improvement,employee,training
