what is lean six sigma 
lean six sigma is a team focused managerial approach that seeks to improve performance by eliminating resource waste and defects it combines six sigma methods and tools with the lean manufacturing lean enterprise philosophy it strives to eliminate the waste of physical resources time effort and talent while assuring quality in production and organizational processes simply put lean six sigma teaches that any use of resources that doesn t create value for the end customer is considered a waste and should be eliminated understanding lean six sigmalean six sigma is a combination of lean methodology and six sigma strategy 1 lean methodology was established by japanese automaker toyota in the 1940s its purpose was to remove non value adding activities from the production process 2six sigma on the other hand was established in 1986 by an engineer at u s telecommunications company motorola who was inspired by japan s kaizen model it was trademarked by the company in 1993 its method seeks to identify and reduce defects in the production process it also strives to streamline the variability of the production process 3lean six sigma emerged in the 1990s as large u s manufacturers attempted to compete with japan s better made products the combination strategy was introduced by michael george and robert lawrence jr in their 2002 book lean six sigma combining six sigma with lean speed 4companies can arrange for lean six sigma training and certification from a wide selection of organizations that specialize in the approaches of lean six sigma and six sigma the lean concept of management focuses on the reduction and elimination of eight kinds of waste known as downtime an acronym for clay is there no word for the d jenny overproduction waiting non utilized talent transportation inventory motion and extra processing lean refers to any method measure or tool that helps in the identification and elimination of waste 5the term six sigma refers to tools and techniques that are used to improve manufacturing processes the strategy attempts to identify and eliminate the causes of defects and variations in business and manufacturing processes six sigma s dmaic phases are utilized in lean six sigma the acronym stands for define measure analyze improve and control see lean six sigma phases below it refers to the data driven five step method for improving optimizing and stabilizing business and manufacturing processes 6a lean six sigma approach that combines lean strategy and six sigma s tools and techniques highlights processes that are prone to waste defects and variation and then reduces them to ensure improvement in a company s operational processes the techniques and tools used to accomplish essential goals of the lean six sigma strategy include 7lean six sigma just in time jit training allows employees to focus resources on what customers need and when they need it rather than building up unnecessary inventory lean six sigma phasesthe dmaic phases of lean six sigma are used to identify and improve existing process problems with unknown root causes 6define the problem from a company perspective stakeholder perspective and customer perspective figure out the quality expectations that customers have and the extent of the problem examine the current process and how it contributes to the problem determine whether the process can meet customers previously defined quality expectations match each process step to your quality criteria support your measurements with actual performance data examine all information gathered thus far to finalize the exact nature of the problem its scope and its cause solve the problem and verify the improvement collaborate to structure a solution that eliminates both the problem and its cause use your data to ensure that the solution fits the issue at hand test the solution and derive performance data to support it monitor improvement and continue to improve where possible finalize acceptable performance criteria establish a plan that can deal with variations that occur sustain improvements and prevent a reoccurrence of the original problem dmaic works best when used to solve a problem relating to a process quality or waste issue in an organization 8lean six sigma belt levelslean six sigma training uses belts to denote lean six sigma expertise the exact specifications for each belt may differ depending on what organization provides the certification benefits of lean six sigmathere are a number of established benefits to lean six sigma methods for employees customers vendors and the company by increasing the efficiency of important processes companies can improve the work experience for employees and the customer experience for buyers this can build loyalty inside and outside of a company streamlined simplified processes can increase control and a company s ability to capitalize on new opportunities quickly they can also lead to more sales and revenue lower costs and more successful business results involving employees in a group or a company wide efficiency effort can improve their skills e g analytical thinking and project management and growth opportunities while boosting camaraderie by preventing defects companies save on the time money and human effort previously required to identify and eliminate them lean six sigma vs six sigmalean six sigma and six sigma are two related strategies that can solve process problems both can help companies make noteworthy improvements in quality efficiency and use of time by analyzing the way their processes function both use the dmaic phases method both are based on creating a problem solving workplace culture however six sigma is focused on reducing defects and process variability to improve process output and quality to meet customer expectations lean six sigma is focused on reducing or eliminating the wasteful use of resources and defects to improve workflow and create more value for customers lean six sigma combines aspects of six sigma such as data analysis and aspects of the lean methodology such as waste eliminating tools to improve process flow maintain continuous improvement and achieve business goals 