Section 1: Lean Six Sigma Logistics: Why Bother?

CHAPTER LIST

OVERVIEW

Lean Six Sigma Logistics. Although it may sound as if it would require a yearlong training course to do the topic justice, most logisticians are in fact using Lean Six Sigma Logistics techniques without realizing it. As the competitive environment changes the way we do business, companies are embracing Lean and Six Sigma initiatives to support cost reductions and quality improvements. Although Lean and Six Sigma programs were separate initiatives in most organizations initially, today's firms see that Lean and Six Sigma do not compete against but rather complement each other and provide for dovetailing of continuous improvement activities.

But what does this have to do with logistics? The quick answer is "everything." Once grounded in Lean and Six Sigma principles, the logistician will realize that logistics, Lean, and Six Sigma form a natural union. This union leverages the strengths and weaknesses of each discipline to create a cultural and operational model that will aid the logistician to solve age-old issues while improving operations and contributing to business success at all levels.

Where does one start when dealing with a topic as complex as Lean Six Sigma Logistics? Mathematicians have shown us that Y is a function of X, so if we truly want to understand Y (Lean Six Sigma Logistics), the best place to start is with the Xs. In this case, the Xs we need to understand...