TABLE OF CONTENTS This part of the Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook includes just one chapter. It focuses on how two powerful improvement methodologies, Lean and Six Sigma, can complement one another and strengthen an organization's performance improvement efforts. The chapter begins with a quick overview of quality improvement methodologies used for the last twenty years. They all express a common set of themes. The chapter then goes on to review Lean as a business strategy and describes how that may differ from traditional thinking. Next, it describes some of the foundation elements of any successful Lean initiative, both in traditional manufacturing operations as well as in transactional settings. Applying Lean in transactional environments is somewhat different than its application in manufacturing. So a few case studies/examples highlight typical opportunities and actual results.
Next, this chapter provides an outline on how to implement a Lean enterprise or manufacturing initiative. Several different rollout methods are shared. The DMAIC model is used as a framework for describing typical implementation steps.
Finally, this chapter closes with a number of examples of Lean projects and a suggestion on where Lean is likely to evolve over the next several years.
It's interesting how much things change, yet as time goes stay the same. People interested in performance and quality improvement have been having the same arguments for a long time. Much of the discussion revolves around, "Which improvement tool is best?"...
