Page 18 - Lean six sigma demystified

Preface xvii

Lean Six Sigma. Unfortunately, research has shown that at least half the time this
method fails. But there are better ways to implement Lean Six Sigma.
So I’m going to encourage you to aim straight for results. No one can argue
with success. Start small and get successful immediately, and the change will
pick up momentum. If you struggle a little bit at the start, and this is normal,
you won’t trigger what I call the corporate immune system, which will attempt
to kill Lean Six Sigma before it even gets started. We’ll look at these implemen-
tation strategies later in the book.

Structure

From a high level, the book will cover

1. Lean for reducing delay and non-value-added activities. Lean thinking can
be applied to any business process, service or manufacturing, without the
need for any exotic tools. The 3-57 rule and liberal application of Post-it
notes will simplify and streamline any process.

2. Essential Six Sigma for reducing defects and deviation. The application of
the 4-50 rule and a handful of tools will solve 90% of problems with
mistakes, errors, and defects that cause excessive rework, waste, and lost
profit.
3. Transactional Six Sigma for reducing errors in information systems.
4. Implementation—the human factor.

5. Robust Six Sigma for designing Six Sigma into products and services.
Each chapter will cover the what, why, and how of each improvement strategy:

• Lean Six Sigma jargon. While Lean Six Sigma borrows from its predeces-
sors like Total Quality Management (TQM), it has its own jargon. I’ll
illuminate and define the jargon as we go and link it back to its origins
wherever possible.
• Methods for solving problems.

• Tools for defining, measuring, analyzing, improving, and sustaining the
problem and its solution.

• Case studies to show the methods and tools in action.
• A quiz to review your knowledge.
• Exercises to apply the knowledge you’ve learned.