Employees trained in Lean Six Sigma techniques can be an enormous asset to a company.  Since employees are intimately familiar with production techniques and processes, they are a valuable resource for identifying inefficient or unnecessary steps in production.  However, simply training employees in Lean Six Sigma techniques is not enough to fully implement the program.  Employee engagement is crucial for the success of Lean Six Sigma.

One of the main benefits that Lean Six Sigma provides for employees is an increased sense of their impact on company profits.  Make sure to provide feedback on the positive impacts that employees make when they use Lean Six Sigma techniques, and consider implementing an incentive program to inspire employees to stay engaged in the Lean Six Sigma process.  If employees are rewarded for producing quantifiable improvements in the production chain, they are more likely to stay invested in the program.

Additionally, while implementing the Lean Six Sigma program into the company culture, take steps to ensure that employees have opportunities to express their thoughts and suggestions.  Employees have a unique perspective on production processes, and are in a position to offer valuable advice or strategies for eliminating waste.  Send out surveys, meet with employees, or set up a social media page on which employees can share their thoughts, suggestions, and successes with Lean Six Sigma.  Giving employees a voice and incorporating them into the implementation of your company’s Lean Six Sigma practices is an excellent way to build employee engagement.

If you would like to learn more about Lean Six Sigma, please visit our website.  We offer several Lean Six Sigma courses, as well as tips for implementing Lean Six Sigma.  If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us!

“With respect to cost optimization, we have continually improved our track record of eliminating cost from the business, and the first quarter was no exception. Year-over-year, cost benefits from our values Lean Six Sigma efforts and restructuring actions provided approximately $5 million of cost improvements, especially in the paper segment.

“Our success in these efforts are to offset the negative impact on higher pulp prices, as well as some mix issues in our base paper business. We have worked hard to generate strong cost savings to offset inflationary and pricing pressures, and this remains our focus on the long run.”

Schweitzer-Mauduit Int’l reported Q1 EPS of $1.01, $0.09 better than the analyst estimate of $0.92. Revenue for the quarter came in at $194.5 million, versus $195 million reported last year. The stock closed the day at $42.82, up $1.60 (4.08%) on above average volume. Click here to see stock price chart.

To learn more about how Lean Six Sigma can help you, contact The Pyzdek Institute.

Lean Six Sigma is a hybrid combination of Lean and Six Sigma methods that has been proven to bring genuine benefit to the employer and the employee. Lean concepts are aimed at eliminating waste from the processes, increasing speed and focusing on what customers consider to be quality, while Six Sigma eliminates the process variations and improves the process according to the customer definitions of quality using specific metrics. If you are trained and certified in this improvement technology you are a valuable asset that is reflected in the higher pay individuals with this training receive.

If you are skeptical, there is no need to initially commit to an expensive training program until you are sure it is for you. You can purchase The Six Sigma Handbook by Thomas Pyzdek and learn what is required to master this technology. Afterwards you can study more and then become certified in a step by step process.

Learning new skills is the best way to pass the time if you are caught between jobs. Rather than watching the news report the high unemployment rates, you can be preparing yourself for a better position than the last. When you scan the want ads next time and see “Lean Six Sigma” as a requirement you could be ready to apply. Employers also like to know they are getting an employee that was willing to invest in their own skill sets too. Learning Lean Six Sigma is a win-win situation for you and your new employer.

For more, please contact us.

The flexibility in these regulations allows companies to use modern technologies and innovative approaches to achieve higher quality through continual improvement. Accordingly, the “c” in cGMP stands for “current,” requiring companies to use technologies and systems that are up-to-date in order to comply with the regulations.

Changing a system that is producing output that complies with FDA and other requirements is inherently risky, and certainly precautions must be taken to assure that any change does not adversely impact public safety or health. However, this is not to say that no change is allowed. It simply means that changes must be designed with care and implemented in a way that assures that consumers are protected from harm. The improve and control phases of the Six Sigma project execution framework already incorporate these considerations, but where human health and safety are involved these two phases assume additional importance. Of course, it goes without saying that compliance with all regulations is a requirement of any new or improved process. In some cases FDA approval of the change might be sought prior to its deployment.

cGMPs define quality requirements very broadly. They do not specify the particular process that must be used. Similar quality standards have been in existence since soon after World War II and they have not impeded continuous improvement efforts in any significant way. Lean itself incorporates standardization of work as an important element. But while standards define the currently acceptable approach to producing goods and services, they are not intended to be unchanging. As new and better ways of doing things are discovered, they are incorporated into the standards. We move from one approved way of doing things, to an approved better way of doing things. Lean Six Sigma helps us find those better ways.

Very briefly, the theory of constraints (TOC) is based on the premise that in any sequence of process steps, or on a larger scale any sequence of processes in a value stream, there is one step or one process that limits the throughput of the entire process or value stream. (For simplicity I will use the term “process” for both multi-step processes and multi-process value streams.) This “bottleneck” requires special treatment. In addition, the way in which constraints are handled has an impact on the choice of Six Sigma projects, as described in this article.

Flexible processes are arrangements of inputs (space, equipment, people and materials) that can be quickly reconfigured to produce a variety of different outputs (products or services) and quantities in response to changing customer demand. Ideally a flexible process will use only a limited amount of specialized equipment and the personnel will possess the skill sets needed to adapt to the different process configurations. Flexible process design is at the heart of Lean production. Compared with mass production processes, flexible processes use less capital, fewer employees and a smaller area to produce a given amount of output.

The coming together of TOC and flexible process design occurs when TOC principles are applied to the management of flexible processes. That is, once a set of inputs is configured to form a given process, the process designer considers the 5 steps of TOC and prepares a process management plan that incorporates this. The 5 steps are:

1. Identify the system’s constraint(s).
2. Decide how to exploit the system’s constraint(s).
3. Subordinate everything else to the decision made in step 2.
4. Elevate the system’s constraint(s).
5. If, in the previous steps, a constraint has been broken, go back to step 1.

I.e., each process configuration is a new system and the constraint will likely be different for each configuration. Process improvement and Six Sigma project selection depends on knowing which process step is the constraint and managing the constraint as well as process steps prior to and subsequent to the constraint properly, as discussed here. This article shows a simple example of a process with a constraint and describes how knowing which step is the constraint impacts process management and process improvement activities.

So what do you do?

Look into Lean Six Sigma. It takes less than 30 seconds to see how Lean Six Sigma can help you in three ways. Specifically:

• Lean flow eliminates waste
• Six Sigma is driven by quality
• Together as Lean Six Sigma they achieve quality without waste

That’s it. Now actually learning, developing, and implementing a Lean Six Sigma program takes a lot more time than a mere 30 seconds. However, the concept is not that difficult to understand.

If you’re still not convinced, here is a little more information about how your organization can eliminate waste and drive quality. Focus on:

Wait Time. Delays due to wasted time between steps occur in every business. But there are numerous tools available to reduce this idle time and increase overall speed. Consider how this fleet management tool from inthinc Technology Solutions, Inc. helped reduce average idle time by 53 percent and carbon emissions by 30 percent.

Poor Quality. Defects in products destroy customer confidence. Meeting quality standards can’t be a sometime thing. When the waitperson gets your meal wrong or the airline loses your bag, your next decision about where to eat or which airline to fly is influenced. 

Variation. Deviating from customer specifications or expectations results in unhappy customers. Whether it is a promise to deliver a part on a specific date or to manufacture it with a defined tolerance, work that falls outside the defined parameters may result in a damaged reputation.

Lean Six Sigma is about reducing all the day-to-day errors in your business operations by eliminating – or at least reducing – delays, defects, and extreme deviation.

If Lean Six Sigma sounds like the right idea for your business, browse my website, review my blog, and contact the Pyzdek Institute for further information.

And like many real life police units throughout the country, the police in Monroe County in western New York found themselves faced with a backlog of criminal cases involving DNA analysis.

To eliminate the backlog, decrease case turn-around time, and increase overall quality of lab reports, Monroe County outsourced the crime lab work to Sorenson Forensics. Sorenson is the first accredited forensics lab that offers Lean Six Sigma consulting services for DNA labs. They use the methodology to improve performance, efficiency, and quality. They indicate it has:

• Helped them streamline casework reviews
• Eliminated variation, defects, and waste
• Created continuous, value-added flow

Now Sorenson consults with other forensic agencies to achieve the same results. The goal is to move caseloads through the system more efficiently, quickly, and accurately. Forensics investigators get results in days and weeks, rather than months.

According to Sorenson Forensics Executive Laboratory Director Tim Kupferschmid:

“A Lean Six Sigma process, when effectively implemented into a crime laboratory, results in a dramatic decrease in turn-around-time and the elimination of the existing backlog.” 

While results may vary, Sorenson suggests that using LSS reduces:

• Operational costs (20% to 30%)
• Rework (100%)
• On-time delivery (100%)

Additionally, it improves customer and employee satisfaction.

Remarkable advances in DNA testing and high-tech diagnostics provides labs with the ability to dig deeper into crime scene evidence. The job is methodical and time consuming. The ability to decipher traces of evidence is complicated. Crime labs are “under the gun” to produce reliable evidence.

As with anything new, fear of change in a crime lab makes people nervous. Lean Six Sigma is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Management needs to be involved and support the changes every step of the way. Constant communication is imperative.

However, crime labs have found that LSS offers:

• Increased team morale
• Reduced lab-processing times
• Reduced backlog
• Increased output
• Reduced errors

This is great news when you’re constantly up against deadlines. Even better, it results in more crimes solved and more criminals taken off the street.

For more information on how Lean Six Sigma can help your team perform more effectively and offer better results, contact us about Lean Six Sigma training.

Although there have been three consecutive years of sustained demand for Lean Six Sigma skills, there was also a noticeable improvement in the demand for Six Sigma talent alone.

This marked the first time in the study’s history where demand for pure Six Sigma talent saw a noticeable year-over-year improvement relative to Lean. 

The report cited that Lean tends to be the dominate skill requirement within job postings. However, Six Sigma came on stronger this year even within Lean job postings.

Several factors in this year’s report include: 

• Even with Six Sigma’s “resurgence,” Lean still dominates as the desired skill. However, Six Sigma is important to continuous improvement as companies recognize that Lean isn’t necessarily sufficient to meet every continuous improvement need.
• According to the 7,097 Internet job postings reviewed for the study, 41 percent of the job openings sought pure Lean skills, while 27 percent sought pure Six Sigma skills. This suggests that companies may feel Lean’s focus on waste, flow, and flexibility is more practical.
• Though demand for Lean talent exceeded Six Sigma by slightly more than 24 percent, this was still a large drop from last year’s record-setting 68 percent.

Overall, the results seem to indicate that even though Lean dominates, Six Sigma plays an important role in corporate continuous improvement.

Ultimately, Lean and Six Sigma are complementary strategies that offer significant benefits when implemented individually. However, used in combination they provide a cohesive approach that increases improvements in quality, efficiency, and productivity.

Lean Six Sigma is a leading management technique that maximizes production efficiency and maintains control over each step in the process. For more information on Lean Six Sigma tools, concepts, training, and certification, contact Thomas Pyzdek, well-known Lean Six Sigma expert and author of The Six Sigma handbook, a standard reference in the field.

The Pyzdek Institute offers Lean training, Six Sigma training, and Lean Six Sigma training.

Sort. Separate and eliminate unnecessary tools, parts, and methods to de-clutter work areas.

Systematize (or Set in Order). Organize and arrange retained tools, parts, and methods to find them more efficiently.

Sweep (or Shine). Clean and maintain retained tools, parts, and the work area to infuse workers with pride.

Standardize. Arrange and maintain identical work areas to identify abnormalities quickly.

Sustain. Maintain new work standards while reviewing and updating for continual improvement, and retaining the new status quo.

In general, 5S is not just a methodology, it’s a culture, used to organize, develop, and sustain a productive work environment. The benefit of utilizing 5S is that if offers improved safety, productivity, housekeeping, and employee satisfaction.

However, according to the Institute of Industrial Engineers, knowing where to begin improvement efforts is the first and biggest challenge in 5S. To eliminate waste you have to identify waste. Then you need to pinpoint the causes. Many workplaces wind up fighting fires. Reactive problem solving is always less efficient than proactivity.

Additionally, it’s critical to realize that 5S is about more than just housekeeping. It isn’t a fancy way to describe audit sheets or check lists. It’s not about remodeling or cleaning up a work area. Instead, it places in practice the Lean philosophy of continuous improvement. And, like LSS, it’s a tool for finding and correcting irregularities (or defects).

Though, it is often used to teach the general waste reduction concepts of Lean, it’s important not to simply think of 5S as a teaching tool. It is useful in creating and maintaining efficient and effective work areas.

Finally, the only way for 5S to be effective is to recognize, like LSS, it takes everyone in the organization to make it successful.

If your organization is looking for information, training, and guidance regarding Lean Six Sigma, 5S, and other LSS tools, browse our website, read our blog, or contact us directly. When it comes to Lean Six Sigma, we offer training, certification, and more.

Lean as a Continuous Improvement Philosophy

The lean philosophy in two words: eliminate waste. This includes wasted time, human action, inventory, equipment usage, and materials.

The lean methodology focuses on streamlining each process to determine how to eliminate anything that does not add value for the customer. The goal is to “design out” inconsistencies while ensuring the process is as flexible as necessary to eliminate stress or “overburden.”

Ultimately, lean means doing more with less – effort, equipment, time, space, and money – while giving customers exactly what they want.

Six Sigma’s Critical Process Philosophy 

Unlike lean, the Six Sigma philosophy targets the elimination of manufacturing defects  through process knowledge. It focuses on mechanisms designed to compare customer need metrics with operational processes to ensure alignment. By integrating the principles of business, engineering, and statistics you achieve quantifiable results.

Therefore, using a structured statistical analysis approach, we can base decisions on data, while actions focus on customers’ needs.

Lean Six Sigma Philosophy 

While lean techniques focus on speed and increasing the amount of work completed in a process or value stream, Six Sigma focuses on improving the quality of each process to achieve a better result. Combined, they strive to offer the best business approach for satisfying customers.

By utilizing the tools of lean to eliminate waste and the tools of Six Sigma to focus on quality results, LSS offers a powerful method of meeting customer’s needs. The result is:

• Better execution by linking strategic plans and operational improvements
• Customer loyalty by focusing on customers’ needs
• Greater returns by reducing operating costs and delivery times

Ultimately, the customers get what they need, want, and value. Your organization gains recognition, loyalty, and success.

For more information on Lean Six Sigma methodology or LSS training programs, review our website or contact us directly.