Integrating Lean Six Sigma throughout an organization's core business operations to achieve early benefits and full self-sustainability necessitates attention to each of the ten input factors in the dual Input-Process-Output (IPO) diagram

Initialization

The Initialization Phase presumes that the chief executive within the business understands the nature of Lean/Six Sigma and how its implementation will favorably influence the business core enterprise measures and scorecards. With the chief executive's decision to proceed, a corporate-level deployment leader having direct line-of-sight reporting to the executive should be identified. A series of policies, guidelines and rules must next be developed with involvement of the deployment leader, one or more steering committees and selected corporate functions which include finance, human resources, quality, communications and others.

Execution

Having completed Initialization, the organization is now ready to select the right full-time people, initial projects and training. Each project must clearly address one or more business goals thereby contributing to one or more core enterprise measures. Each project must also be doable within three to four months, so careful upfront scoping is essential. Projects must be continually tracked and updated for line management during existing business reviews.

Assessment

While projects end and new projects are commissioned, an objective versus anecdotal assessment of benefits is recommended to:

*  Ensure that the key elements of the organization's Lean/Six Sigma implementation plan are occurring in a timely fashion.

*  Address any gaps in performance to ensure timely benefit realization.

*  Promote knowledge, discipline, accountability and alignment of management.

*  Promote early self-sustainability. Click here to view an example of an initial assessment at an actual multi-national corporation:

Follow-on assessments are recommended and should be performed twice per year until full self-sustainability is achieved.

Using the three-phased implementation approach summarized above, Saral has the passion, expertise and enthusiasm to assist organizations within industry, government and academia in the full implementation of Lean/Six Sigma. Annual benefits of 5% of revenue and more, coupled with early self-sustainability, will be realized if a tailored approach described above is selected by the executive with saral as the deployment partner.

LEAN/SIX SIGMA PROGRAM ELEMENTS

Lean/Six Sigma Initialization, an up-front effort prior to launch that assesses and prepares an organization for the deployment and implementation of Lean/Six Sigma. Some of the activities accomplished in this process include but are not limited to the following:

- Initial goal setting of financial results
- Apportionment of goals to the various business units
- Develop guidelines for hard ($) and soft savings
- Develop process for removal of savings from budgets
- Identify finance personnel who will support the project teams
- Develop process for project nomination, prioritization, and selection
- Decide on Champion/Black Belt/Green Belt model and terminology
- Estimate initial training needs for the entire business
- Complete Year One Deployment Plan
- Address action plan to control 11 key indicator variables for success
- Establish plan for saral / client interactions to manage the plan
- Plan to communicate intent to all employees

Lean/Six Sigma Executive Training:

a one-day session for launching the rollout. It includes the President, CEO, all direct reports, and any other key individuals who may be considered an owner of the Lean/Six Sigma deployment process. The purpose of this session is to motivate, align, and mobilize the executive team to a unified effort. In certain circumstances, this session could precede the Initialization process described above.

Synchronizing Six Sigma to Business:

a two day interactive workshop, provides executives and senior managers with a detailed understanding of how to successfully integrate Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma within and throughout their existing and complex business operations to achieve greater and earlier benefits for their customers, for their shareholders and for their employees. If an organization already has a Six Sigma or Lean Six Sigma deployment underway, participating in this workshop will aid in diagnosing the current approach and identifying opportunities for improvement. Case studies, lessons-learned and best practices are presented to maximize the benefit of this workshop. An additional feature is the availability of the optional online tool, our Competitive Excellence Handbook.

Lean/Six Sigma Champion Training:

typically a 3-day session for those who will become deployment and project champions. In addition to more in-depth knowledge about Lean/Six Sigma, this session emphasizes the roles and responsibilities of Champions. Champions are typically chosen from the organizational positions next to the executive level (directors, top-level managers, etc).

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (BB) Training:

typically a 4-week (one week per month) session for full-time project executioners using the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) methodology.

Lean/SixSigma Transactional Black Belt Training:

a 3-week program (one week per month) for project executioners whose focus is transactional processes. There is a greater emphasis on Process Flow (or Process Mapping) and less time devoted to Designed Experiments. A classroom simulation, On Hiring Exercise, is used throughout the course as a common reference for the participants as they gather data and perform analysis.

Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt (GB) Training:

typically a 2-week (one week per month) session for those who will be working on projects part-time. These two weeks cover the entire DMAIC methodology and constitute the first two weeks of BB training.

Lean/Six Sigma Master Black Belt (MBB) Training/Consulting:

typically a 5-7 day program beyond Black Belt training for those who will become internal trainers, coaches, and mentors. For companies that desire to become self-sustaining in implementing Lean/Six Sigma, we offer our prestigious 7-day Train-the-Trainer Master Black Belt program. Companies from all over the world send their future trainers and MBBs through our rigorous, demanding, and comprehensive program. For those MBB candidates who will not be trainers, we offer our 5-day MBB program.

Design for Lean/Six Sigma Methodology:

a 5-day capstone course covering the entire details of the IDOV (Identify, Design, Optimize, and Validate) methodology for designing new products. Prerequistes for this course include DOE, Measurement System Analysis, FMEA, Probability Distributions, Variance Reduction techniques, and Six Sigma capability measures/terminology, topics which are covered in our Design for Six Sigma Foundations course. The BB body of knowledge is typically sufficient background for this course, but for those who are not BBs and desire to go through this course, a 5-day pre-requisite course is available if the pre-requisite knowledge is not solid.

Transactional Design for Lean/Six Sigma:

also a 5-day course, is especially for those who design processes, vis-à-vis products. Discrete event simulation is a powerful tool used in this course.

Design for Lean/Six Sigma Leadership Overview,

a 1-2 day session designed to introduce leaders and managers to the concepts and methodology of Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) or Design for Lean Six Sigma (DFLSS). It includes a comprehensive overview of the Identify-Design-Optimize-Validate (IDOV) phases, without getting into overwhelming detail in the techniques and tools, while at the same time showing key differences between traditional Lean Six Sigma and DFLSS. Some of the more recent design and optimization tools are presented at a level needed by leaders and managers to propel an effort to enhance the design and optimization of both products and services. This session will give leaders and managers at all levels the understanding and motivation to champion a DFSS or DFLSS initiative.