Business901 » Lean Six Sigma

Lean and Six Sigma training for deployed Soldiers

business901 — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 03:32:00 +0000

Just received a copy of an article, Resolute’ brigade provides Lean Six Sigma training to deployed Soldiers from Tim Fowler, a CPS Professional Services contractor assigned to Task Force Resolute at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Tim is teaching a group of U.S. Forces about Lean and Six Sigma. They are applying this training immediately through improving the logistics capabilities of the command. More information can be found in the article.

Quote from the article:

“Through Lean Six Sigma, soldiers and leaders will learn how to properly manage time and resources while delivering a top quality product the first time,” said Chief Warrant Officer Jackie Vuorinen, the TF-Resolute safety officer. “This is a program all soldiers can use to save Army resources while providing higher quality products.”

Tim appeared on the Business901 podcast, Are right brain thinkers better leaders? Tim is a University of Kentucky Certified Lean Master, a Goldratt Institute Theory of Constraint Supply Chain Expert, an ASQ-Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, and a Licensed Social Worker with a SECRET clearance and his website, BusinessLeadership.com is a popular venue for leading edge thinking.

Thanks Tim for passing this on and wish you and everyone else at Kandahar Airfield a safe and Happy Holiday!

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Using an Integrated approach of Lean, Six Sigma, and TOC to deliver results in Healthcare

business901 — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:45:00 +0000

Bahadir Inozu, Ph.D., the Chief Executive Officer and Dan Chauncey, the Director of Deployment Services for NOVACES joined me in this podcast to discuss an integrated approach for using three industrially based methods, Lean, Six Sigma, and Constraints Management to transform hospital operations. They have just published a book, Performance Improvement for Healthcare that explains how using the right tool for the right problem at the right time from a systems perspective, the authors show how to deliver faster results and greater return on investment.

Scales to any size organization and aligns easily to varying needs
Shortens traditional execution time from adoption to results
Optimizes the utilization of resources required to accomplish the desired goals
Breaks organizational constraints and maximizes organizational efficiency
Sustains the gains and defines a path to self-sufficiency
Achieves a global impact through strategy alignment and focused project selection
Shows how to integrate Constraints Management with Lean and Six Sigma to create a “best of breed” approach
Explains how hospitals can deploy or re-energize their performance improvement program specifically for what’s most important for their particular organization

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About Novaces: A management consulting firm that provides performance management, continuous process improvement (CPI), and project management services to both public and private sector organizations. NOVACES helps its clients build capabilities in today’s most effective methodologies to achieve breakthrough operational and financial results.

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Data Driven Problem Solving Program

business901 — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 02:35:00 +0000

Steven C. Wilson, one of the leading Lean Six Sigma trainers in the state of Iowa has released a new program, Data Driven Problem Solving. The entire program can be downloaded as a PDF and MP3 on IowaQualityTraining.com.

Data Driven Problem Solving includes a 100 page book with over 4 hours of audio. In addition, a copy of Lean Six Sigma for Leaders book is included. The Data Driven Problem Solving program is a result of material covered in a 2-day workshop presented by the author Steven C. Wilson. It was created to support the training both before and after the class. It provides many of the questions people had about problem solving utilizing DMAIC. You do not need to fully comprehending the tools of Six Sigma. With an understanding of Data Driven Problem Solving, it will allow more participation in your organization’s problem solving efforts.

Data Driven Problem Solving uses activities based approach and is comprised of multiple separate sessions, which follow the Six Sigma DMAIC approach without the need of the typical Black Belts, Green Belt hierarchy associated with Six Sigma organizations. It is presented in a unique question and answer format providing information about how to use and implement a problem solving methodology in an organization.

Topic that are covered:

Process Improvement Basics
Roles and Organization – Teamwork
What is Our Quest? – The Define Phase
How is the Current Process Performing? – Measure Phase
What are the “Deep Dive” Causes of a Problem? – Analyze Phase
What will We Change? – Improve Phase
Are We There yet? – Control Phase

About: Steven C. Wilson is the host of Quality Conversations and can be found at Wilson Consulting and Training Services, Inc (WCTS, Inc – www.stevencwilson.com). Wilson has over 20 years of experience applying quality improvement tools, methodologies, and principles in a variety of industries that include automotive, healthcare, logistics, distribution, education, and numerous manufacturing venues. He has dedicated himself to the cause by training/coaching over 600 Six Sigma practitioners in over 70 companies with an emphasis on getting results. Wilson possesses a very engaging style of leadership, training and consulting, and provides an experienced eye for companies on the road to organizational improvement.

Program is also available on Amazon:
Ring Bound:Data Driven Problem Solving
CD Format: Data Driven Problem Solving

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Answers to Sustainability

business901 — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 02:55:00 +0000

I was participating in a discussion on LinkedIn and came across an article, How to Sustain Front Line Process Improvement Activities from the Harvard Business Review and like most of us, if it says sustainability we take a look. It has to be the most difficult part of any continuous improvement process.

I found the author of the article, Brad Power handling the comments masterfully and engaging in a great dialogue with the commenters. He is actually researching sustaining attention to process management and is currently conducting research with the Lean Enterprise Institute.

Our podcast centered on Brad’s research of sustainability and his findings so far may not be unique but the structure he puts to his information is. Also, I think you will find out as much about researching and the questions you ask as you will sustainability. At times I wondered who was being interviewed.

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Brad Power is a consultant and researcher in process innovation. In his latest consulting engagement, for over a year he’s been helping a healthcare insurance company reengineer its interactions with providers and members to reduce cycle times. And for the last three years he’s been researching why few companies sustain their attention to process management — how they can make improvement and adaptation a habit (even fun?). He’s been collaborating with the Lean Enterprise Institute on his research. You can see some of his research insights in his blog posts at The Harvard Business Review at bradfordpower.tumblr.com. He’s interested in hearing stories of companies which embarked on a process improvement program and either kept going, or didn’t, and why.

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Lean or Six Sigma which fork in the road do you take?

business901 — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 02:45:00 +0000

People will see my comments floating around the Internet on the subject of Lean Six Sigma. I am not an expert and probably take too much liberty in the application of them to even proceed but it was important to me to basically post my view.

There will always be a strong debate between Lean and Six Sigma people about using the 2 terms jointly. I am not positive of the lineage of it but I believe Michael George at the time of the George Group (later to be Accenture) coined the term. I assume he viewed the two methodologies as compatible and more effective in conjunction with each other versus separately. I am not even sure that many (Case in point being that many of today’s “Lean” consultants were trained as Lean Six Sigma Black Belts) disagreed at the time except for the very traditional Lean stalwarts.

Dr. Mikel Harry, credited as one of the founders of Six Sigma states that Six Sigma is not a culture and was developed as a quality tool to gain breakthrough performance for an organization. I adhere to that statement and think Six Sigma offers great opportunities for an organization and provides a very precise and workable structure in achieving this. I am not against the hierarchy of belts and the formalities of DMAIC, DFSS, etc. Many organizations need this type of structure to be successful. I am avid defender of Six Sigma in the Lean circles many times to the chagrin of others.

Lean was developed by the MIT group under Dr. James Womack from a study of automotive companies and more specifically the Toyota Production System. Its approach is based on continuous improvement with a direct correlation to PDCA and Dr. Deming’s philosophies. Lean made its first inroads in many companies and gains in popularities (IMHO) because of the ease of entry into the methodology. Removing waste and improving flow was Lean’s mantra in the 90’s and the tools of 5s and Value Stream Mapping soared in popularity. However, as Lean continued developing tools of A3, Hoshin and Standard Work became common place. But even more so, the culture of PDCA and the spirit of Kaizen started to take hold.

Six Sigma was the methodology of choice for many manufacturers as a result of the significant strides that GE and Motorola had made. Later, Lean seemed to gain and Six Sigma wane in popularity. Lean became the path to a customer as an enabler of some quick wins. You could then take the deep dive with Six Sigma when you wanted to get “serious”. As Lean continued to steamroll and Six Sigma still continued with somewhat lackluster performance many organizations and consultants dropped the attachment to Six Sigma and became “Lean”. Popularity does create a crowd. This may not be an entirely accurate description but it serves as a basis for my views and the following comments.

What makes Lean Six Sigma work? When you first start using any methodology, you are typically introduced through the tools. Using Lean initially versus Six Sigma makes perfect sense, it is an easier introduction. And why reduce variability on non-value activities? But sooner or later you get to the fork in the road. One path says Six Sigma and the other path is this thing they call culture (Lean). So do you want to take the deep dive with a breakthrough structured approach (still has a steep incline) or do you want to try and instill a culture of empowerment. There is not a right or wrong answer. You can take either. Where I disagree, is that you can take both.

Six Sigma has always been about structure and tools. It is very, very good and does an outstanding job when applied properly. In Six Sigma thinking, you can use Lean tools initially and get to 95%. To finish the job, you use Six Sigma. And as a result, Lean Six Sigma was developed. If your organization grew out of the Motorola and G.E. world it seems like a perfect fit.

If you adopt the Lean mentality and the spirit of Kaizen (continuous improvement is not an event) you become immersed in the culture of Lean, as Dr. Balle wonderfully described in the Zen Story about the mountain. Summed up in the blog post: Lean Tools and Culture as it Relates to Zen

Have you ever played yourself in a game? On a basketball court or even a simple game of checkers, sooner or later you have to pick a side to win. It is inevitable. This is the ultimate wedge between the two methodologies and can simply be stated. Six Sigma is a structured methodology and Lean is a cultural driven by a learn by doing approach. That is not to say that Six Sigma does not have its prototyping options and that Lean is not without statistical control (it did evolve from Deming). But it is saying that both are two completely different paths that you must choose between.

If you take the path of and see Lean as Lean, Six Sigma does not make sense and is not a compatible technology. There is a significant culture difference and approach. If you take the path of Six Sigma, you view Lean as only a set of tools nothing more and why not, Lean has a great toolbox. If you take the path of Lean you still can be just as efficient and just as effective as Six Sigma, you just do it differently.

I make no qualms about stating that I believe and follow a Lean philosophy. Lean works in my world much better. PDCA which is basically form a hypothesis, test it and adjust is what sales and marketing is all about.

I support the ideas of Lean and Six Sigma without hesitation. What I have trouble understanding is how you can be philosophically aligned in Lean thinking and practice Six Sigma. So I believe you must ask yourself; Which fork in the road do you take?

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Operational Excellence in Government

business901 — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:17:15 +0000

In a recent Business901 Podcast, Operational Excellence in Government, is it Possible?, Hundley Elliotte one of the authors of Building High Performance Government Through Lean Six Sigma: A Leader’s Guide to Creating Speed, Agility, and Efficiency discussed what it takes in government to achieve operational excellence utilizing Lean Six Sigma. This is a transcription of the podcast.

Operational Excellence in Government

Hundley M. Elliotte is the global lead for the Process Performance group within the Accenture Process & Innovation Performance service line. He has more than 15 years of consulting experience, focusing on managing business value, setting strategy, identifying customer needs, and identifying and implementing improvement opportunities in diverse business sectors. Previously, Mr. Elliotte worked for more than a decade in the corporate sector, holding sales, marketing and general management positions with a leading pulp and paper manufacturer and with a plastics company. He is based in Atlanta.

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 223,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.

Read Chapter One, “Building the Anatomy for High Performance”

Read about the Accenture Institute for Health and Public Service.

Learn more about Michael George’s Strong America Now program.

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Simplifying Lean and Six Sigma for Government and Healthcare

business901 — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:35:00 +0000

Improve Healthcare and Government thru Lean and Six Sigma…You just Gotta Wanna! This was the theme echoed numerous times by my podcast guest, Jay Author of QI Macros. We started out discussing his book, Lean Six Sigma for Hospitals: Simple Steps to Fast, Affordable, and Flawless Healthcare but soon moved into a discussions that can be applied to any organization.

Jay started many years ago simplifying the Lean Six Sigma process through his early books, Lean Simplified and Six Sigma Simplified which eventually led to Lean Six Sigma Demystified: A Self-Teaching Guide. Jay has always been a master at simplifying these process and reducing the cost of entry into a methodology. His belief is that you can go a long way (5 sigma) by just doing it and utilizing only a few basic tools that he discusses in his money-belt videos. Though I was in introduced to Lean and Six Sigma through other books and people, Jay’s first book on the subject Lean Six Sigma Coloring book was the one I used for the first application I participated in at the manufacturing level.

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Jay Arthur works with companies that want to plug the leaks in their cash flow using Lean Six Sigma. Jay is the only improvement specialist that understands and can help you pinpoint areas for improvement in processes, people, and technology. Jay is first and foremost a Money Belt; he knows how to use data to pinpoint broken processes. Jay helps teams understand their communication styles and restore broken connections. Jay has 30 years experience developing software on everything from mainframes to PCs.

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Blended Learning Programs in Lean Six Sigma

business901 — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 11:37:00 +0000

Many people shy away from quality or continuous improvement programs since they are unable to see the direct benefits of it. Steven C. Wilson a leading Lean Six Sigma Trainer in the State of Iowa outlined a unique training program at the Southwest Iowa Manufacturers Alliance for Quality program. He introduced his latest adult learning training methods and how the training is adapted to a particular organization. In particular, he addressed how organizations can make a stronger connection between training and implementation.

Steve commented on the training, “Too often, training programs are not utilized when employees get back to work. Based on my twenty years of assisting organizations and individuals improve quality through training, I have identified several components that will encourage employees and their organizations to change and use these new skills. Under the title of iQuality Academy, I have moved our training programs from tactical learning and acquiring new skills to providing the path from training to improved business performance.”

I think this is a unique approach and a great way to use the advantages of virtual learning. If you can’t tell by listening, Steve does voice over work and works with authors, trainers and studio producers, to make their presentations more effective and entertaining. He is also the host of Quality Conversation, Quality Conversations, an internet based radio program dedicated to the discussion of “all things quality”. Currently the program is heard in over 35 countries.

I was fortunate to have Steve participate in a podcast if you would like to take a deeper dive on the subject. The podcast centers around being a successful trainer and consultant. Download Podcast: Click and choose options: Iowa Quality Training or go to the Business901 iTunes Store

If you are from Iowa, Steve hosted a program about Funding Quality Training. Bernie Duis, Director of Economic Development at Iowa Western Community College (www.iwcc.edu), joined Steve for a discussion about Iowa’s quality training funding programs, administered by the state’s 15 community colleges.

Disclaimer: I work with Steve but felt this was an excellent presentation to share. I thought he did a masterful job of presenting and it was a good example of how voice over work might improve your presentations.

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It’s not your Grandmother’s Lean anymore!

business901 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 03:53:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of spending my day reading cover to cover, Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Toolkit for Managers. The book lays out an excellent framework for understanding and implementing Design Thinking within your organization. The book speaks for itself, a few outtakes:

A funny thing often happens as we pay close attention to what customers are up to – we find the clues to the new future in dissatisfactions with the present.

Brainstorming is 90% planning, 10% execution

Have you ever seen a 7-year-old make paper airplanes? Then you’ve seen design thinking.

The goal isn’t to nail it; the goal is to identify new hypothesis that may help you reinvent the process.

“Creating new concepts de[pends a lot more on discipline than on creativity. You take the ten most creative people you can find anywhere. Give me a squad of ten marines and right protocols and I promise we’ll out-innovate you.” – Larry Keeley of Doblin

Prototyping = Faking a new business fast.

Design Thinking begins with Design Doing

Listen to Tim Ogilvie talk about the book…

On Designing for Growth from Tim Ogilvie on Vimeo.

Design Thinking compliments Lean in many ways. Just as Lean, it emphasizes seeking value at Gemba or from the customer’s point of view. It also emphasizes a learn by doing approach. The Design Thinking approach may even emphasize visualization more so than Lean.

Several reasons I found the book so interesting is that it reminded me on how I apply the 5 principles of Lean to marketing. In fact, the “tooling” is very similar and the book offered a deeper insight into my own processes. One example was that it challenged me to resist conclusions and recognize that only customers have them. I should frame the situation to extract that information from them. It also reinforced my efforts to understand the current state, an area that frustrates many clients. At the very beginning of explaining the What is? stage they make the statement, “Step away from That Crystal Ball.”

My frustrations with many Lean and “Lean Six Sigma” Practitioners are the inability to move them away from thinking about Lean as a waste reduction tool. As any reader of my blog knows, I look at waste reduction as only a by-product of Lean. Lean is about problem solving and knowledge creation or PDCA.

Design Thinking is a hot trend right now and Lean Practitioners can learn much from it. I put down this book thinking, It’s not your Grandmother’s Lean anymore! Are we finally ready to stop thinking about lean as a waste reduction tool?

P.S. I believe Lean Six Sigma is an oxymoron. Both are very good methodologies and are only used together for marketing purposes.

Buy the Book: Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Toolkit for Managers

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Marketing with A3 Book Release

business901 — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:15:00 +0000

Sales and Marketing not only needs to improve but must improve their problem solving skills. The book, Marketing with A3 is the introduction needed. It enables sales and marketing to use the Lean tool of A3 as a template or structured approach for their strategies and tactics. It will also demonstrate meaningful and measurable results of their activities. You will enter meetings armed with facts and profound knowledge of sales and marketing efforts. As a result, you will engage in more meaningful conversations. It will require a different approach. The dialogue is sometimes not easy, but seldom is any improvement.

Using a structured approach, such as the Lean thinking tool of A3, the mind remains open, enabling one to examine each element of the decision or problem separately or systematically, and sufficiently, ensuring that all alternatives are considered. The outcome is almost always more comprehensive and more effective than the instinctive approach.

Visit the Marketing with A3 Website

Sample A3s
A3 Podcasts
A3 Community
A3 Experts
Amazon Links

Buy the book: Instant Download – PDF Version

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Marketing with PDCA Coming Soon!

business901 — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:10:00 +0000

Marketing with PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) is about using the PDCA process through-out the marketing cycle with constant feedback from customers that can only occur if they are part of the process. It is about creating value in your marketing that a customer needs to enable him to make a better decision. Targeting what your Customer Values at each stage of the cycle through the methods described in this book will increase your ability to deliver quicker, more accurately and with better value than your competitor. It is a moving target and the principles of Lean and PDCA facilitates the journey to ultimate Customer Value.

This book will be Volume 3 of the Marketing with Lean Series that includes the Lean Marketing House and Marketing with A3 . If you purchase the PDF versions of these 2 books on the right, you will receive a free download of Marketing with PDCA when it is released (Mid-February).

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Moving from Manufacturing to Healthcare thru Lean Six Sigma

business901 — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 01:27:00 +0000

This is a transcription of the podcast, Manufacturing to Healthcare, the Tale of a Lean Six Sigma Consultant that I had with Jason Kilgore author of the book, The Elegant Process: The Guide to Enhanced Quality and Reduced Costs. In the book, Jason demonstrates his value-based approach to simultaneously achieving quality and financial goals through process improvement and optimization. The Elegant Process shares Jason’s straightforward method for enhancing quality and reducing costs within any business setting by redesigning the systems that contribute to lackluster results.

Transitioning from Manufacturing to Healthcare

During the podcast, I discovered that in 2008, Jason transitioned to healthcare after 15 successful years in the automotive industry. He became a Business Process Manager for Riverside Health System in Newport News, Virginia, where he has utilized his expertise in Project Management, Lean, and Six Sigma (Black Belt). It made for a great topic as he discussed his transition.

Hope you enjoy!

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Manufacturing to Healthcare, the Tale of a Lean Six Sigma Consultant

business901 — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 03:45:00 +0000

Jason Kilgore is much more than just your typical Lean Six Sigma consultant. I ran across Jason on the web answering a LinkedIn question about internal and external consultants. He spoke highly of each, gave practical common sense answers on when to use them and sold nothing! He caught my attention and I went surfing.

What I found was a Business Process Manager for Riverside Health System in Newport News, Virginia, where he has utilized his expertise in Project Management, Lean, and Six Sigma (Black Belt). In 2008, Jason transitioned to healthcare after 15 successful years in the automotive industry. While in the automotive sector, Jason filed for over 60 US and global patents as a design engineer, led multiple Six Sigma projects as a Black Belt, and implemented lean concepts in his role as a manufacturing manager.

I followed my instincts on this podcast and it turned out that Jason was a great interview. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

Jason is the author of the book, The Elegant Process: The Guide to Enhanced Quality and Reduced Costs. In the book Jason demonstrates his value-based approach to simultaneously achieving quality and financial goals through process improvement and optimization. The Elegant Process shares Jason’s straightforward method for enhancing quality and reducing costs within any business setting by redesigning the systems that contribute to lackluster results.

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Helping Customers to Excellence eBook

business901 — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:00:00 +0000

This is a transcription of a Business901 podcast, Xerox Operational Excellence Program that I had with Tricia Bhattacharya. She is currently a Worldwide Segment Marketing Manager for the Xerox Graphic Communications Business Group. In this role, she is responsible for developing marketing programs focused on in-plant environments. She also holds a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Her 19-year career at Xerox has spanned roles from product development to marketing and she holds several patents for technologies developed while working on high-speed color product innovations.

Helping Customers achieve Operational Excellence –

She authored the Guide to Operational Excellence that Xerox makes available to their print customers. It introduces a five-step plan to help in-plants remove waste like overproduction and idle time.

When I asked what I left out of the podcast Tricia stated: “Well, I think one thing I’d like to mention is, this is just part of a whole host of tools that are available for our Xerox customers that help them with their operations. So, this is the Operational Excellence Guide. We have over 100 business development tools as part of our profit accelerator program. They’re all free of charge and part of the value of being a Xerox customer.”

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