Manufacturing is where Lean and Six Sigma all began. The incredible success of the two methodologies is a testament to their effectiveness in generating productivity gains with cost reductions and quality improvements. During this time, Lean and Six Sigma have proven not to be a fad, but rather a key to competitiveness in today’s marketplace.
Lean’s strengths are to simplify processes and reduce manufacturing cycle times by removing steps from processes that do not add value to the product and providing tools to improve flow. In short, Lean means speed. Alternately, Six Sigma handles more complex issues with a problem-solving tool that seeks out causes of defects with a powerful roadmap called DMAIC – define, measure, analyze, improve, control. Driving variation out of processes is the key to reducing defects. Kaizens are the rapid common sense approaches that utilize less resources and time commitment. While both methodologies produce great results when employed separately, the integration of the two – when done properly – creates a one two punch for success.
Ultimately, Six Sigma has a goal of achieving a near perfect 3.4 defects per million opportunities. It has a strict approach to controlling and sustaining improvements. Together, these two methodologies achieve significantly reduced cycle times and higher quality simultaneously. For these reasons, Lean Six Sigma is the toolbox of choice among manufacturers who have a passion for continuous improvement.
For more information about our consulting and training services for Lean Six Sigma in Manufacturing contact us.
Experience
6SigmaTek are experienced “Six Sigma” practitioners. We pride ourselves on being the best through real life experience and out of the box thinking that contributes to a company’s bottom line results. Our consultants have worked as real life engineers solving real problems for the following companies:
Our in-depth knowledge and real life experiences as Black Belts and Master Black Belts shadow the industry. We provide Lean Six Sigma training and deployment to small, medium and large business.