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Lean & Six Sigma
What we Teach

The perfect pair

Lean traditionally focuses on the elimination of the seven kinds of wastes/muda classified as defects, overproduction, transportation, waiting, inventory, motion and over processing. The result is faster results and significant cost reduction (-30%).

Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and minimizing variability in (manufacturing and business) processes. The result is higher accuracy and performance.
Synergistically, Lean aims to achieve continuous flow by tightening the linkages between process steps while Six Sigma focuses on reducing process variation (in all its forms) for the process steps thereby enabling a tightening of those linkages.

In short, Lean exposes sources of process variation and Six Sigma aims to reduce that variation enabling a virtuous cycle of iterative improvements towards the goal of continuous flow.

Methodology phases

Lean Six Sigma uses the DMAIC phases similar to that of Six Sigma; Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control

Lean is based on five principles; Value, Value stream, Flow, Pull and Perfection.

Lean Co-creation

If at any point, you could use some help within your organization for a high demanding team, or some additional live coaching, or you would like to accelerate your process improvement. Contact us to discuss Lean co-creation. We can discuss your needs and provide you with the support needed.

a different approach

Lean Sensei

Lean does not have consultants, but a different role: “senseis.” instead. The sensei approach to developing people is not about making them apply rules or methods, hoping these will assimilate them. It’s about creating environment for people to get outside of their comfort zone and figure out things differently by themselves with guidence.

The sensei role is not to make you do this or that, or to solve your problems for you, but to point to help you learn to identify opportunities for improvement you had not seen before. The sensei will help you see a problem that is limiting your organization’s performance. The sensei observes whether you tackle it or not, what you try or don’t, discusses the type of solutions you sought, encouraging some and discouraging others based on experience.

Lean is not something we do to someone – that’s what professors or consultants do. Lean is something we practice with someone. The real challenge is not to teach someone to apply lean in their conditions. The challenge is to discover with them what would lean mean for them in their situations and what undiscovered potential for improvement could we explore so that we continuously deepen our understanding of the job.

Lean is never known, it’s always learned.