Unlocking Lean Six Sigma


Book Description

Lean Six Sigma is a method and strategy that supports individuals and project management teams as they pinpoint problems and implement work process improvements. You don't need to be an engineer to apply these practical principles and tools, and you can use them in any organization and industry. The fact is, applying Lean Six Sigma is easier to use than you think, and the guide will show you how. As the legendary management guru Peter Drucker said, "There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all."Lean Six Sigma takes the best of the Lean method for waste reduction and continuous improvement and pairs it with the variation and quality control methods of Six Sigma. The result is a comprehensive methodology that supports you in managing work processes for optimal success. This easy-to-use competency-based guide is a how-to manual. You can use it for self-paced learning and also in project teams. Each of the key concepts described in Unlocking Lean Six Sigma gives you a bite-sized chunk of key information. But the ideas are not just explained. Each concept includes: -Worksheets showing how you can develop what you learned in your environment. -Illustrations showing how an analyst would approach using the tools.-Charts and other visual tools to ensure the highest, fastest levels of comprehension and retention.-Several links to other professional resources such as videos and website with useful information. -Process improvement case scenarios that highlight how the ideas you learned about were used by others. -What to do tips to further cement your learning.-Practice questions and places where you can document what you learned and how you might use it in your job.At the end of the guide, you'll find a 120-question knowledge test that allows you to self-test how well you understood the material. Optionally, if you want to earn professional development hours (PDHs) or a Lean Sigma credential, you can do so through Centrestar. For more information, see the Earn PDHs and a Lean Sigma Yellow Belt Credential section in the guide.In a jargon-crowded field, words like Lean and Six Sigma can be intimidating for both beginners and experienced users. Don't worry, Unlocking Lean Six Sigma is written in plain language and packed with straight-forward examples. This easy-to-follow guide provides you with tools and techniques for implementing Lean Six Sigma and managing change initiatives. Including Lean Six Sigma skills on your resume will get you noticed! Every organization seeks to provide exceptional products and service to customers, and to do it efficiently and cost effectively. This practical guide is for individuals who want to advance their professional skills, want rewarding careers, and want to have their coworkers and managers view them as effective contributors who step up to help guide projects and ensure success. Organizational leaders want individuals who are passionate about their jobs, can work collaboratively in a team, and strive to continuously improve. This book can help you do all those things. The Unlocking Lean Six Sigma approach has helped thousands of people and organizations achieve success. It will help you too.




Lean Six Sigma for Service


Book Description

Bring the miracle of Lean Six Sigma improvement out of manufacturing and into services Much of the U.S. economy is now based on services rather than manufacturing. Yet the majority of books on Six Sigma and Lean--today's major quality improvement initiatives--explain only how to implement these techniques in a manufacturing environment. Lean Six Sigma for Services fills the need for a service-based approach, explaining how companies of all types can cost-effectively translate manufacturing-oriented Lean Six Sigma tools into the service delivery process. Filled with case studies detailing dramatic service improvements in organizations from Lockheed Martin to Stanford University Hospital, this bottom-line book provides executives and managers with the knowledge they need to: Reduce service costs by 30 to 60 percent Improve service delivery time by 50 percent Expand capacity by 20 percent without adding staff




Lean Six Sigma For Dummies


Book Description

With the growing business industry there is a large demand for greater speed and quality, for projects of all natures in both small and large businesses. Lean Six Sigma is the result of the combination of the two best-known improvement methods: Six Sigma (making work better, of higher quality) and Lean (making work faster, more efficient). Lean Six Sigma For Dummies outlines they key concepts in plain English, and shows you how to use the right tools, in the right place, and in the right way, not just in improvement and design projects, but also in your day-to-day activities. It shows you how to ensure the key principles and concepts of Lean Six Sigma become a natural part of how you do things so you can get the best out of your business and accomplish your goals better, faster and cheaper. About the author John Morgan has been a Director of Catalyst Consulting, Europe's leading provider of lean Six Sigma solutions for 10 years. Martin Brenig-Jones is also a Director at Catalyst Consulting. He is an expert in Quality and Change Management and has worked in the field for 16 years.




The Lean Enterprise Memory Jogger for Service


Book Description

This brand new version of our original Lean Enterprise Memory Jogger applies lean concepts to both services and transactional organizations. Answer this... would your customers "without question" recommend your service to friends or associates? The Lean Enterprise Memory Jogger for Service holds the key to helping you achieve superior service levels, efficiently and effectively; while retaining desirable customers and attracting new ones. Industry has learned that traditional lean manufacturing approaches when applied to the service environment can have disastrous results. Service is not manufacturing! But service delivery does require associated resources of people, technology, methods, facilities, equipment, and so on, to be designed to meet the seemingly unpredictable demands of customers.




Building Leadership Competence


Book Description

A Proven Approach to Leadership that Has Helped Thousands Achieve Success Today, competency-based education is said to be the learning of the future. Why? Because organizations use competencies to figure out what employees are capable of and where they need to grow. After years of research - and real-life experience - Dr. Wesley Donahue, Professor of Management Development and Education at Penn State University, has assembled a comprehensive framework of 35 Competencies that are essential for success in virtually every industry, organization, and position. Building Leadership Competence offers a unique and straightforward approach. The Leadership Competency Inventory allows individuals to Assess their leadership skills Create personalized roadmaps for success Identify on-demand micro-learning courses and other resources that get results It also serves as a valuable guide for organizational leaders who conduct seminars, workshops, and for to use with learn-at-lunch programs. Building Leadership Competence guides you through the 35 competencies and gives you the tools you need to get from where you are to where you want to be. You start with our Leadership Competency Inventory. Based on your job, it shows you specific skills to tackle. Then each competency discussion teaches you what you must know to show employers that you are the person they want. An essential read, which can be used at a personal or organizational level to assess and build your leadership knowledge and skills, Building Leadership Competence is a practical and usable tool that has helped thousands achieve success. Aspiring leaders through senior executives will find his book invaluable.




Lean Six Sigma


Book Description

The Breakthrough Program for Increasing Quality, Shortening Cycle Times, and Creating Shareholder Value In Every Area of Your Organization Time and quality are the two most important metrics in improving any company's production and profit performance. Lean Six Sigma explains how to impact your company's performance in each, by combining the strength of today's two most important initiativesLean Production and Six Sigmainto one integrated program. The first book to provide a step-by-step roadmap for profiting from the best elements of Lean and Six Sigma, this breakthrough volume will show you how to: Achieve major cost and lead time reductions this year Compress order-to-delivery cycle times Battle process variation and waste throughout your organization Separately, Lean Production and Six Sigma have changed the face of the manufacturing business. Together, they become an unprecedented tool for improving product and process quality, production efficiency, and across-the-board profitability. Lean Six Sigma introduces you to today's most dynamic program for streamlining the performance of both your production department and your back office, and providing you with the cost reduction and quality improvements you need to stay one step ahead of your competitors. "Lean Six Sigma shows how Lean and Six Sigma methods complement and reinforce each other. If also provides a detailed roadmap of implementation so you can start seeing significant returns in less than a year."--From the Preface Businesses fundamentally exist to provide returns to their stakeholders. Lean Six Sigma outlines a program for combining the synergies of these two initiatives to provide your organization with greater speed, less process variation, and more bottom-line impact than ever before. A hands-on guidebook for integrating the production efficiencies of the Lean Enterprise with the cost and quality tools of Six Sigma, this breakthrough book features detailed insights on: The Lean Six Sigma Value PropositionHow combining Lean and Six Sigma provides unmatched potential for improving shareholder value The Lean Six Sigma Implementation ProcessHow to prepare your organization for a seamless incorporation of Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques Leveraging Lean Six SigmaStrategies for extending Lean Six Sigma's reach within and beyond your corporate walls "Variation is evil."--Jack Welch Six Sigma was the zero-variation quality lynchpin around which Jack Welch transformed GE into one of the world's most efficientand valuablecorporations. Lean Production helped Toyota cut waste, slash costs, and substantially improve resource utilization and cycle times. Yet, as both would admit, there was still room for improvement. Lean Six Sigma takes you to the next level of improvement, one that for the first time unites product and process excellence with the goal of enhancing shareholder value creation. Providing insights into the application of Lean Six Sigma to both the manufacturing processes and the less-data-rich service and transactional processes, it promises to revolutionize the performance efficiencies in virtually every area of your organizationas it positively and dramatically impacts your shareholder value.




The Basics of Hoshin Kanri


Book Description

The problem with most Hoshin Kanri books is that they describe a complex methodology that is overwhelming to most leaders and their organizations. The need to essentially change the culture of the entire organization to make Hoshin work isn‘t practical for most companies when first starting out.The Basics of Hoshin Kanri uses an easy-to-follow stor




Lean Six Sigma For Leaders


Book Description

A refreshingly practical guide to real-world continuous improvement Lean Six Sigma for Leaders presents a no-frills approach to adopting a continuous improvement framework. Practical, down-to-earth and jargon-free, this book outlines the basic principles and key points of the Lean Six Sigma approach to help you quickly determine the best course for your company. Real-world case studies illustrate implementation at various organisations to show you what went right, what went wrong, what they learned and what they would have done differently, giving you the distilled wisdom of hundreds of implementations with which to steer your own organisation. Written from a leader's perspective, this quick and easy read presents the real information you need to make informed strategic decisions. While many organisations have implemented either Lean or Six Sigma, there is a growing interest in a combined approach; by implementing the most effective aspects of each, you end up with a more potent, adaptable system that benefits a wider range of organisations. This book shows you how it works, and how to tailor it to your organisation's needs. Understand the basic principles and key aspects of Lean Six Sigma Examine case studies of organisations that have implemented the framework Build on the lessons learned by other leaders to shape your own path Achieve continuous improvement by creating the right environment for success In theory, every organisation would like to attain continuous improvement — but what does that look like in day-to-day practice? How is it structured? What practices are in place? How can you implement this new approach with minimal disruption to daily operations? Lean Six Sigma for Leaders answers these questions and more, for a clear, actionable guide to real-world implementation.







Lean Leadership BASICS


Book Description

This book explains how to sustain lean, or, continuous improvement practices. It introduces the BASICS® lean leadership development path, combining the "human aspect" with published BASICS® lean tools. It lays out the methodology to empower, lead, and drive ongoing improvements in your business. The book includes engaging stories and case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of shop floor management tactics, including visual management tools, gemba walks, standard work, time analysis, kanban, 5S, and more.