Lean Sigma - It's Not About The Colour

Have you ever noticed how sometimes people have a tendency to ask for the top of the range product because it's the best money can buy when in fact something mid range is actually more than adequate enough for their needs?
Or someone wants something because it's the latest craze and everyone else has got one?
Then there are those who don't even know the product is available and carry on blissful unaware that there is a great product out there that can improve the quality off their life!

When it comes to the Lean Sigma product the above scenario's are all true.

If you've never looked at Lean Sigma or talked to someone about what it is and how it can improve your business or organisation (and it works for ANY organisation, Manufacturing, Schools, Offices, Charities...) then how do you know what it can do for you? Why buy something if you don't yet know you need it!

If you don't fully understand what it is all about don't rush out and get some Lean Sigma training just because the competition have done so!

And if you have looked into it and understand the Yellowbelt - Greenbelt - Blackbelt accreditation process then don't rush out and train half a dozen Blackbelts just so you've outdone the "Jones's" by getting more than they have!

This is beginning to sound like a consumer guide to purchasing and I guess it is a bit like that. If you are going to invest money then it's important that you are clear on what it is you want to achieve, what issues / challenges you have and what a successful outcome would look like.

Lean Sigma training is not about how many Grand Master Purple Belt Wizards you have or how many people you've trained or how many staff have been accredited. Lean Sigma is just a set of tools that can be used to improve your organisation, reduce waste, increase efficiency and reduce variability ensuring quality and profits are improved.

To really get the maximum from these tools you should be thinking about creating a true Lean Sigma culture with empowered, motivated staff who have a "can do " attitude, where Leaders are visible to the teams and Gemba Coaching is the norm and a data driven approach to problem solving is utilised. When this becomes part of the normal way of working you have achieved a true Lean Sigma culture, your very own Utopia!
Lean Sigma tools are just a small part of achieving this. To really embed the ways of working and begin to develop a cultural shift you also need to focus on behaviours (particularly those of the Managers & Leaders) as well as creating Performance Measures that support and drive those behaviours.

The Lean Team Approach

If this sound like something that would benefit your organisation, if you think this might address some of the challenges you currently face or if this sounds like a description of your vision for your organisation then maybe Lean Sigma is worth investigating. However, take heed of our warnings and make sure you buy what you need, and if you're not sure then don't spend until you are! What you want is a sustainable output and that won't happen overnight.

So as Christmas approaches be clear on what you require before adding Lean Sigma training to your list for Santa

If it ain't broke, don't fix it?

Seeing Waste & Inefficiencies everywhere!

I was playing golf at my local course recently (playing is a strong word for what I do!) and whilst looking amongst the trees for my golf ball, an all too common occurrence, I noticed activity on the green. There were 4 (that's four!) council workers  involved in relocating the hole / flag on the green. Efficiency? Overkill? Waste?



Unfortunately I find myself afflicted with the Lean disease, meaning everywhere I look I see the potential for improvements and savings. If I'm in the car with my colleague Bob we become like the 2 old men from the Muppet's, grumbling and moaning about waste and inefficiencies everywhere we look!

Unfortunately many organisations don't bother implementing changes or improvements until something goes wrong or they are forced to do so due to financial or resource constraints. There seems to be an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality in the work place which keeps people focused on the day to day tasks. This reactive approach (i.e. wait until something goes wrong before doing something about it) is all too common and ironically many companies actually reward these fire fighting behaviours. Think about it, have you noticed that when the brown stuff hits the fan, people rally round and pull out all the stops to fix the issue. This is often recognised and rewarded as people have put the effort in to fix a problem. What about the guy who goes all year without any issues or problems by taking a proactive approach and spotting issues or risks before they become a problem. Do they get the same reward and recognition?

Another potential problem with the reactive approach is that often due to the pressures involved the 'fix' is often only temporary or does not address the root cause of the problem. Thus at some point in the future the problem is likely to reappear again as the real cause of the issue was never properly addressed.

The 'Sticking Plaster' approach

As someone who has been involved in many change projects I would suggest that it is much easier to implement changes / improvements on a stable base rather than on a changing or variable background. From our point of view if you want change to be successfully implemented and stand a better chance of being sustained then look to do it before the problems become critical. Without the added pressures of trying to find immediate fixes you have time to properly root cause the issue and ensure the 'fix' is a permanent one and not just a sticking plaster.

So if your organisation is working reasonably well then perhaps now is the time to take a look at potential improvement opportunities rather than wait for problems to arise or budgets to be cut.

LeanTeam – 12 Top Tips for Business Improvement

Lean Sigma Tools & Techniques

 

1. D.M.A.I.C. – the universal approach to problem solving. No matter how large, small, complex or simple the problem is, using this approach will ensure you arrive at the right solution:
   Start by DEFINING the problem, what is it, why is it a problem and what is the impact to you, others and the business. This step ensures everyone has the same understanding of the issue and that you are tackling the right problem.
   Then gather some data so that you can MEASURE the extent of the problem. This is important as often we think we have an issue but data will confirm this and allow us to influence others. Data always trumps a ‘gut feel’!
   Using the data ANALYSE the issue. There are plenty of Lean Sigma tools that can also help during this phase of the problem solving (see below).
   Once you have an understanding of the issues and have got to the root cause of the problem only then do you move into the IMPROVE phase.
   The final stage, CONTROL, is vital for sustainability yet is often forgotten. Ensure you have systems in place to ensure the new ways become the normal ways. Make sure you act and behave in a way which is consistent with what you want.
   
   
2. The Foundation of any Lean Sigma organisation is the implementation of a true 5S culture. 5S isn’t just about housekeeping and making sure the place is tidy, it’s about a place for everything and everything in its place. The 5S process is:
   
   
   
   1S – SORT: Tidy things up and most importantly throw away what you don’t use – be ruthless!
   2S – STORE: Find a home for everything. Use Shadow Boards for tools, foam inserts for draws and clearly label and mark out where things should be. This makes it obvious when something is missing.
   3S – SHINE: Clean everything. This helps you to see wear and tear thus allowing you to replace things before the breakdown.
   4S – STANDARDISE: Take a photo of how an area, desk, cupboard etc should look and pin it nearby so everyone is aware of the standard that is expected.
   5S – SUSTAIN: Routinely audit your area against your defined standards and take action if things are not how they should be.
   
   
3. Root Cause analysis. Ensure you are focusing your efforts on the right thing by using the 5 Why’s technique to get to the real problem. Ask “why is that happening”, then ask why again and keep going until you drill down to exactly what the real problem is. This is a key technique if you want to prevent problems from reoccurring by addressing the real cause of the problem.
   
   
4. Process flow. Map your processes to really get an understanding.
   
   
   This is not just manufacturing processes but things like expenses process, induction process, supply chain process, invoicing process etc. Use post-its to identify each step and then arrange them in the order they happen to get a visual representation of your process. You can then use this to identify wasteful steps, bottlenecks etc. Make sure you include people who use the process to ensure you get a real and accurate picture of what is actually going on.
   
   
   Behaviours
   
   
   
5. Shadow of the Leader. Model the behaviours you want to see in others.
   
   People do what they see rather than what they are told. If you want people to act or behave in a certain way then set the example by modelling the behaviours yourself. Praise people when they get it right and use coaching to help people rectify errant behaviours. Do not underestimate the power of influence your Shadow has on those around you. Remember: You don’t have a choice on whether you cast a Shadow or not, only on whether it is a positive or negative one!
   
   
6. Gemba Coaching. Get out there to see what is really going on. Modern Managers can find themselves trapped behind a desk not sure of what is happening in their own work area. By walking about amongst your staff you can see and hear what is really going on and use your coaching skills to reinforce the standards you expect. A benefit of this is that you will find the need for fewer meetings as you deal with issues and queries as they arise.
   
   
7. Motivated, High Performing Teams. Together with a 5S culture this forms the foundation on which an organisation can look to build upon and implement sustainable improvements or changes. High Performing Teams perform with a “can do” attitude and work together more harmoniously achieving greater results.
   
   
8. Empowered TEAMS. If you operate a Gemba Coaching regime and you have High Performing Teams then it is essential that you Empower your staff and allow them a level of responsibility to own their problems.
   
   You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how people take to the opportunity to problem solve or improve their ways of working. Gemba Coaching allows you to keep a level of control and assurance over what occurs.
   
   
   Performance Management Systems
   
   
9. Standard Work. Clearly identify and articulate the Standards you want everyone to work to. Having everyone following the same ways of working reduces errors and improves output and quality. Use your Process Maps to identify Best Practise and then incorporate this into your new ways of working.
   
   
10.    Visual Controls. It’s true that what gets measured gets done!
    
    When you have identified your quality critical parameters then ensure you capture appropriate metrics and make them easy to understand and visible. Give ownership for collecting, updating & monitoring the metrics to your Empowered Teams.
    
    
11.   Dynamic, real time data.
    
    Be proactive rather than reactive and have real time trending of your data to allow you to spot issues before they arise. Use simple statistical charts to visualise data trends and take action when trends begin to change.
    
    
    
    
12.   Tiered Accountability. Assess issues and risks to performance, prioritise, assign resources and accountability for action, and track the completion of actions.  Connect the activities of team members, managers & support functions to maintaining & improving the performance improvements. Use a series of tiered review processes, operated at successive leadership levels and focus on the 'critical few' resolvable issues in order to ensure that something gets fixed!
    
    
    
    
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