Lean Six Sigma is a systematic method used to improve business processes, products, and quality. It focuses on reducing process variation and cycle time through the use of statistical tools and teamwork. The method was pioneered in the 1980s and is now used by many large companies. Lean Six Sigma projects follow a defined roadmap of measuring the current process, analyzing root causes of defects, improving the process, and controlling the gains. Projects are led by a Black Belt with support from a Green Belt, Champion, and other roles using defined phases and tools. Using Lean Six Sigma provides benefits such as proven success, a structured approach, and fact-based results.

1. How to sell Kaizen to my
colleagues?
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2. The indent starts with training each and another
„Teaching is the only major occupation of man for which we have not yet developed tools that make
an average person capable of competence and performance. In teaching we rely on the 'naturals,'
the ones who somehow know how to teach.“
- Peter Drucker -
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3. What is Six Sigma? Why use Six
Sigma?
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4. Lean Six sigma info
• After the training session you will know:
• What is Lean Six Sigma
• What is the meaning of different ’Belts’
• What kind of improvement tasks are typical Lean Six sigma cases
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5. Lean Six Sigma
• Well-known, proven and systematic method used to improve
• Business processes and products
• Customer focused: where should we focus our quality improvements
• Focus on process variation, yield and cycle time
• Statistical measure of process capability, equivalent to defect rate of
3.4 ppm or 99.99966 % “good”
• Based on statistical tools and team work
• Pioneered in the 1980’s by Motorola
• Engineer’s conclusion: “New products can be produced
error-free from the very beginning”
• “Attack” towards the power of the Japanese companies in
the electronics industry
• Further developed by ABB in the early 1990’s
• Currently used by several large companies in the electronics
industry
• Nokia, General Electric, ABB, Sony, Honeywell, Philips
• Utilisation of the method has made its way also to process
industry
• Tetra Pak, Avery Dennison, Stora Enso, SCA, UPM, Dow
Chemicals
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6. LEAN
Lets Eliminate All Non-value added activities
Non values in the process are:
Defects Motion Processing Waiting Over
Processing
Transportation Inventory
Shifting Mean and/or Shrinking Variation
Variations are:
Productivity Quality Forecasting Controls
Reduction / Elimination of process waste and deficiencies result higher process efficiency and customer satisfaction
OAE Takt Time VSM Push/Pull
Demand
Forecasting
Time Study
Variation
Analysis
Correlation
Matrix
Six Sigma
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7. Lean Six Sigma could be used
• For any process in order to:
• Reduce variation
• Improve yields
• Eliminate defects
• Reduce the cost
of poor quality
• Reduce cycle time
Six Sigma
Methods
PURCHASING
PRODUCTION
R&D
SUPPLY CHAIN
HRMAINTENANCE
FINANCE
AS HELPDESK
QUALITY
ASSURANCE
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8. How is it used? Implementation options
Business
Transformation
Strategic
Improvement
Problem
Solving
• Company wide
• Culture change
- New way of doing business
- Addresses all business
processes
- Customer focused attitude
• Targets key strategic or operational
weakness or opportunity
• Apply to products or business
processes
- Product development process
- Enhance operational efficiency
- Order to Cash cycle
• Fix specific issues
• Urgent needs
- Improve throughput
- Reduce customer
complaints
GE
Avery Dennison
DuPont
Dow
Bombadier
Shell
Siemens
BT
Centrica
Nokia
Philips
Ford/Jaguar
PSA
DSM
Sun Chemicals
Ref. „The Sigma Way – Peter Pande..“
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9. A Disciplined Roadmap
Phase I: Process Measurement
Phase II: Process Analysis
Phase III: Process Improvement
Phase IV: Process Control
What is important?
How are we doing?
What are the root causes?
What needs to be done?
How do we sustain the gains?
Phase 0: Project Definition
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10. Lean Six Sigma project phases
1. Project selection (Define)
• What is the problem? What is the target?
• What is the process?
• What are the expected efforts and savings?
Measurement
Number of
Defects?
Analysis
Why, when and
where defects
appear
Control
Check long
term
improvement
Improvement
How to put under
control the
process
2. Problem Solving with four steps M A I C
3. Results
• Financial (quality-cost reduction, increased customer satisfaction)
• Facts for investment decisions (clear evidence to show in investment proposals)
• Training (new experts trained in connection with project)
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11. Lean Six Sigma players
Champion
Black Belt
Selects the project
• Sets the problem & targets
• Supervises the implementation
• Breaks down barriers of project
• Provides the resources needed
Leads the Six Sigma teams
• Provide coaching and support to project team
• Trains Black Belts & Green Belts
• Full-time
Solves problems
• Uses Six Sigma method & tools
• Part-time (e.g. 25 % of working time)
Solves problems
• Engine of the Six Sigma program
• Build teams, attack problems by driving the teams
for solutions that work
• Full-time, trains Green Belt
Master Black Belt
Green Belt
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12. Typical time commitments during project phases
Review
Lead
Support
Month 0 Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6
Recognize Define Measure Analyze Improve Control Realize
Process Owner
Green Belt or Black BeltChampions
Finance Rep
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13. Use Lean Six Sigma, because
• it‘s a proven, well known method used by many companies with great success
• it‘s a method that combines scientific tools with creative techniques
• it‘s a structured method with clear defined phases and roles
• it‘s time orientated to avoid never ending projects
• it‘s a standardized method to be used as a standard method in different units of the
company
• it‘s a report and documentation orientated method that enables the transfer of solutions
• it‘s figures and fact orientated not telling stories only from the good
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14. Q & A
Thank you!
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