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  • Writer's pictureFahad Gohar
    • Aug 28, 2019
    • 3 min read

Lean Six Sigma


Lean Six Sigma is the system preferred by businesses around the world to streamline, improve, and optimize any and every aspect of their organization.


Lean Manufacturing is a system for maximizing product value for the customer while minimizing waste without sacrificing productivity.


Lean:

Lean manufacturing as we know it today has its roots in the Toyota Production System (TPS), but before it was known as TPS, they simply called it just-in-time manufacturing.

There were 3 things the Toyota Production System attempted to prevent:

  • Muda – Everything in your manufacturing process that creates waste or causes constraints on creating a valuable product.

  • Mura – Everything that creates inconsistent and inefficient work flows.

  • Muri – All tasks or loads that put too much stress on your employees or machines.

In Muda, there are 8 wastes you should work to eliminate:


1. Defects

2. Overproduction

3. Waiting

4. Not utilizing talent

5. Transportation

6. Inventory excess

7. Motion waste

8. Excess processing


Six Sigma:

Six Sigma is a data-driven process that seeks to reduce product defects down to 3.4 defective parts per million, or 99.99966% defect-free products over the long-term.

In all Six Sigma projects, there are 2 main methods of achieving the same defect-free goals. Below, we detail these 2 methods.


The first and most-used method in Six Sigma is a 5-step process called DMAIC:

  1. Define

  2. Measure

  3. Analyze

  4. Improve

  5. Control

The DMAIC process uses data and measured objectives to create a cycle of continuous improvement in your manufacturing methods.


While DMAIC is useful for improving your current processes, DMADV is used to develop a new process, product, or service.


DMADV stands for:

  1. Define

  2. Measure

  3. Analyze

  4. Design

  5. Verify

The DMADV process uses data and thorough analyses to help you create an efficient process or develop a high-quality product or service.


Lean Six Sigma:

Lean Six Sigma is the fusion of Lean Manufacturing with Six Sigma to create a complete system that removes waste and reduces process variation for streamlined manufacturing and optimal product output.


Lean Six Sigma primarily uses Six Sigma processes and methods as the backbone of the system – such as DMAIC and the belt system – to drive focused improvements in manufacturing while incorporating many techniques and tools from Lean to reduce wasteful steps and processes