5S is no longer a new concept in many workspaces, yet many still struggle with the implementation.  Before I settle down into my 5S training sessions I like to first take the temperature of the class, “What do you know about 5S?” Sometimes people can rattle off the 5S’s: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, & Sustain. Most often I get a general reduction to housekeeping activities like sorting and cleaning. This is as good an opportunity as any to highlight what the takeaway of the training should be. If you remember anything at all, the objective of 5S is not just housekeeping but to establish and then elevate the baseline to which work is performed. Its simplicity is culpable of its misrepresentation. 5S sounds a lot like housekeeping but its full benefits can only be reaped if you are critical of the process and not just going through the motions.

In my experience as a Lean practitioner I've had to navigate through different industry/corporate cultures, levels of organizations, and varied personalities. You may have already found that the potency of the Lean agenda depends heavily on how it is received. Through my own experiences training and advocating Lean methods, I've decided to include a short list of some keys to success that may help others incite and sustain change. 

Whether you are contemplating acquiring a Lean Six Sigma Certification, a newly minted member, or a battle-tested veteran,  it's worth a prospective look at the Continuous Improvement trends. As businesses continue to seek competitive advantages, the trends from 2015 reflect the rising demand for continuous improvement specialists.

Kaizen is a Japanese term that refers to a continuous improvement approach that is incremental and iterative that was developed as part of the Toyota Production System in the 1940's. Since it's introduction, the Kaizen method has been adopted by various industries and even by competitors. A recent article from The Wall Street Journal highlights the need and success of Kaizen by Subaru to keep up with increased demands on production. With each round of Kaizens, Subaru is able to improve on efficiency and output. The idea is that the sum of every small improvement will yield a significant impact. 

Large companies suffer from what’s known as big business bloat. With each added process there is unintentionally added complexity and variability that ultimately affects cycle times, service levels, scalability, capacity, compliance, and defects among other things. In some estimates, complexity is attributable for as much as 15 – 30% of large business costs. This article from the WSJ written by Deloitte further explains how these process variations and potential savings are greatly underestimated by executives.

So I stumbled on this show which premiered 12/30/15 on Discovery GO. Extreme Time Cheaters is a reality TV show about people who go to extreme and unusual lengths to save time in their days thereby optimizing their time and in a roundabout way also cheating death. 

Lean Six Sigma is indeed a powerful tool to achieve process improvement when utilized correctly. However, as more and more industries are seeking to reap the benefits of Lean Six Sigma, it's equally important to take pause and recognize when Lean Six Sigma may not be the way to go. A good Lean Six Sigma project may yield improved quality, reduced variations, and significant financial savings but a bad Lean Six Sigma project may result in wasted time and resources. Here are a few attributes that influence a proposed project's eligibility for the full Lean Six Sigma treatment (DMAIC process):

Lean Six Sigma practitioners are leaders in the workplace. In fact, the ASQ Lean Six Sigma Black Belt BOK includes team management and project management tools as key knowledge areas. Therefore, Project Management is definitely a good complementary skill to have in addition to Lean Six Sigma certification. It is not just about process capability, process improvement etc. Project Management gives you the skills to meet project requirements whether it be Scope, Cost, Schedule, or Quality. Ensuring that you can navigate through corporate structures to deliver projects that are on time and on budget. Here's what you need to know about getting the PMP. 

There's always pressure for continuous improvement but your organization is not sold on Six Sigma. In fact, they had previously tried using Six Sigma before your time and failed. What is your best response to management to initiate another Six Sigma project?

Let me know in the comments below!

A question that frequently comes up over and over again in forums is "Where do I get my certification in Lean Six Sigma?" and it is usually paired with "Should I do Yellow, Green, or Black Belt?". Since there are so many providers of Lean Six Sigma training and certifications, I'd figure I should share some of my own research that I used in making my decisions on this topic.

In my post last week, I mentioned some of the lesser touted benefits of Lean Six Sigma. The first of which had to do with increased inshore manufacturing. Coincidentally, this week's post in IndustryWeek by Michael Collins is much related as it critiques the influence of Continuous Improvement Programs on domestic manufacturing growth. In the article, Michael points out the core focus of continuous improvement is on internal processes and although cost savings can be attained, the scope of most continuous improvement programs does not address improving sales or market demand for products. This external or customer facing perspective on continuous improvement is often the biggest hurdle in winning management support for Lean Six Sigma objectives. To reap the full benefits of Lean, it needs to operate as part of a company-wide system. It may be a matter of semantics, however where Lean is inward-facing there is Op-Ex which is outward-facing (I had briefly distinguished between the two in a previous post - here). These two programs should run in parallel. For this reason, I'd like to review some more benefits of Lean Six Sigma that appeal more from a growth perspective:

"Getting Lean" can mean different things to different people. Sometimes employers use it as an euphemism for job layoffs but that would be the more literal definition of lean and not representative of the methodologies for continuous improvement. Lean manufacturing is a systematic method of eliminating waste and can provide a lot of benefits to manufacturers without compromising the welfare of their employees. Here are a few examples how "Getting Lean" can be a good thing for workers:

The advent of social media has unarguably raised the level of communication whether you use it through professional or personal channels. While we capitalize on all the benefits of social media in order to acquire new customers, spread promotional materials, solicit suggestions, or raise awareness about pertinent social issues, it is also important to understand how social media skews reality. The ubiquity and popularity of social media has not just changed how we communicate but how we interpret the world around us. Many editorials have since been written lamenting the attention seeking yet attention deficit millennial generation that are being bred from this technology. As a Continuous Improvement specialist or Change Agent, it is crucial to understand how modern communication systems such as social media interactions impact the culture of change and acceptance. 

To "Get Lean", "Six Sigma a Process", or "Achieve Operational Excellence", are all hot buzzwords being tossed around organizations today to incite continuous improvement efforts, but what are the differences between them? and can they be used interchangeably?

Deciding on the appropriate level of response for a Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) is not always straight forward. The most idealistic solutions are often not the most realistic. There are always other factors that come into play such as capital constraints, insufficient labor, or geographical barriers to name a few. Furthermore, as many CAPAs require cross-functional support, it brings the complexities of priority conflicts, corporate communications, and general office diplomacy. 

Poka-Yoke is a fundamental in today's product design. It is a term that is generally distilled to "idiot-proofing". Poka-Yoke can be used in Lean Manufacturing wherever there is operator intervention in a process step.

The picture above is an everyday example of Poke-Yoke, an alternative Egg Timer that takes the guess work out of making a hard/soft boiled egg. Other examples include the various ports for cables for your TV or computer. These cables are not interchangeable and only fit in one orientation (i.e. USB/HDMI/Serial cables are all unique and cannot be put in backwards or upside down). 

Poke-Yoke should be considered when determining CAPAs and during 5S activities. It is a method to bring control to a process that is historically variable. There are many creative solutions but here are some good places to start: