Lean Manufacturing Through a Six Sigma Lens

Most organizations are focused upon catering to their customers' needs. And in most cases, the processes that are involved in meeting those needs include inefficiencies. They can manifest through defects in production lines, wasted materials and time, and ultimately, higher costs and inferior deliverables. An ongoing objective for any business is to identify and eliminate those inefficiencies.

There are several disciplines that are used to analyze production flows and business processes with the goal of achieving improved efficiency. Both Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma are proven methods that have been deployed successfully for years. In this article, we'll explore the goals of both disciplines. I'll describe the manner in which Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma projects are deployed. I'll also explain how both can be blended to bring about even greater levels of efficiency in an organization.

The Goal Of Lean Manufacturing

Lean Manufacturing was created by Toyota. The concept is focused upon the end product that is delivered to the customer and the factors that contribute to that product's value. In essence, any factor that does not contribute value is considered wasteful and therefore, should be eliminated from the process. The original concept focused on seven key areas of waste: defects, overproduction, conveyance, waiting, inventory, motion, and overprocessing. By identifying and eliminating any inputs within those seven areas that fail to contribute value, an organization can deliver products to the end customer more quickly with reduced costs of production.

The Goal Of Six Sigma

Six Sigma takes an alternate approach in the pursuit of a similar goal. The objective is to identify and eliminate inefficiencies in an organization's processes. But, rather than focusing on elements of the production flow that fail to contribute value to the end product, the initiative seeks to find and remove process-related defects. This is accomplished through the collection and analysis of data.

In a Six Sigma project, every element must be quantified and measured in order to establish performance benchmarks. Once a process has been analyzed and the contribution of each element has been considered, the project team formulates a list of potential solutions. After a solution has been implemented, its results are measured against the existing benchmarks to note improvements. The entire initiative is driven by data and rigorous statistical analysis.

Blending The Disciplines

Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing can be deployed simultaneously within an organization to bring about faster results with greater efficiency. While the former focuses on removing defects, the latter focuses on removing waste. By blending the two concepts, a project team can accomplish both. They can establish performance benchmarks against which to measure process-related changes; they can also use Value Stream Mapping to identify capacity shortfalls, excessive cycle times, and productivity issues.

In essence, Lean Manufacturing is a "top down" approach that provides a broader perspective of an organization's production and design flow. By contrast, Six Sigma is a data-driven method of analysis that provides a closer look at individual processes. Both perspectives are important to achieving company-wide improvements in efficiency. When deployed together, a business can add greater value to the product that is ultimately delivered to the end customer. Defects can be minimized, production costs can be reduced, and customer loyalty can be improved.

As every sector becomes increasingly competitive, it's more important than ever for organizations to streamline their processes while reducing their costs and eliminating defects. A two-pronged deployment strategy that seamlessly blends the principles of Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing can transform a business and yield startling results.