Combining Lean Six Sigma (LSS) with a thorough analysis of your Working Capital Situation can lead to a more objective selection of high impact projects. LSS may help to achieve reduction of Working Capital hidden in warehouses and processes through data-based root cause analysis. Working Capital meets Lean Six Sigma.

Leaders need to spend more time at the real touch points impacting customers and employees. Only then will they truly understand the real situation so that they can take effective actions to improve performance. And, being seen in Gemba only in crisis situations undermines its value and leaves a negative stain on it.

Lean Government. Even to the seasoned Lean practitioner, this idea sounds far-fetched. Governments are traditionally seen as the epitome of bureaucracy and red tape, incomprehensible forms and endless queues. But there are workable Lean strategies for governments seeking to reduce waste. Eight are outlined here.

MYTH: LEAN SIX SIGMA HAS MANY TOOLS I DO NOT NEED. Certainly, life is much easier without the need to choose between 50 advanced tools for problem solving. However, if the only tool available is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. In reality, there is a multitude of process problems that need more than a hammer…

Lean application outside of the manufacturing sector is frequently met with scepticism. Oft cited reasons are that service providers do not ‘manufacture’ anything and that there is no ‘production line’ to speak of physically. All that is seen are desks, chairs, phones and computers.

Here are some typical Questions and our Answers regarding the deployment of Lean Six Sigma in an organisation. If you have more questions, please feel free to add them as a comment and we will try to answer.

Everyone, undoubtedly, has had the unenviable honour of experiencing ‘bureaucratic government processes.’ Be it applying for your first ID or passport, to initially obtaining a driving license and the inevitable dealings with the tax man. I had a different experience. No Red Tape …

An Australian construction equipment rental & leasing firm had decided to implement an Enterprise Resource Planning system in 12 months. During this 12 month period there was an expectation that all front-end services including Sales, Customer Service, Receivables, Payables, would be re-designed to achieve streamlining and simplification prior to ERP implementation. Operations spanned 18 cities […]

After a Lean programme for inventory was instituted the production facility struggled with getting a good product mix out to the finished goods inventory due to relatively long change-over times for cutting dies. Steel tool (final product) cutting dies need to be replaced after every 4 Kanban batch runs of 225 pieces each. This frequent […]

Today, organisations must change their priorities from a traditional focus on planning and control to emphasising speed, innovation, flexibility, quality, service and cost. The HR team has to demonstrate their commitment to meet these key business drivers. A major problem confronting HR managers today is to increase line management and employee productivity, provide higher more value-adding […]