Lean Six Sigma Book Recommendations

Lean Six Sigma book recommendations is what I have been asked to contribute as a web page.  I will provide below a list of recommended reading material for lean Six Sigma practitioners (and leadership too).  I can think of many books that black belts and master black belts would benefit from reading, so here is a few.

Lean Six Sigma Book Recommendations

The Goal: A process of ongoing improvement,” by Eliyahu Godratt.  This book was read by every engineer in manufacturing when it came out in the 1980s.  It is written like a fictional novel, which makes it an easy read.  This book explains the Theory of Constraints (TOC) in a method very easy to understand.  It also introduced the term “Herbie” to the world.  I have many students that have never heard of this book and they really are missing a good read.

Freakonomics” by Steven Levitt and StephenDubner.  This book is a series of examinations of everyday life issues that uses an economists view, which are interesting, but the reason I recommend the book is that the authors use regression and ANOVA to analyze data in the same way a LSS practitioner would use them.  It is a good example of using the tools outside of the normal project genre.

Good to Great” and “How the Mighty Fall: and why some companies never give in“, both by Jim Collins.  It is worth reading these books in that order.  Good to Great is a great analysis of great companies and what motivates them to continuing to get better when it is not a crisis or immediate need.  This message can really help lean six sigma programs understand how to sell them selves within their company.  The second book, “How the Might Fall” is a follow up based on a question that Mr. Collins took after a presentation.  He was asked why some of the great companies from his books have fallen from greatness and some have not fallen.  His analysis of this behavior is very good.  He shows the reader why some behaviors work and some do not.  How the companies that changed with the business environment continue to be great.  These insights were eye opening for me.  The Wall Street Journal reported, a while ago, that the new CEO at Toyota read the book and decided they were about to fall and make a lot of changes.

“Understanding Variation: The Key to Managing Chaos” by Donald Wheeler.  This book does not necessarily teach the best control charting methods, but it is THE BEST laymens explaination of variation and its impact on business and life that I have ever read.  In my past company it was required reading for all Black and Green Belt candidates before class started.  If you are having trouble convincing people that managing the process variation is important, consider giving them this book to read.

I also have to recommend the books by the CEO of my current employer, because they are great, not because I have to.

Integrated Enterprise Excellence” series of books by Forrest Breyfogle.  The System book is a small paperback that provides the best explaination of the importance of linking your improvement program to the business system, strategic planning, and performance reporting.  It is a compelling read.  The Volume 3 of the series is by far the best single book about the execution of a LSS DMAIC project.  In my past life, we would provide 4 to 5 books to our students just to provide a resource for all the tools.  Forrest’s Volume 3 book includes a reference for all the DMAIC skills; soft skills like team management, creative tools and effective presentations, Hard skills like statistics, lean methods, DOE, problem statements, Improvement tools, and process baseline and capability reporting.  A one stop shop.