Described are attributes of Lean Six Sigma project selection criteria that should be considered when undertaking a Lean Six Sigma process improvement effort. Other Lean Six Sigma infrastructure and execution needs for creating a healthy process-improvement culture are also discussed.
Need for Lean Six Sigma Project Selection Criteria
Organizational Lean Six Sigma process improvement efforts can have the best intentions; however, these efforts often stall out. Lean Six Sigma deployments can become a hunt for improvement projects to undertake, where often identified projects fall off peoples’ plates because of other priorities. Lean Six Sigma practitioners may feel as if they spend more of their time selling others on their needs for process improvement assistance than on the actual execution of process-enhancements.
Lean Six Sigma Project Selection Criteria for a Successful Improvement Project
The following should be considered when undertaking a Lean Six Sigma process improvement project:
- Project aligns to the improvement of a process’ metric performance that positively impacts a big-picture key performance indicator; e.g., revenue, profits (even non-profits need some money left over), quality of offering/service, or customer satisfaction. This metric should be reported using a 30,000-foot-level format.
- Executive management support.
- Process owner support.
- Team member support.
- Data are available to determine how the process that is to be improved is currently performing, ideally over an extended period of time.
For a Lean Six Sigma project, it is most desirable that data be made available in a format that can be analyzed to determine where improvement efforts might focus.
Lean Six Sigma Project Selection Criteria Example Projects
Example metrics that could be improved through a project are:
- On-time delivery rates
- Length of time to complete a task
- Reduced costs per transaction; e.g., cost per person served
- Reduction in error rates
- Lean waste reduction
- Overproduction; e.g., excess reporting
- Waiting; e.g., waiting for approvals
- Transportation; e.g., handoffs to other organizations
- Inventory; e.g., backlogs
- Overprocessing; e.g., approval routings, signature requirements
- Motion; e.g., obtaining forms, paperwork
- Defects; e.g., incorrect data, missing data, mistakes
Lean Six Sigma Project Selection Criteria: Project Execution
The following are involved in the execution of a project for a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Green Belt, or trainee:
- The Lean Six Sigma Belt or Lean Six Sigma Belt candidate works with and has meetings with the process owner, stakeholders, customers of the process, and those involved in executing the process that is to be improved.
- It would be best if data from the process were available. Process data can be used to gain insight to what might be done to improve the process; however, sometimes data are not available and/or what should be done to improve a current workflow situation is obvious.
- The process is changed.
- Proof that a process change was effective is that its 30,000-foot-level response transitioned to an enhanced level of performance. The amount of change can be quantified, where the benefits are described in financial terms when appropriate.
Lean Six Sigma Project Selection Criteria Deliverables
Deliverables from a process improvement effort should include the following in a report that would be presented to management, stakeholders, and others:
- A 30,000-foot-level process tracking output format, which can have many benefits when compared to current reporting methodologies (This performance tracking approach could later be used in other areas of the organization.)
- Documentation that shows the current performance state of the process.
- Description of what the Lean Six Sigma Belt did with his/her team when executing the Lean Six Sigma project execution roadmap.
- What was changed in the process to make it better.
- Performance metric showing the magnitude of the process improvement.
Lean Six Sigma Project Selection Criteria Resources
Execution details for the above are described in the books:
These books are two of the five books that describe the Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE) Business Management System.
In the IEE system, step 6 deals with improvement project selection, while step 7 entails improvement project execution.
The IEE system addresses the scorecard and improvement issues described in a 1-minute video:
Contact Us to set up a time to discuss with Forrest Breyfogle how your organization might gain much from an Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE) Business Process Management System for execution of improvement efforts that benefit the big picture.