Maximizing Lean Six Sigma Sustainability

I Want Results Now- Balancing Executive Pressures with Lean Six Sigma
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For projects involved with Lean Six Sigma, it is not uncommon for the project team to face a challenge of balancing between realizing short-term results (e.g. cost reduction) demanded by Executives and to achieve sustainable long-term benefits by implementing Lean Six Sigma framework. Change principles are simple but change is not easy, and it takes time. And here is how to strike this balance.

Golden Fruits

This can be done through the Define phase, i.e. first Phase of the Lean Six Sigma framework. During this Phase, you identify the burning platforms of the organizations and define the projects that will result in break-through performance.

When you conduct the preliminary value stream mapping and data analysis, you are likely to come across issues that are relatively easy to fix in a given process and result in immediate pay back, which I refer these issues as “Golden Fruits”. However, you should do your due diligence by avoiding to apply a Band-Aid solution that results in temporary relief. For example, I have seen people attack a backlog in one area by assigning a crew to work over-time in that area and clear the bottle neck only to push the problem to another area.

Classifying Short and Long Term Performance Improvement

I recommend that you should begin by classifying performance improvement projects as short- or long-term in the Define Phase. Your short-term projects should be a strategic project that will address a pain point in the process that generates immediate relief but also can be used for long-term change.
For example, perhaps we have a backlog and processing delay in a particular value stream. Rather than conducting a full-scale assessment and implementation across the organization, we can simply implement it in a single area within the organization that is keen on using Lean Six Sigma and use it to demonstrate the improvements. We can also have the staff in the “pilot” area to advocate and educate their colleagues in other areas about Lean Six Sigma and the benefits they realized from it. This will result in buy-in and longer lasting change.

Stroking Everyone’s Egos

The advantages recognized through the demonstrations conducted by the “pilot” area staff to their peers are two-fold. The peer employees can relate the benefits from its results in a way that is most meaningful to them, as well as the pilot area staff is able to establish credibility and recognition to its peers. This approach results in a win-win for everyone.

Concluding Thoughts

Change takes time; however, if we leverage our resources in the right way we can generate short-term wins that contribute to long-term sustainability. This is only one of the approaches. Share with me what other approaches that worked for you in terms of satisfying executive demands and establishing a stable process improvement process.