What are the best practices for selecting and scoping Lean Six Sigma projects?

𝟰 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 of Management- 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 / 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 / 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲 / 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 is a successful approach to identifying Improvement Projects within the organization. 1. Voice of Business "𝗩𝗢𝗕" captures the stated & unstated needs of the Shareholders / Business owners 2. Voice of Customer "𝗩𝗢𝗖" captures the stated & unstated needs /requirements of the customer 3. Voice of Employee "𝗩𝗢𝗘" is a process of employees expressing their ideas & suggestions at the workplace. It enables Employee Voice in the Organization 4. Voice of Process "𝗩𝗢𝗣" describes how well a process meets customer needs. It's the way the process communicates performance concerning customer expectations & needs

Best Practices for Selecting Business Process Improvement Projects: - Customer Feedback: Where are they directing your attention? What isn’t working or what isn’t working well from your customers perspective? - Employee Feedback: What are the common pain points in processes and where are the pain points? - Benefits: Calculate and rank initiatives based on their respective return on investment. Don’t just think dollars. Also think customer and employee experience gains. Also consider the complexity of challenges and estimated effort to solve. Lastly don’t discard initiatives that can reduce operational risk. Matt Rebeiro - Challenge the Status Quo #BusinessProcessImprovement #ProjectManagement #Pipeline #LeanSixSigma #process

Focus Groups and Surveys are effective ways to get client feedback in Product and Services. We can take feedback from various medium like online survey, face to face interview eetc

When selecting and scoping Lean Six Sigma projects, it’s important to first identify the problem clearly. I remember a time when a small business struggled with high customer complaints about delivery times. We worked together to pinpoint the delay's root causes and set a clear goal to reduce those complaints by 50%. Next, focus on the goals. This will help keep the team on track and motivated. The clearer the goal, the easier it is to measure success. Finally, involve your team in the selection process. Their insights can uncover hidden problems and help ensure everyone is on board with the changes. By doing this, we turned our project into a team effort, creating a sense of ownership and boosting morale.

Analyzing the current state means understanding how things are working right now. I once worked with a company facing late payments. We mapped out every step of the billing process, and it became clear that delays happened because team members were using outdated systems. To find the root cause, ask "why" multiple times. In our case, we found that team members weren't trained on new software, which slowed them down. Addressing this root cause through training solved the problem, and the company saw payments arrive faster.

Generating solutions involves brainstorming different ways to solve the problem. In one project, a team and I faced inconsistent customer follow-ups. We listed several solutions, from changing follow-up schedules to using automation tools. Then we evaluated each solution based on cost, time, and effectiveness. We chose to implement a simple automation tool. It ended up saving the team hours each week and improved customer satisfaction because responses were faster and more consistent.

To implement solutions, it's crucial to have a clear plan. I remember helping a business improve task tracking. We decided to use ClickUp, but implementation needed training. We held weekly sessions to ensure everyone understood the tool. To sustain the solution, we set up regular check-ins to see if the tool was being used effectively. Over time, team members started using ClickUp naturally, and productivity improved. The key was not just introducing a solution but ensuring it became part of daily habits.

Hypothetical Example: In a manufacturing firm, leaders prioritized improving operational efficiency and cutting production costs. After data analysis and team collaboration, they focused on optimizing the production line for a key product. The project aims to reduce manufacturing costs by 20% within a year. With clear metrics on cycle time variability and material waste, a dedicated Lean Six Sigma team was formed. The 6-month timeline includes milestones for process mapping, root cause analysis, and implementing standardized processes. This targeted approach underscores their commitment to efficiency and continuous improvement.

Another thing to consider is involving people at every level. I worked with a company where we were trying to improve inventory management. We didn't just ask the managers; we also spoke to the workers handling inventory daily. Their input showed us small but important issues we wouldn't have known otherwise. It's also helpful to track the results over time. When we tracked inventory accuracy after making changes, we saw a steady improvement, which kept everyone motivated and showed that our efforts were working. Involving everyone and tracking progress can make the difference between a short-term fix and lasting improvement.