Lean Six Sigma Deployment Issues and Resolution

Many times it has been said that Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma deployments need executive level initiation. Jack Welch used this approach for the initiation of Six Sigma at General Electric (GE). There have been successful business improvement projects initiation with this Lean Six Sigma deployment approach, assuming the right people are selected for the various roles and there is a good push for project creation and execution infrastructure. However, even with the best Lean Six Sigma deployment kick-offs and infrastructure, organizations can have much difficulty sustaining a project search-and-completion deployment; i.e., this Lean Six Sigma project selection approach.

Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma tradition deployments promote the use of data analysis and reducing waste at the project level but create an organization in itself to search for projects and then complete them. Traditionally, the project financial benefits is the measure of success. Systems of reward for individuals can even be created which encourage the hunt for and completion of projects; howver, often these projects have little benefit for the system as a whole and drive the wrong activities. Often, even in the best find-our-next-project deployments, when the person who is leading the deployment leaves the company or has a position reassignment, the deployment loses much of its effectiveness.

Lean Six Sigma, Lean, and Six Sigma deployments are not a business system; i.e., they are a project based problem system. What is needed is a business system that draws upon the many positive data analysis – analytics and waste reduction concepts of Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma. The business system, Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE), does not have the above deployment issues, and can lead organizations toward achieving the 3 Rs of business; i.e., everybody doing the Right things Right at the Right time.

With the IEE system, it is best to start by building the enterprise process measurement and improvement system before project selection. To build this infrastructure it is best to start small and growing into a bigger system where the goal is to make the concepts of IEE and tools of Six Sigma and Lean a part of how work is done and not an add-on; i.e., not something extra that needs to be done.

Bill Wiggenhorn (Retired President of Motorola University) stated: Forrest’s IEE system is not simply a methodology for doing Six Sigma projects. IEE offers an overall management system that provides the framework where companies can implement and benefit from Dr. Deming’s methodologies.”

A whitepaper that describes this overall system is “Corporate Performance Management: The Integrated Enterprise Excellence System”