Best Practices in Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement reveals how to refocus lean/six sigma processes on what author Richard Schonberger—world-renowned process improvement pioneer—calls "the Golden Goals": better quality, quicker response, greater flexibility, and higher value. This manual shows you how it can be done, employing success stories of over 100 companies including Apple, Illinois Tool Works, Dell, Inc., and Wal-Mart, all of which have established themselves as the new, global "Kings of Lean," surpassing even Toyota in long-term improvement.

Continuous improvement has become synonymous with the Six Sigma process, where cost reduction and quality improvement have led to greater market share and profits. Leading organizations in diverse industries have begun to further deploy Six Sigma outside of manufacturing to maximize its benefits. This comprehensive training tool and implementation guide delineates how Six Sigma methods can be applied to processes within numerous functional areas of the organization and in diverse industries to achieve strategic and operational business excellence. It presents step-by-step techniques and flow diagrams for integrating Six Sigma as best practices into business development and management. It provides a seamless integration of Six Sigma statistical methodologies that help businesses execute their strategic plans and track both their short- and long-term strategic progress within various areas of their business. Statistical methods employed in Six Sigma are thoroughly explained and their implementation, supported by examples and exercises, is demonstrated via Minitab 14, a popular statistical software package. Six Sigma Best Practices is an ideal text for executive training in planning and leading Six Sigma programs, for Yellow, Green and Black Belt certification programs, for college courses and as a desk reference for practitioners and consultants.

Real executives talk about how Six Sigma changed their organizations for the better Backed by the real-world experience of executives who successfully implemented Six Sigma, this book shows how this powerful, data-driven quality improvement methodology can improve the learning cycle and financial and corporate reporting, as well as strategic planning, customer demand issues, and more. Case studies and interviews provide real-life best practices that make the implementation process that much easier for managers. The authors are Six Sigma experts affiliated with PricewaterhouseCoopers and here present an innovative examination of this powerful and popular methodology.

Strength-based Lean Six Sigma is a new way of approaching process improvement that combines the best practices of two established methodologies to generate a new approach in order to help you develop and deliver increased high performance in any organization. It is the first book to use approaches in business improvement as well as organizational change for optimum organizational performance and improved agility. Combining the energy and motivation released through a strengths-based approach with the focus on quality and efficiency generated by lean six sigma, it offers practitioners from all disciplines the opportunity to understand each other and work successfully together to drive effective and powerful change programmes.

Master scheduling is the heartbeat of every manufacturing and distribution process. In fact, there is no more important process within manufacturing. This unique, up-to-date guide explains how to achieve maximum effectiveness of both Lean strategies and Six Sigma in the master scheduling process for world-class results.

This book addresses many new topical areas for the development of 6 Sigma performance. The text is structured to demonstrate how 6 Sigma methods can be used as a very powerful tool within System Engineering and integration evaluations to help enable the process of Critical Parameter Management. The case studies and examples used throughout the book come from recent successful applications of the material developed in the text.

Lean Six Sigma is a method and strategy that supports individuals and project management teams as they pinpoint problems and implement work process improvements. You don't need to be an engineer to apply these practical principles and tools, and you can use them in any organization and industry. The fact is, applying Lean Six Sigma is easier to use than you think, and the guide will show you how. As the legendary management guru Peter Drucker said, "There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all."Lean Six Sigma takes the best of the Lean method for waste reduction and continuous improvement and pairs it with the variation and quality control methods of Six Sigma. The result is a comprehensive methodology that supports you in managing work processes for optimal success. This easy-to-use competency-based guide is a how-to manual. You can use it for self-paced learning and also in project teams. Each of the key concepts described in Unlocking Lean Six Sigma gives you a bite-sized chunk of key information. But the ideas are not just explained. Each concept includes: -Worksheets showing how you can develop what you learned in your environment. -Illustrations showing how an analyst would approach using the tools.-Charts and other visual tools to ensure the highest, fastest levels of comprehension and retention.-Several links to other professional resources such as videos and website with useful information. -Process improvement case scenarios that highlight how the ideas you learned about were used by others. -What to do tips to further cement your learning.-Practice questions and places where you can document what you learned and how you might use it in your job.At the end of the guide, you'll find a 120-question knowledge test that allows you to self-test how well you understood the material. Optionally, if you want to earn professional development hours (PDHs) or a Lean Sigma credential, you can do so through Centrestar. For more information, see the Earn PDHs and a Lean Sigma Yellow Belt Credential section in the guide.In a jargon-crowded field, words like Lean and Six Sigma can be intimidating for both beginners and experienced users. Don't worry, Unlocking Lean Six Sigma is written in plain language and packed with straight-forward examples. This easy-to-follow guide provides you with tools and techniques for implementing Lean Six Sigma and managing change initiatives. Including Lean Six Sigma skills on your resume will get you noticed! Every organization seeks to provide exceptional products and service to customers, and to do it efficiently and cost effectively. This practical guide is for individuals who want to advance their professional skills, want rewarding careers, and want to have their coworkers and managers view them as effective contributors who step up to help guide projects and ensure success. Organizational leaders want individuals who are passionate about their jobs, can work collaboratively in a team, and strive to continuously improve. This book can help you do all those things. The Unlocking Lean Six Sigma approach has helped thousands of people and organizations achieve success. It will help you too.