LEAN SIX SIGMA

In practice, we see a great deal of misconceptions about the 7 Tools of Quality, also known as the 7 Basic Tools. These are: scatter plots, Pareto charts, tallies, control charts, Ishikawa diagrams, histograms and flowcharts. Let’s review some of the most common mistakes. Mistake 1: The tools must be all used for each issue. Nothing is further from the truth. Sometimes, you need all seven to spot an issue, solve it and sustain the gains. Sometimes, three tools will suffice. T

Taiichi Ohno was one of the key individuals who shaped the Toyota Production System that later became known as Lean. A key technique in Lean is the "5 why analysis" that is also known as the "Why why why analysis." Although templates have been created to support it, in our experience they are unnecessary. You do not need a template, you need a certain mindset, a critical, curious mindset. The 5 Why Analysis just is a technique that prompts you to go beyond the superficial ro

Waste is Lean is not the same as "waste" according to the dictionary. In Japanese we refer to the waste in Lean as "muda" (無駄). Muda or waste is just another way of referring to a non-value adding activity or NVAA. Its opposite is a value adding activity or VAA. A value adding activity meets 3 conditions: There is transformation of some kind (in form, function, value etc.) Customer is willing to pay for that transformation. The transformation is done right the first time. No

I really hate to fly longer than 2-3 hours, but in 2025 I found myself yet again on board of a plane, this time being imprisoned for almost 14 hours as it would fly from Amsterdam to Tokyo. This already long flight had become even longer due to the fact that certain airspace had to be avoided due to political factors. Be it as it may, with such an ocean of time at my disposal, I drafted a new offline course and I watched Joker Folie a Deux, not once but twice. I actually appr

If you visualize processes, sooner or later you will be faced with the question: "Should I use BPMN 2.0 or classic flowcharts to visualize my process?" One is not better than the other. They each have their use. Classic flowcharts have a relatively small body of symbols . In our extensive experience, many people working with classic flowcharts, use 4-6 different types of symbols to visualize their process. Less symbols means less differentiation or less detail . But less symb

Six Sigma is a very robust and time tested methodology. But it is not a universal problem solver. Use Six Sigma if your problem boils down to too many defects. A defect could be any kind of deviation form a norm . Here are some examples. You aim for a 4.5 stars customer satisfaction but currently have 3 stars. You aim to lose only 1 in every 100 customers and currently you lose 6 in 100. You aim to produce at the most 1% faulty items and now the % is 8. Your engines should r

"Is Lean more suitable than Agile for my company?" This is a difficult question to answer because it is like asking: "Is mashed potatoes better than a restaurant?" Agile is first and foremost 4 values, namely: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools   Working software over comprehensive documentation   Customer collaboration over contract negotiation   Responding to change over following a plan As you can clearly see, these are not very rigidly defined. They lea