If you go to a supermarket you might notice that there is a system to organization of offered produce.
Everything is placed on shelves, arranged in aisles and sections. Some items are in bins and some in display cases.
Typical supermarket will have aisle for fresh products, dairy, meat, baked goods, canned and packaged goods. Lower shelves will most probably contain cheaper products, and .
There is a layout design created to make you pass several times pass certain items in order to increase the chance of you noticing them and buying the, in the end. You might also notice that most commonly bought items such as bread and milk are not in the front of the store, but further in the back.
Chances are that there was a lean six sigma professional employing lean methods to optimize supermarket.
So what is lean?
Just like doctors advocate that lean human bodies are having benefits for improving and extending life, the same is true in business.
The lean methodology centers on doing more with less by eliminating wast and producing only what customers demand. This approach has changed manufacturing throughout the world and it applies to all aspects of business.
How to implement a lean six sigma project and be successful?
Lean Six Sigma has a powerful toolbox of techniques and methods that you should use in all phases of a successful project. At heart of any project is DMAIC. (or define, measure, analyse, improve and control)
That is standardized process of series of well-defined steps throughout the project and repeat process for continuous improvement.
In addition to DMAIC process, Lean six sigma uses also DMADV – define, measure, analyze, design and verify – especially in new processes or where process requires radical change.
Process is mirrored with one exception. A new process is created instead improved.
