Lean Six Sigma is an approach to improving the performance of processes through the practice of the disciplines of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
- What is Lean?
Lean involves the application of principles that aim to eliminate waste while improving process productivity. Lean focuses on providing value to the user of the product and considers any process step a waste that does not add value to customers. By using this approach, lean aims to reduce waste and thereby lower costs of production.
What is Six Sigma?
Six Sigma methodologies focus on eliminating the defects and variations. It aims to enhance the productivity of processes by rooting out defects.
Process Management
These principles are applied through a system called process management. It is through processes that work is performed to deliver a product or a service to a customer. The management of these processes is done to make them more effective, efficient and adaptable. Various tools, methodologies, management approaches, and technologies are used to achieve this goal. Using process management enable an organization to significantly improve processes and lower costs.
What is a Process?
A Process is a logical, related, sequential set of activities and tasks that take input from a supplier, adds value to it, and produces an output that goes to customer. A major process is a process that usually involves more than one function within the organizational structure. Its operation has a significant impact on the way the organization functions.
When a major process is too complex for a flow chart, it is divided into sub-processes. A sub-process is a portion of a major process that accomplishes a specific objective in support of the major process.
Activities are the things that go on within a process or a sub-process. They are usually performed by a single unit, i.e. a person, a machine or a department. An activity is usually documented in an instruction.
Tasks are the individual elements and/or subsets of an activity. Normally, tasks relates to how someone or some machine performs a specific assignment.