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Lean Six Sigma: What it is, its advantages and how to implement it.

Lean Six Sigma: What it is, its advantages and how to implement it.
Written by
Oporto Forte Group
Published in 01 Jun 2023

If your organisation has already identified the need to reduce waste, improve efficiency and minimise costs, you would certainly be looking to adopt a Lean approach.

The Lean Six Sigma methodology, with its worldwide reputation, has become an indispensable and widely sought-after resource in the global corporate environment. This methodology, in addition to promoting operational efficiency, offers a significant opportunity for companies to leverage success and improve their business processes.

The term Lean Six Sigma was formed from the combination of the philosophy of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma, and has become a methodology that can be applied in various areas of the company, from the operational sector to strategic levels.

If your company is looking to improve its processes and increase its competitiveness in the market, read our full article to find out how Lean Six Sigma will turn your company into a market success.

A brief history of Lean Six Sigma

What is Lean Six Sigma?

Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that aims to optimise production processes and reduce variability in the creation of products and the provision of services.

It is a combination of the Lean and Six Sigma methodologies, which together seek to eliminate waste, identify and remove the causes of defects, minimise variability and improve the quality of the business process.

Lean is responsible for identifying and eliminating non-essential and non-value-added steps in the business process, while Six Sigma focuses on improving the quality of the process output by identifying and eliminating the causes of defects and minimising variability.

DMAIC: The cycle of continuous improvement

DMAIC is a continuous improvement cycle used in the Six Sigma methodology. The acronym refers to its five stages: Define (D), Measure (M), Analyse (A), Improve (I) and Control (C). The aim of the DMAIC cycle is to improve processes and products, reduce costs and waste, improve company management and the quality of products and services, as well as increasing productivity.

These stages involve everything from defining the problem to implementing improvements and monitoring the results obtained.

Advantages of Lean Six Sigma

Reduction of waste and costs

With the use of lean six sigma, it is easy for your company to identify inefficient processes and where resources are being wasted that can be improved to avoid waste and increase costs in general. Reducing costs increases the sustainability of the business and expands the company's opportunity for growth.

Maximising the good use of resources by avoiding waste is also a great benefit of the Lean Six Sigma methodology, your company achieves the objectives of each process and avoids wasting the resources used. The simplification of processes is also linked to increased efficiency, since simpler processes can have less waste and failures than complex processes.

Improving the quality of products and services

The impact on improving the quality of products and services is certain, as the Lean Six Sigma methodology allows the company to understand its processes, measure and analyse their performance and continuous improvement.

Increased customer satisfaction

All the other benefits presented above have an impact on increasing customer satisfaction, because the Lean Six Sigma methodology always prioritises that the product or service is delivered with the best experience for the customer, thinking about the quality and the expectation that the customer wants to have with the given product or service.

Greater competitiveness in the market

The race to win over customers is becoming increasingly fierce in Brazil's various markets, which is why it is essential that Lean Six Sigma is increasingly present in your company's day-to-day operations. The combination of improved quality, reduced costs and waste, and increased customer satisfaction will make your company stand out in the market and be ahead of competitors who have inefficient processes and various problems in their operations.

How to implement Lean Six Sigma?

Implementing Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in an organisation involves establishing a carefully structured action plan, a process that can be significantly enhanced by hiring a specialist consultancy such as OPorto Forte. The following steps outline the implementation process, with particular emphasis on the assistance OPorto Forte can provide.

Team assembly

A successful LSS implementation begins with the formation of a solid team, made up of qualified professionals with complementary skills. The team must be able to collaborate effectively to achieve the goals set. OPorto Forte can contribute by offering specialised advice on team building, ensuring that all members are properly trained in the methodology and its tools.

Project identification

Identifying the right projects is a crucial stage in the successful implementation of LSS. This involves a detailed analysis of the organisation's processes and the identification of potential areas for improvement. OPorto Forte can offer its expertise at this stage, helping to ensure that the chosen projects are in line with the organisation's strategic objectives.

Setting Goals

Setting clear, precise and measurable goals is another critical component of LSS implementation. This allows for effective monitoring of the project's progress and a fair assessment of the results obtained. OPorto Forte's consultancy can provide guidance in this process, ensuring that targets are in line with the organisation's strategic objectives.

Monitoring and Control of Results

The last phase of LSS implementation is monitoring and controlling the results. Here, it is crucial to evaluate the results achieved and identify areas for improvement for future projects. With OPorto Forte's experience, your organisation can effectively analyse the results and implement continuous improvements, guaranteeing the lasting effectiveness of the LSS implementation.

Conclusion

Lean Six Sigma is a great methodology for your company to reduce costs and waste because, as well as increasing efficiency, it improves the quality of products and services, and consequently improves customer satisfaction. By implementing the Lean Six Sigma methodology, companies can increase the sustainability of their business and their competitiveness..

The OPorto Forte Group is an international benchmark in the training and development of teams in Lean Six Sigma. Our work since 1993 has enabled us to transform more than 25,000 professional careers in companies from a wide range of sectors, expanding the possibilities of turning processes into real success stories.

Get to know our Lean Six Sigma implementation consultancy service and find out how this methodology can help you overcome your business challenges.

Click here to find out more!