Your Essential

Guide to
Lean Six Sigma
 Measurement is the first step that leads
to control and eventually to improvement.
If you can’t measure something, you can’t
understand it. If you can’t understand it,
you can’t control it. If you can’t control it,
you can’t improve it.
- H. James Harrington
Contents

What is Lean Six Sigma? 4

What is the Difference Between Lean and Six Sigma? 5

How does Lean Work? 6

How does Six Sigma Work? 7

Combining Lean and Six Sigma - Key Benefits 8

Roles: Who Implements Lean Six Sigma? 9

Is Lean Six Sigma for You? 10

Getting Started 11

Training & Certifying as an Individual 12

Lean Six Sigma for Your Organisation 13

Additional Lean Six Sigma Resources 14

Get in Touch 15

Your Essential Guide to Lean Six Sigma Professional Development 3

Contents
What is Lean Six Sigma?

Cut Costs, Improve Productivity, Boost Profits collaborative

Lean and Six Sigma are two process improvement methodologies, which

when used together become an extremely powerful business

transformational strategy.
continuous
Businesses all over Ireland are adopting Lean Six Sigma to maximise their

organisation’s potential, increase team morale and effectiveness, and

minimise waste and downtime.

methodical
This guide will give you the basics of what Lean and Six Sigma are all about,

how you can get started with process improvement in your working

environment, and point you in the direction of other helpful articles.

efficient

Your Essential Guide to Lean Six Sigma Professional Development 4

What is Lean Six Sigma?
What is the Difference between Lean and Six Sigma?

Lean and Six Sigma are separate methodologies. They originated in different places at different times, and can be used independently.
To understand why they are so dynamic together, let’s look at them individually, and then combined...

Lean Six Sigma

The concept of “lean manufacturing” and eliminating waste from Six Sigma was first introduced within Motorola in 1986.

processes has been around since before the 20th century. Lean
The name refers to a statistical concept on the number of defects per
as we know it today was established in the early 1990s, growing
million repetitions of a process, or outputs of a product.
from the TPS (Toyota Production System). Lean started out in the

manufacturing sector as an approach for streamlining production by Six Sigma is a goal to work towards, the ideal low level of variations

eliminating any unnecessary or wasteful elements of the production and defects per million opportunities (DPMO).

process. However, lean has travelled far from its origins and is now

widely implemented in all industries.

Your Essential Guide to Lean Six Sigma Professional Development 5

What is the Difference between Lean and Six Sigma?
How Does Lean Work?

The 8 Wastes

D O W N T I M
1 2 3 4 56 7 8E
Lean targets waste, eliminating

inv
def

wa

mo
non
anything that is “non-value add” to your

ove

ent
itin

extr
ect

tran

tion
-uti
processes.

ory
g
r-pr
s

a-p
spo
lise
Using the 8 wastes as a guiding point, odu

roc
d ta

rtat
a lean approach will consider all

es
ctio
elements and stages within a process,

ion
len

sing
n

and carefully determine which parts of

t
the process are value-add and essential

to quality and productivity, and which

elements are considered ‘waste’.

Your Essential Guide to Lean Six Sigma Professional Development 6

How Does Lean Work?
How Does Six Sigma Work?

fine Me
De a

su
re
Many refer to Six Sigma as “problem

solving”. Six Sigma is used to identify The

Control
flaws, variations, or defects in a

process, and to correct them.

DMAIC
Cycle

Ana
Using the DMAIC Cycle (Define,

ly
Measure, Analyse, Implement, Control),

se
a process can be mapped and analysed

to identify and resolve issues or flaws.

Improve

Your Essential Guide to Lean Six Sigma Professional Development 7

How Does Six Sigma Work?
Combining Lean and Six Sigma - Key Benefits

You can see how both Lean and Six Sigma would be very effective, even used alone. These methodologies compliment each other very
well. Let’s look at what they can achieve when they are combined.

Less More Better Faster

Waste Savings Organisational Culture Cycle Times

Variation Revenue & Profits Processes Lead Times

Defects Efficiency Capability Problem Solving

Costs Effectiveness Reliability Growth

Capacity Communication

Motivation Team Engagement

Quality

Your Essential Guide to Lean Six Sigma Professional Development 8

Combining Lean and Six Sigma - Key Benefits
 Roles: Who Implements Lean Six Sigma?

White Yellow Green Black Master

Belt Belt Belt Belt Black Champion
Belt

A White Belt has an Yellow Belts have a Green Belts can Those trained and Master Black Belts A Champion is
understanding of strong foundation manage process certified at Black are very advanced someone who is part
how Lean Six Sigma in Lean Six Sigma. improvement projects. Belt level drive cross at Lean Six Sigma of the organisation’s
works, and can use They understand They have a confident functional process implementation. leadership team, and
the terminology to how it works, and can understanding of Lean improvement projects. They work cross level who has fully invested
communicate potential contribute to process Six Sigma and the They take savings and with Green Belts and in nurturing and
issues or relevant improvement projects, capability to implement improvements to the leadership teams to supporting a Lean Six
points to those reporting to and it successfully. next level and function strategise and lead Sigma culture.
working on process supporting Green Belts. as a mentor to lower process improvement
improvement projects. belt levels. across the organisation.

Your Essential Guide to Lean Six Sigma Professional Development 9

Roles: Who Implements Lean Six Sigma?
Is Lean Six Sigma for You?

Every industry, every role....

Lean Six Sigma works for any business or organisation. It can be implemented successfully in small, community organisations just as
effectively as in large, Fortune 1000 companies. If your answer to any of the questions below is “yes”, then Lean Six Sigma could be
exactly what you’re looking for.

• Do you want to identify and eliminate non-value-add tasks in your • Do you have a need / want to future-proof a product or service?

workplace?
• Are you are seeking ways to cut down waste in your business?

• Do you want to find effective solutions to flaws in your processes,

• Are you are aiming for more consistent, predictable results?
products, or projects?
• Is increasing productivity is a goal for you?
• Are you are looking for a fresh way to tackle existing problems in

your working environment? • Do you need to reduce costs?

• Would you like to standardise processes in your company, team, or • Do you feel you would benefit from using a proven method for

department? achieving results?

Your Essential Guide to Lean Six Sigma Professional Development 10

Is Lean Six Sigma for You?
Getting Started

To get started on your Lean Six Sigma journey, you can take either of the paths below. Choose a path either focusing on training and
certifying in Lean Six Sigma as an individual, or introducing or progressing a Lean Six Sigma culture in your organisation.

Path 2: Lean Six Sigma & Your Organisation

Path 1: Training & Certifying as an Individual

Lean Six Sigma in-company training usually

Public Training Courses:
requires a more tailored approach. Our training
We offer 2 public Lean Six Sigma courses, with
consultants are skilled in creating customised
dates available throughout the year. Each
Lean Six Sigma training solutions that align with
focuses on meeting you wherever you are on
the unique requirements of each client.
your lean six sigma path.

Your Essential Guide to Lean Six Sigma Professional Development 11

Getting Started
Training & Certifying as an Individual

Start Your Journey - Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

If you’re someone who wants to start exploring lean and process improvement within their own
career and role, we recommend taking a look at our Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt for Business.

This course is perfect for getting to grips with how lean works, and understanding the ways in which
you can contribute to process improvement projects.

Get Started...

Progress Your Journey - International Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

Black Belt training and certification is ideal for those who have experience with lean, six sigma, or
process improvement.

Black Belts drive sustainable process improvement within an organisation. They achieve high levels
of savings and improvements.

Get Started...

Your Essential Guide to Lean Six Sigma Professional Development 12

Training & Certifying as an Individual
Lean Six Sigma & Your Organisation

We work with businesses of all sizes and within all sectors, offering a fully-rounded lean journey
solution.

We can guide you from initial stages of creating a vision and strategy for lean in your business,
through training the team at all levels, and sustaining your process improvement culture.

Date & Venue Flexibility Consistent Skills Throughout Your Team

You choose when and where we deliver You can feel confident in your team’s ability to
the training. We can come to your location implement a steady standard of excellence and
anywhere in Ireland. a common approach to implementing Lean Six
Sigma within your business.

Cost-Effective Group Training

Tailored Training, Focused on Your
Our pricing model for in-company training,
Organisation
combined with the fact that you are eliminating
travel costs add up to considerable savings. When planning your training programme, we
When you have a number of candidates for will work with you to assess how training can
training, in-company almost always works out be truly relevant to the daily processes and
as the most budget-friendly option. roadblocks of your business.

Learn More

Your Essential Guide to Lean Six Sigma Professional Development 13

Lean Six Sigma & Your Organisation
Additional Lean Six Sigma Resources

Talk to Us Read About the Lean Journey Ask Us A Question Online

You can reach us by phone on Freephone You can dive deeper into what it means to If you’d prefer to contact us online, request
1800 910 810, or 01 861 0700 (mon - fri, get started with Lean Six Sigma by reading a phonecall, or to get in touch outside of
9.00 - 5.30). our article “The Lean Journey - Taking Your office hours, using the “Ask A Quick
First Steps”. Question” button below is the best option.
We will always be happy to chat with you
about the right path for your Lean Six Find out what you’ll need for your journey. We’ll respond with the information you
Sigma training. need.

Freephone 1800 910 810 Jump to Article Ask A Quick Question

Your Essential Guide to Lean Six Sigma Professional Development 14

Additional Lean Six Sigma Resources
Head Office
Suite 11, Plaza 256,
Blanchardstown Corporate Park 2,
Ballycoolin, Dublin 15, D15 T934

Freephone 1800 910 810

Dublin 01 861 0700

ask-us@professionaldevelopment.ie

www.professionaldevelopment.ie