Lean Six Sigma Bursts

In this episode, I share the audio from a panel discussion I was asked to participate on Wednesday this week. The discussion was focused on Lean Manufacturing, but we also discussed Six Sigma quite a bit. The event was hosted by the Texas Chapter of the Women in Manufacturing Association. They are the only national and global trade association dedicated to providing year-round support to women who have chosen a career in the manufacturing industry

I'm sharing only the segments when I talked, but I encourage you to listen or watch the entire hour-long discussion. The other panelists were Crystal Davis, Dave Crysler, RaeJean Griffin, Sneha Kumari, and Troy Weier.

I have a link to the association and the recording is in the links section below.

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In this episode, I provide some tips on how to close out a project or improvement effort, when the primary metric may longer than a year before you might be able to see tangible results. I also discuss other things you can do to prove in the short term that your improvements will be effective in the long run.

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In this episode, I discuss a project I'm really excited about, the 2nd book release in the Lean Six Sigma for Good book series.

This is the 2nd collection of real-life experiences and stories from Lean and Six Sigma practitioners who have spent time at the "gemba" with not-for-profit organizations. They have generously offered to write a chapter about lessons learned and tools they have applied. There are 8 chapters in total.

I think this is a great book to share with potential volunteers, or nonprofits or public service agencies wanting to learn more about how Lean or Six Sigma can be applied to their organizations.

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In this episode, I discuss two acronyms to help you remember ideas on how you can improve a process.

ECRS stands for Eliminate, Combine, Rearrange, and Simplify.

SPACER stands for Standardize, Parallel processing, Automate, Consolidate, Eliminate and Re-arrange.

I also mention SCAMPER, which is similar to these, and stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Purpose, Eliminate and Reverse.

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In this episode, I discuss Action Priority (AP), a newer method for determining which risks from an FMEA should be addressed. Traditionally, the multiplication of Severity, Occurrence and Detection was used to calculate a Risk Priority Number (RPN). Any number over a certain RPN threshold required action to reduce the risk.  Action Priority gives three possible outcome for each risk identified: Low, Medium and High, which can make it easier to decide which RPN scores are more important than others. I also discuss the troubles I've had using a RPN threshold with FMEA teams, as they tend to score just below the threshold intentionally.

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In this episode, I explain a new virtual coaching program I'm launching in January of 2023. 

If you or your team would be interested in completing some online Lean or Six Sigma training, completing a kaizen event or a Six Sigma project, and obtaining a certification, I have three approaches that might work for you at different price points:

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In this episode, I explain what a "single-stall production system" means, and why it is superior to the traditional single piece flow assembly line.

I share a link to an article I wrote below, and in the episode I explain the videos in the article that better explain the difference between single-stalls and assembly lines.

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In this episode, I read off an article I just wrote, based on my 20+ years of teaching Lean concepts and principles. These are the topics that get the most attention, solicit the most questions, or are the most eye-opening for my students and clients. 

I also announce the launch of a new Lean course I helped create, called Lean Fundamentals.

You can access the FREE Lean Introduction course (first 5 modules) using coupon code "KICKSTARTLEAN-LSSE"

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Links from article

In this episode, I share the audio from a recent video I created. The short video highlights four different industry case studies applying Lean principles and concepts.

The 4 organizations highlighted in the video:

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In this episode, I share the audio from a recent video I created. The short video highlights four different examples of nonprofits and NGOs applying Lean principles and concepts to social challenges in the local community.

I also announce our new Lean courses: Lean Introduction and Lean Fundamentals. The Lean Introduction course can be accessed for free using coupon code "KICKSTARTLEAN-LSSE"

The 4 nonprofits highlighted in the video:

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