“Digital transformation” is the buzzword everyone is talking about left and right. Businesses, big and small, are leveraging new tools to finish first in the competitive race. But can tech alone truly transform your company? Can it fix production bottlenecks? Can it identify flaws in service design? Well, the short answer is – it does need the support of strong quality control practices. And the best part? If you want to build this skill, there are plenty of good courses available, including the highly sought-after – Six Sigma Green Belt certification. In this blog, we will talk about the key Six Sigma strategies for process improvement.
What is Six Sigma?
Six Sigma is the tool that you, as a business owner, can use to improve your operations. At its core, Six Sigma is a data-driven approach to eliminate defects, reduce mistakes, and boost profits through the use of statistics. The result? Increased revenue, higher employee morale, and better quality products/services by reducing process variability.
When we talk about Six Sigma quality, we mean a process that’s tightly controlled. This involves keeping processes within 3 standard deviations from the center line on a control chart and maintaining tolerance limits within 6 standard deviations.
Where Did It Come From?
Back in 1986, Motorola pioneered a revolutionary quality management model to tackle evolving market demands. This model, which has grown into a comprehensive set of principles and methods, is all about driving corporate transformation through a structured process. This journey led to what we know today as Six Sigma, a gold standard for quality.
6 Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement Strategies
Six Sigma Green Belt process improvement focuses on reducing errors, defects, or costs one step at a time. These projects are all about small, deliberate steps to refine and perfect a process over time. Lean Six Sigma training has a lot of benefits, especially when solving organisational and process challenges. It can enhance customer interactions and foster a can-do company culture. It’s perfect for boosting ROI. Let’s see some of the key strategies that Six Sigma can apply to your business:
- The 5S Method
If your workspace is chaotic – be it an office, factory, hospital, restaurant, or job site – it’s time for the 5S method. This involves five steps to keep your workplace safe and productive:
- Sort (to keep only what you need) — Start by decluttering. Go through every item and ask yourself if it’s essential for daily operations. If it’s not, toss it.
- Set in order — Now, organize what’s left. Place items where they’re most logical and accessible.
- Shine — A clean workspace = a productive workspace. Make it a habit to clean up at the end of the day.
- Standardise (create consistent processes) — Develop standard procedures for routine tasks. Consistency is key. It could be as simple as – creating a checklist for opening and closing duties if you manage a retail store.
- Sustain (keep the momentum going) — The final step is all about discipline. Create a culture where these new habits become second nature. Hold regular audits and encourage feedback to continuously improve.
Six Sigma process improvement certification can help you organise your workplace.
2 Boost Customer Satisfaction with Kanban
Kanban, meaning “card or board” in Japanese, uses visual signals to trigger actions. Picture Starbucks writing your name on a cup or Netflix giving personalized recommendations like “Continue Watching” and “Trending Now.” These visual cues guide you to your next show, enhancing your viewing experience. Implementing Kanban can lead to happier, more loyal customers. If you are struggling to implement Kanban into your processes, consider getting in touch with Six Sigma training providers.
3. Standardization To Scale Business Easily
This is another useful Six Sigma process improvement strategy that manufacturers use. They stick to a consistent process to minimize mistakes and waste. McDonald’s is known for its standardized processes. Each location follows the same procedures for cooking, assembling, and serving food. This ensures that a Big Mac tastes the same whether you’re in New York or Tokyo.
Similarly, using checklists for every job, product, and procedure standardises your team’s work, reducing variability. This helps in scaling up your business and team with the same quality and consistency.
4. Eliminate Waste with Value Stream Mapping
A value stream map shows every step, delay, and piece of information needed to deliver a product or service. It helps you spot waste, measure lead time, and track progress. By mapping out your processes, you can make them more efficient. Here’s how:
- Draw it by hand first
- Walk it backward, from the final result to the start, for fresh insights
- Ask “why” multiple times to dig deeper into the process
5. Improve Company Culture with the 5 Whys
To get to the root of process issues, start asking “why.” The 5 Whys technique, a Lean Six Sigma method, involves asking why repeatedly to uncover the true cause. Engaging your team in Six Sigma Green Belt training will foster this habit of seeking out problems and valuing everyone’s input.
For example, if customers are angry:
Why? They waited too long.
Why? We were behind schedule.
Why? We ran out of cups.
Why? No one approved the order.
Why? They were all at a meeting.
6. Increase ROI with Quick Wins
This Six Sigma process improvement model helps you keep the momentum going with small wins. If you have a small, clearly defined problem, aim for quick wins. This Lean Six Sigma concept encourages implementing simple solutions immediately. Quick wins build momentum, inspire productivity, and boost team morale, especially among newer employees.
Conclusion
Mastering Lean Six Sigma strategies can transform your business by driving efficiency, reducing waste, and enhancing customer satisfaction. Whether you’re decluttering with the 5S method, boosting customer loyalty with Kanban, mapping out value streams like Toyota, or uncovering root causes with the 5 Whys, these techniques offer practical solutions to everyday challenges.
A Six Sigma Green Belt certification can help you apply these strategies effectively. With it, you can not only meet but exceed your operational goals. Leading providers like EducationNest offer comprehensive Six Sigma Green Belt training that covers everything from foundational principles to advanced techniques. By investing in this training, you’ll gain the expertise to lead process improvements and drive organisational change to success.
