While working with different organizations, we come across several myths related to Lean Management and Six Sigma that need to be debunked. Some of most common ones are shared below:
Fact-1: While Lean and Six Sigma were initially developed for manufacturing industries, they can be applied to any kind of service or manufacturing business. Examples of service businesses where Lean & Six Sigma have been successfully implemented include airlines, courier, construction, defense services, fast foods, facility-management, financial services, healthcare, material-testing laboratories, packaging, police, travel, and telecommunication.
Fact-2: Lean and Six Sigma are two different methodologies with different focuses. Lean management focuses on reducing waste and increasing efficiency in processes, while Six Sigma focuses on reducing defects, minimizing variations and improving quality.
Fact-3: While Lean and Six Sigma can lead to cost savings and increased efficiency, they are also focused on eliminating waste, improving quality and customer satisfaction resulting in a better customer experience and higher employee morale.
Fact-4: While implementing Lean and Six Sigma methodologies can be a significant undertaking, the principles are relatively simple and can be applied in small steps. Small changes can have a big impact on process efficiency, defect reduction, improvement in quality and achieving customer-wow.
Fact-5: Lean and Six Sigma have been around for more than 40 years and have proven to be effective in many industries. As long as there are processes that can be optimized, Lean & Six Sigma will continue to be relevant. In fact, many organizations have made them a core part of their business strategy.
Fact-6: Lean Six Sigma can be applied to a wide range of functions and processes within an organization, including operations, supply chain management, customer service, facility-management, maintenance, sales & marketing, human resources, IT, finance, safety, and healthcare. The key is to identify various areas where the methodology can be applied and adapt the core tools & techniques to the specific context.
Fact-7: Lean and Six Sigma methodologies do involve the use of statistics but also many non-statistical tools like benchmarking, brain-storming, process-mapping, multi-voting, why-why analysis, FMEA etc. are used extensively. However, the use of statistical tools and techniques is an essential component of lean and six sigma methodologies, as these are data-driven approaches to solve problems and improve processes. Further the teams implementing lean & six sigma do not need to be experts in statistics. Most of the statistical tools used in Lean & Six can be applied effectively with basic training and practice in Excel Analytics functions.
Fact-8: Lean and Six Sigma can be used by organizations of any size, from small businesses to large multinational corporations. The principles and tools of these methodologies can be applied to any process or function within an organization, regardless of its size or complexity. In fact, many small businesses are successfully implementing Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to improve their processes, reduce costs, enhance customer satisfaction and expand their business to global markets. The key to success is to apply these methodologies in a way that is tailored to the specific needs and resources of the organization.
Fact-9: It is not true that Lean and Six Sigma are suitable mainly for Japanese and American organizations. While these methodologies were initially developed and popularized in Japan and the US, they have since been adopted by organizations around the world, in a wide range of industries and sectors. Lean and Six Sigma have been successfully applied in many countries, including Europe, UK, Australia, Canada and emerging markets like India, Korea, China and Brazil. The core principles and tools of these methodologies are easily adapted to suit the specific cultural and organizational contexts of different countries and industries
Fact-10: It is true that implementing Lean and Six Sigma methodologies may require an investment of time & resources, but it is very important to consider the potential benefits that can be achieved through these methodologies. The costs associated with implementing Lean and Six Sigma can vary depending on the size and complexity of the organization, the scope of the improvement initiative, and the level of training and support required. However, the costs associated with these methodologies are often offset by the improvements in process efficiency, reduced waste and defects, and improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. Furthermore, organizations can reduce the cost of implementation by focusing on a smaller scope initially and taking mentoring-support from external experts to ensure that the lean six sigma teams don’t go wrong in their efforts.