From our experience collaborating with organisations to develop more effective lean six sigma programmes, we have discovered some key factors that every Lean journey requires:

  1. Strategic Alignment

This is the foundation to any process improvement initiative. Time and time again, we have seen that the companies who align lean six sigma programmes and projects with the overall strategic objectives of the organisation are the most successful.

  1. Lean Champions

Another common element in many lean success stories is the building of an in-house team, dedicated to leading lean practices and culture. Lean Champions have the ability to mentor and train their team members and this plays a crucial role in the rapid adoption of lean across a business.

  1. Team Engagement

You cannot force people to be ‘lean’, they need to understand it and want to adopt this new way of thinking. This can be done by tailoring the training to the needs of the individual. When you show an employee how lean can improve their day-to-day work, they will see the value in lean and will be more determined to identify their own lean projects.

  1. Tailored Training

Simply rolling out stand-alone classroom-based training is not going to deliver the same learning outcomes or business impacts as an integrated Lean Six Sigma Programme. Lean training should focus on embedding lean skills into the organisation for the long term, while also delivering accelerated business impacts.