When starting down the journey of Six Sigma, learning all of the different terms and abbreviations can be daunting. The same goes for Six Sigma certification, and the many different options that are available. One question we hear a lot at the Management and Strategy Institute is “What’s the difference between Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma?”
In this article, we’ll break down the primary differences between both to help you better understand them. We’ll also try to help you understand which certification may best fit your needs.
At their heart, both Six Sigma and Lean are process improvement methodologies. One focuses on the analyzing of processes and removing defects while the other focuses more on waste reduction. Because both methodologies work to accomplish similar tasks, they are often used in conjunction with each other. Initially, these methods where used almost exclusively in the manufacturing sector. This is where the processes where developed and they were a natural fit.
As time has gone on however, many other industries have discovered that Six Sigma and Lean can aid their organizations in saving money and improving processes. Now industries such as Healthcare, Information Technology, and even Federal and State governments are using “Lean Six Sigma” principles.
Lets take a very brief look at the two methods separately:
Six Sigma
Six Sigma's aim is to eliminate waste and inefficiency, thereby increasing customer satisfaction by delivering what the customer is expecting. It is a highly-disciplined process that helps us focus on developing and delivering near-perfect products and services.
The word Sigma is a statistical term that measures how far a given process deviates from perfection. The central idea behind Six Sigma is that if you can measure how many defects you have in a process, you can systematically figure out how to eliminate them and get as close to "zero defects" as possible.
There are five basic steps to a Six Sigma project. These are referred to as the D.M.A.I.C method. That stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. D.M.A.I.C is an approach to problem-solving and a tool for improving an existing process.
Lean
A Lean company is disciplined and dedicated to achieving optimum performance with the lowest or least amount of effort and energy. As a term in business, Lean has a broad-based customer focus that concentrates on providing more to the customer. It does this by supplying the product that is just what the customer needs, when needed, in just the right amounts and for the right price, using the minimum materials, equipment, workspace, labor resource, and time.
The whole concept of Lean is focused on the removal of any unnecessary waste from the production process. It focuses on producing a high quality output.
The core activity in examining any Lean process is to:
• Map out the current components
• Identify which elements are waste
• Change or improve those wasteful elements and construct a new or improved process that is leaner
Putting Them Together
Since these methodologies are so similar, it’s natural that they are used in unison. Not all industries use “lean” however since it focuses so much on eliminating waste from a process or supply-chain. If you work in an industry such as Manufacturing, Logistics, Healthcare, Information Technology, or a Government agency, then selecting Lean Six Sigma certification is the most appropriate path. Selecting which Six Sigma Belt level is most appropriate for you is discussed in another article.
In this article, we’ll break down the primary differences between both to help you better understand them. We’ll also try to help you understand which certification may best fit your needs.
At their heart, both Six Sigma and Lean are process improvement methodologies. One focuses on the analyzing of processes and removing defects while the other focuses more on waste reduction. Because both methodologies work to accomplish similar tasks, they are often used in conjunction with each other. Initially, these methods where used almost exclusively in the manufacturing sector. This is where the processes where developed and they were a natural fit.
As time has gone on however, many other industries have discovered that Six Sigma and Lean can aid their organizations in saving money and improving processes. Now industries such as Healthcare, Information Technology, and even Federal and State governments are using “Lean Six Sigma” principles.
Lets take a very brief look at the two methods separately:
Six Sigma
Six Sigma's aim is to eliminate waste and inefficiency, thereby increasing customer satisfaction by delivering what the customer is expecting. It is a highly-disciplined process that helps us focus on developing and delivering near-perfect products and services.
The word Sigma is a statistical term that measures how far a given process deviates from perfection. The central idea behind Six Sigma is that if you can measure how many defects you have in a process, you can systematically figure out how to eliminate them and get as close to "zero defects" as possible.
There are five basic steps to a Six Sigma project. These are referred to as the D.M.A.I.C method. That stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. D.M.A.I.C is an approach to problem-solving and a tool for improving an existing process.
Lean
A Lean company is disciplined and dedicated to achieving optimum performance with the lowest or least amount of effort and energy. As a term in business, Lean has a broad-based customer focus that concentrates on providing more to the customer. It does this by supplying the product that is just what the customer needs, when needed, in just the right amounts and for the right price, using the minimum materials, equipment, workspace, labor resource, and time.
The whole concept of Lean is focused on the removal of any unnecessary waste from the production process. It focuses on producing a high quality output.
The core activity in examining any Lean process is to:
• Map out the current components
• Identify which elements are waste
• Change or improve those wasteful elements and construct a new or improved process that is leaner
Putting Them Together
Since these methodologies are so similar, it’s natural that they are used in unison. Not all industries use “lean” however since it focuses so much on eliminating waste from a process or supply-chain. If you work in an industry such as Manufacturing, Logistics, Healthcare, Information Technology, or a Government agency, then selecting Lean Six Sigma certification is the most appropriate path. Selecting which Six Sigma Belt level is most appropriate for you is discussed in another article.
