Lean Six Sigma Foundations

Lean Six Sigma combines the principles of lean enterprise and lean manufacturing with Six Sigma to improve performance and systematically remove waste. Supply chain expert and professor Steven Brown explains the basics of using Lean Six Sigma as a structure for your improvement efforts.

Steven outlines the process stages in Six Sigma (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control), along with the Lean toolkit: the 5s principles, kanban (scheduling), downtime, poka-yoke (error proofing), and kaizen (continuous improvement). He also explains how leadership works within Lean Six Sigma, the principles of project execution, and how Lean Six Sigma is applied to the service sector and supply chain management. Make sure to watch the "Next steps" video at the end of the course for further resources.

Learning objectives
List the three main focuses of Six Sigma.
Explain why lean is an important element of the Six Sigma approach.
Summarize why Control is the most important step in the Six Sigma process.
Analyze variables to determine if they are a good performance measurement.
Describe three typical methods of improving supply chain functions.
Identify three things you will need in order to lead a Lean Six Sigma project effectively.