Is Lean Six Sigma really dead?
Throughout this year you must have come across so many articles that have raised the same question. And we can’t claim that this question is completely absurd. Well, you know how the IT world has been, right?
Every time, a new methodology comes on board, it stays for a while, become so important that the corporate world can’t even think of functioning without them, and then one day, something better comes up and it gets replaced.
But does it really mean that the methodologies or life cycle of the previous system was dysfunctional? Why do people still want to learn the failed Six Sigma then?
In this blog, we will tell you some reasons for which you still can opt for lean Six Sigma. Don’t forget to drop a comment below if you have any more queries regarding this.
The methodology of Lean Six Sigma basically stands on the DMAIC concept. This denotes Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control.
Let’s see what are the advantages of Six Sigma of DMAIC concept.
Advantages of Lean Six Sigma:
You’re aware of Starbucks right?
Of course, you are! You love their coffee. Isn’t it?
Well, there was a time when Starbucks was just a stand-alone coffee shop in Seattle. With the help of Six Sigma, they became the largest coffee shop chain in the world. Today as well, they are growing day by day with Six Sigma’s DMAIC concept.
So, if you have this question in mind- “Is Six Sigma still used in today’s workplaces?” we just answered that. So, why is Six Sigma important to organizations? Let’s check out!
1. Improved Customer Loyalty:
Dawnna St. Louis, one of the world’s most demanded motivational speakers, shared her experience with Starbucks in a speech once. She confessed, just for the treatment she got from a Starbucks employee, turned him into a regular customer of Starbucks.
And you know what exactly made it happen? None other than Lean Six Sigma!
Customer experience is the main thing you should look forward to when it comes to business. But, most of the time, customers don’t return to a business because of their dissatisfaction with the experience they got or the employee attitude.
Six Sigma eliminates the risk of having dissatisfied customers. It helps you to understand which attributes of your product is not working for them through a thorough customer study.
2. Time Management:
We are sure that you don’t like it at all when your life is based on an eat, sleep, work and repeat concept. Right?
With the help of Six Sigma methodology, employees can use their work hours effectively. This results in employees being more productive and business effectiveness as well.
Six Sigma users set smart goals and then apply the data principle of Six Sigma to the goals.
In this way, they can analyze their own performances and achieve a better work-life balance.
3. Reduced Cycle Time:
Nobody likes extended project deadlines. Isn’t it?
Six Sigma helps to set up a team of experienced employees within the organization from every department. This way, the team can identify the factors of one task which can affect the performance.
Then, they find a solution to potential problems. In this way, the burden of work gets reduced from those employees’ shoulders who have been directly assigned to the project.
Result? Reduced cycle time and accelerated deadline, of course!
4. Employee Motivation:
You must have already understood this point by now.
When there is a work-life balance and the cycle time, too, is minimal, who wouldn’t want to work in such an environment?
Organizations that emphasizes on employee engagement, automatically have a 25-50% increase in productivity. That’s basic human psychology. We all have heard about that age-old saying- “Ideal brain is devil’s workshop”. If the employees are motivated by the way of work, they’d never like to sit idol as well.
Lean Six Sigma problem-solving tools and techniques will encourage employee motivation and create a climate where anyone will love to work.
5. Strategic Planning:
We gave you an example of Lean Six Sigma implementation at Starbucks.
Now you might ask, is Lean Six Sigma applicable in all the industries?
Not only the answer is yes, but you can apply it from the starting of your business itself.
Once a business has defined its mission, Six Sigma can help the business from scratch itself.
Six Sigma can help a business to build strategies and define a roadmap of its journey. Not only that, based on that strategy Six Sigma helps you to improve your internal process, eliminate complexities and gain or maintain lowest cost supplier agreements as you move forward following the roadmap.
Conclusion:
So, the question was, is Lean Six Sigma worth it?
Well, if you want to find out the worth of it and how is Lean Six Sigma used in IT industries, you need to know about it properly.
Maybe, you can take a Lean Six Sigma Certification and analyze by yourself why Six Sigma is aging well like a fine wine?
Think about it, until we get back with another freshly brewed Six Sigma topic!
