Lean Six Sigma Overview

Standard course duration: 8 hours

The purpose of this course is to introduce participants to Lean Six Sigma. Lean Six Sigma combines the two most important improvement methodologies – Lean Logistics and Six Sigma. This course addresses the five primary elements of Lean Six Sigma: organization, process control, metrics, product flow and quality. The course discusses the Lean Six Sigma capability to address the quality and speed within a single framework using lean and six sigma tools. This course discusses the need: to recognize opportunities and eliminate defects as defined by the customer; to establish a formal performance improvement process; to recognize that variations hinder organizational ability to reliably deliver high quality products and services; to provide effective organizational infrastructure to achieve sustainable results; to use the process flow tools to minimize variability; to use problem solving and assessment tools; to think creatively about the problem in new ways; and to collect data necessary to develop solutions. This course also provides evidence showing why so many companies are turning to Lean Six Sigma.

Upon completion of this course participants will have learned basic concepts and fundamentals of Lean Six Sigma and the benefits it provides. Participants will have enough background information to decide if this approach is beneficial to their organization.

Business Process Analysis and Improvement

Standard course duration: 40 hours

Business Process Analysis and Improvement is a comprehensive approach that is an important part of Six Sigma, Lean Logistics, and TQM methodologies. It is the most efficient and meaningful way to get employees involved in process improvement activities. The objective of the course is to present a practical approach on how to increase the effectiveness, efficiency, control, and adaptability of business processes. The course presents all the facets of a process as they actually occur – activities, tasks, inputs, outputs, measurements, and requirements. It provides step-by-step details on how to define, analyze, and improve a business process. The course also discusses how to use this technique with the ISO standards and ERP systems. It follows a “learn and do” approach.

Upon completion of this course participants will have acquired skills and their application to the company’s business processes. Processes selected for the course will be analyzed and improved.

Measuring Organizational Performance

Standard course duration: 40 hours

The most important reason for measuring performance is to improve performance. Measuring the performance of an organization can be a large and complex task. Performance measurements must be designed on a company or situation-specific basis, reflecting the company’s objectives and operational environment. Employees must view measurement as an integral and important part of their jobs. The objective of the course is to provide a practical approach on how to design and implement a performance measurement system – an important component of a successful continuous performance improvement program. The course provides guidance on establishing operational performance measurements and linking them to business objectives and results. It concentrates on five types of measurements: strategic, performance, managerial, operational, and departmental measurements.

Upon completion of this course participants will be able to design and implement various measurements in selected operational areas, departments, and business units. The company’s performance criteria and objectives will be used in the course to provide a practical application of the acquired knowledge.

Voice of the Customer (VoC) – Standard

Standard course duration: 24 hours

This course develops participant’s customer service skills through recognizing and dealing with the customer’s emotions, using listening and questioning skills, and presenting information to satisfy customers. Participants will learn to create rapport with any customer or co-worker, and work toward positive outcomes. Value-Based Customer Service is designed for participants to actively participate with peers in the training workshop. This training program encourages participants to improve their knowledge and skills by integrating work-related situations into the workshop.

This will be accomplished by identifying Customer Service excellence through achieving the following objectives:

• Doing a Customer Service Analysis
• Identifying “Blocks” to Excellent Customer Service
• Identifying Key Customer Service Skills
• Recognizing the Customer’s Emotional Level
• Identifying Positive and Negative Listening Responses
• Using Questions to Gather Information
• Presenting Information to Satisfy Customers
• Developing Effective Language
• Dealing with Anger and Other Negative Emotions in Customers
• Determining Your Level of Empowerment with Customers
• Using Effective Telephone Skills

Upon completion of this course participants will have learned how to build trust and encourage repeat business; increase customer satisfaction from internal and external customers, deal with dissatisfied customers; and determine what customers really want and how to meet those needs.

Voice of the Customer (VoC) – Product Development

Standard course duration: 16 hours

To succeed in today’s global marketplace, companies must systematically capture, manage and act upon customer feedback, ensuring that the feedback is acted upon by the organization. This course teaches a process for capturing the requirements or feedback from customers, internal or external, with the objective of providing those customers with “best in class” service quality and/or product quality. Major topics include Getting Customer Data, Sources of Feedback, Analyzing Feedback, Critical to Satisfaction, Critical to Quality, VoC-Based Quality Design of Services and Products, and Best Practices.

Upon completion of the course, participants will have learned how to design a process to effectively access the VoC in their business environment and how to use the resulting data as feedback to the design process to ensure that products and services meet customer requirements and that customer complaints are converted into improvement opportunities.

Six Sigma DMAIC Problem Solving

Standard course duration: 24 hours

This course presents one of the most effective Six Sigma methodologies – DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) approach to structured problem solving. Each phase builds on the previous one, with the goal of implementing long-term solutions to problems. The successful deployment of Six Sigma DMAIC requires the application of a wide range of tools, from simple problem solving tools to advanced statistical modeling.

The course teaches how to develop concise and specific problem definitions; develop measurements related to the product or process performance; and how to identify, gather and edit data relevant to the problem’s cause. Next, the course teaches a variety of Six Sigma problem solving tools, such as bar chart; check sheet; flowchart; histogram; line graph; list reduction; matrix; Pareto diagram; pie chart; control plan and chart, cause-effect diagram, normal distribution, and dot plot.  It also teaches the steps to effective implementation planning and methods for controlling the results of implementation through documentation and follow-on observation.

Upon completion of this course, participants will have learned the DMAIC problem-solving methodology and its application to problems from their work environment.

Six Sigma Data Analytics Workshop

Standard course duration: 16 hours

Six Sigma projects are data-focused and statistics-driven. The ability to effectively extract, analyze, and present data often determines the success of a Six Sigma project.

This workshop format course presents a variety of data analysis and visualization tools applicable throughout the project life cycle including planning and progress tracking, statistical data analysis, data reduction, flow-charting, and data comparison and presentation. Participants will learn and apply specific functionality of data analysis and presentation development tools including Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Project; and their application to Six Sigma projects.

Upon completion of this course, participants will have learned a variety of data analysis tools and their application to their specific projects.

Six Sigma Sales Effectiveness

Standard course duration: 24 hours

Too often in sales, top performance is determined solely by the individual’s skill level. Organizationally, success in achieving sales objectives requires that three components be present: a skillful sales force; organizational support, and an effective sales process. The course views sales as a company-wide function, linked by critical inputs and outputs.

This course looks first at the company’s current sales process, using a proven process analysis methodology to understand different aspects of the current process – its ability to meet requirements, process steps and flow, resource drivers, timing, quality, and efficiency – and identify problem areas. Next, the analysis looks at the current interfaces between the sales process and other company processes that are either internal suppliers of information to it, or internal customers of information from it and again identifies problem areas. Finally, the class develops recommendations for improvement to create the future state of the process, one that meets the expectations of its customers and consistently achieves desired outcomes.

Upon completion of this course participants will have learned their sales processes strengths and weaknesses and a methodology for process improvement and they will have integrated the two in a recommendation for process improvement.

Six Sigma Green Belt

Standard course duration: 40 hours

In today’s competitive business environment, productivity improvements are not an option. With ever-increasing customer expectations, a structured approach to both business performance analysis and the application of effective cost and performance techniques is critical to achieving success. This course presents innovative learning combination of 1) lean process philosophy, 2) Six Sigma quality tools and 3) presented in a blended learning format of live classroom instruction and practical applications.

The major topics include:

  • History and Background of Lean Six Sigma
  • Integration of Six Sigma and Lean Enterprise
  • Effective Project Selection and Sizing
  • Process Capability & Process Performance
  • Process Control Charting
  • Basic Statistical Tools
  • Control Charts
  • Lean Six Sigma Quality Level
  • Lean Six Sigma Metrics
  • Team Dynamics
  • Project Management
  • Performance Measurements
  • Design of Experiment
  • Project Closure

Upon completion of this program participants will demonstrate enhanced skills in areas such as:

  • Communicating the benefits of Lean Six Sigma as a business strategy across the organization
  • Integrating Six Sigma with Lean Enterprise, Theory of Constraints (TOC) and other improvement methods
  • Applying the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) Improvement process
  • Selecting successful Lean Six Sigma projects and project teams
  • Planning and executing projects
  • Significantly increasing profitability through Lean Six Sigma projects
  • Selecting the right statistical tools

The program will feature, as a conclusion, the testing of all participants and the certification of all passing participants as a certified Green Belt professional.