Lean Tools and Principles that Can Be Integrated with Six Sigma

The lean manufacturing tool was first used by the Japanese in World War Two and was a major influence of the book “The Toyota Way.” Lean Manufacturing Tools shows what the various lean tools are and how to implement them within the philosophy of Lean Manufacturing.

Today, more organizations are trying to complement Lean's initiative with Six Sigma within the framework they already have. The combination of Lean's emphasis on turnaround time and Six Sigma that focus on process quality is believed to deliver results with great impact and targets can be achieved quickly. But to get this advantage, companies have to face a challenge: integrating Lean with Six Sigma without causing friction in the structure of one of the methods that have previously been running.
With a structured approach, it is possible to combine Lean with the previously executed Six Sigma methods, as experienced by companies listed on Fortune 10. There are several Lean tools and principles that can be integrated with Six Sigma, among others:

Value Stream Mapping (VSM)

In the Analyze phase (in the DMAIC project), a value stream map can be created to describe the flow of materials and information, and categorize activities into three segments: hold value ( value enabling ), add value ( value adding ), and do not add value ( non- value adding ). The focus of VSM is to identify and eliminate non-value added activities in every step of the process and reduce the tier time between each step. Value enabling activity can not be removed completely from the system. These activities can be divided into subcategories of value adding and non-value adding activities. What should be eliminated is non-value adding activity. The elimination will help to condense the process and provide the advantage of reduced variation. The VSM tool can also be used as part of the Kaizen cycle, which is applied to the Analyze and Improve phases.


Takt Time

Takt is a German word meaning "beats". Takt time or takt time is the average time required to complete a process to meet customer demand. For processes involving cycle time , such as manufacturing processes, cycle time can be found in the Measure phase. Then, in the Analyze phase, the cycle time can be compared with the existing service level agreement (SLA). If the mismatch has exceeded the tolerance limit, improvements should be made to match the cycle time with takt time in the system.


Cause-and-effect diagram / Fishbone)

In the Analyze phase, the absence of proper statistical data makes it difficult to identify root causes. In this scenario, use the 5 Whys tool, which asks " Why ?" Multiple times, combined with the utilization of the cause-effect diagram tool, can make it easier to dig root cause or root cause. Too 5 Whys can also help find process dynamics in areas that can be handled easily.


Equity Expense

In Japanese, Heijunka means a production system designed in such a way that the flow of work can run consistently. This principle can be combined in the Design phase if root cause analysis performed in the Analyze phase identifies the bottleneck in the process. Load equalization can be done to push the pull system and prevent the process running by push and reduce bottleneck . Attempts to enforce load equalization in the system will also automatically reduce inventory.


Poka-yoke ( Mistake Proofing )

Poka-yoke is a Japanese term meaning "anti-error". This tool can be used to customize the steps of the process and when designing a new system with DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify). The combination of the Ishikawa diagram and the Pareto analysis can be used in the Analyze phase, to find key issues that disrupt the process. During the Improve and Design phases, it is possible to eliminate the main causes of errors can be explored by upgrading or redesigning the system to avoid errors.