The primary purpose of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology is to eliminate waste and reduce variation

in manufacturing, service and design processes, thus improving overall production quality and
efficiency.

However, when implementing Lean Six Sigma into an existing process, it is important to understand
every detail—part of the Define phase of the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC)
method. One of the most effective ways of understanding DMAIC is to create a Six Sigma process map.

The Purpose of a Six Sigma Process Map

When working with a Lean Six Sigma project team comprised of six, ten, fifteen or more people, it is
likely that each member of the team will have a unique idea of how a process works and what can be
improved. The purpose of a process map is to work together to create a common understanding of
the process and how it should work. Key benefits of this exercise include:

Identifying steps of the process that add complexity and need to be simplified

Visually comparing the current process to the potential new process

Making it easier for those outside the project team to understand the process

Process maps are useful in any environment where Six Sigma methodologies can be applied, from
hospitals to manufacturing plants to restaurants and bars. In addition, Six Sigma process maps can be
implemented at the beginning of a project or in the middle of an existing process to improve
outcomes.

Creating a Six Sigma Process Map

When creating a process map, keep in mind that the map will resemble a flowchart depicting the start
of the process, the middle steps, and the end—or desired outcome—of the process. The map may be
a high-level overview, or much more detailed map that includes sub-steps for each major element.
The type of process map you choose will depend on the complexity of your project, but each map
should be completed as follows:

1. Determine the process boundaries

Where does the process begin and end? Using an emergency room as an example, the desired
outcome may be to shorten wait times for patients. In this case, the starting point could be when the
patient arrives and fills out their paperwork, and the end would be when the patient is discharged.

2. List all the steps in the process

In our emergency room example, the steps would include greeting the patient, having them fill out
intake forms, entering the information into the computer system, and having the patient see the triage
nurse. List the inputs and outputs associated with each step—the items or data that are received
(input), and whatever should result from that step (output).
 3. Place the steps in order

Be sure to arrange the steps in order of how the current process works to make it easier to identify
areas for improvement.

4. Utilize the right symbols

Most Six Sigma process maps feature the same set of symbols, and each symbol represents a different
action or point. Draw these symbols around each step of the process and be sure the entire team
understands the meaning of each symbol. The most common symbols and their meanings are as
follows:

• Terminator: Both the start and end of the process

• Rectangle: A step or task that must be performed as part of the process
• Oval: The inputs and outputs of a step or the entire process (commonly found at the beginning
and end of the process)
• D: “D” symbols indicate delays in the process
• Arrow: Movement in the process—an indication of where the process flows from step to step
• Diamond: A point in the process where a decision must be made
5. Check your work

Review the map to ensure every step of the current process is listed and described correctly. Have
someone outside the project team—but involved in the process—to analyze the map from their
perspective to make sure nothing is missing.

Making the Most of the Six Sigma Process Map

After creating the process map and checking it for accuracy, it’s time to take the most valuable step:
improving the process. Everyone on the team should analyze each part of the process and ask
questions about how it can be improved. Is there an overarching problem with the entire process?
Are there steps that are unnecessarily complex—or unnecessary altogether? What would the ideal
process look like?

The process map can help the project team visualize each of these questions, enabling them to better
reduce waste and continually improve the process—which is the heart of Lean Six Sigma methodology.

What is Kanban?
Kanban is a visual method for managing workflow at the individual, team, and even organizational
level. Pronounced “kahn-bahn,” the term translates from its original Japanese to “visual signal” or
“card.”

Kanban is an inventory control system used in just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing. It was developed by
Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer at Toyota, and takes its name from the colored cards that track
production and order new shipments of parts or materials as they run out. Kanban is a Japanese word
that directly translates to "visual card", so the kanban system simply means to use visual cues to
prompt the action needed to keep a process flowing.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Kanban (Japanese for sign) is an inventory control system used in just-in-time (JIT)
manufacturing to track production and order new shipments of parts and materials.
• Kanban was developed by Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer at Toyota, and uses visual cues
to prompt the action needed to keep a process flowing.
• One of the main goals of kanban is to limit the buildup of excess inventory at any point on the
production line.
• Kanban also strives to limit bottlenecks by promoting communication and information sharing
between individuals and departments.
• Successful implementation of kanban may lead to reduced expenses, greater customer
satisfaction, more efficient processes, and minimized risk due to unforeseen problems.
• Understanding the Kanban System

The kanban system can be thought of as a signal and response system. When an item is running low
at an operational station, there will be a visual cue specifying how much to order from the supply. The
person using the parts makes the order for the quantity indicated by the kanban and the supplier
provides the exact amount requested.

For example, if a worker is bagging product on a conveyor belt, a kanban may be placed in the stack
above the last 10 bags. When the worker gets to the card, he gives the floor runner the card to bring
more bags. A station further from the supply room might have the kanban placed at 15 bags and a
closer one at five. The flow of bags and the placement of cards are adjusted to make sure no station
is left bag-less while the belt is running.

The kanban system can be used easily within a factory, but it can also be applied to purchasing
inventory from external suppliers. The kanban system creates extraordinary visibility to both suppliers
and buyers. One of its main goals is to limit the buildup of excess inventory at any point on the
production line. Limits on the number of items waiting at supply points are established and then
reduced as inefficiencies are identified and removed. Whenever a limit of inventory is exceeded, it
points to an inefficiency that needs to be addressed.

As containers of parts or materials are emptied, cards appear, color-coded in order of priority, allowing
the production and delivery of more before a hold-up or shortage develops. A two-card system is often
used. T-kanban transportation cards authorize the movement of containers to the next workstation
on the production line, while P-kanban production cards authorize the workstation to produce a fixed
amount of products and order parts or materials once they have been sold or used.

Kanban often requires company-wide buy-in to be effective. Each department must be relied upon to
perform their necessary tasks at a specific time in order to transition the process to future
departments. Without this wide buy-in, kanban methodologies will be futile.
Kanban Core Practices
The kanban method has several core principles that define how processes occur and how team
members should be involved in the process.

Visualize Workflows

At the heart of kanban, the process must be visually depicted. Whether by physical, tangible cards or
leveraging technology and software, the process must be shown step by step using visual cues that
make each tasks clearly identifiable. The idea is to clearly show what each step is, what expectations
are, and who will take what tasks.

Old-fashioned (but still used today) methods included drafting kanban tasks on sticky notes. Each
sticky note could be colored differently to signify different types of work items. These tasks would
then be placed into swim lanes, defined sections that group related tasks to create a more organized
project. Today, inventory management software typically drives kanban process.

Limit WIP

As kanban is rooted in efficiency, the goal of kanban is to minimize the amount of work in progress.
Teams are encouraged to complete prior tasks before moving on to a new one. This ensures that
future dependencies can be started earlier and that resources such as staff are not inefficiently waiting
to start their task while relying on others.

A company must internally assess the appropriate amount of WIP to be carrying as it works through
the kanban process. This is often tied to the number of people along the process; as the number of
workers tied to a project decreases, so does the allowed quantity of items being worked on. This
limitation also communicates to other teams or departments that they must be considerate of their
ask of other teams as each group of individuals may be imposed a working limitation.

Manage Workflows

As a process is undertaken, a company will be able to identify strengths and weaknesses along the
work flow. Sometimes, limitations are not met or goals not achieved; in this case, it is up to the team
to manage the work flow and better understand the deficiencies that must be overcome.

A critical part of kanban is to observe and eliminate bottlenecks prior to them occurring. This includes
forecasting production and resource utilization. As a process becomes more predictable, a company
will find it is easier to make commitments to customers or make processes even more efficient by fully
scaling back additional unused resources.
Clearly Define Policies

As part of visually depicting workflows, processes are often clearly defined. Departments can often
easily understand the expectations placed on their teams, and kanban cards assigned to specific
individuals clearly identify responsibilities for each task. By very clearly defining policies, each worker
will understand what is expected of them, what checklist criteria must be met before completion, and
what occurs during the transition between steps.

Implement Feedback Loops

When using the kanban method, companies often gather information, analyze how the process is
flowing, and implement changes to further improve the process. This feedback loop allows employees
to continuously improve and make incremental, small improvements that are easier to adapt to. The
feedback may be positive feedback or negative feedback. The kanban approach is to understand
failures early in the process and to incur them quickly; this allows the company to adapt to a correct
path before the inefficiencies become a larger issue.

Improve Collaboration

Because tasks are broken down into very small kanban cards, individuals must often rely upon each
other when using the kanban method. Individuals, often on different teams, must collaborate and
discuss transitions between swim lanes, while other individuals must group to identify and resolve
issues quickly. Under kanban, changes to the process must be broadly communicated as adjustments
made in one area may have a wider impact in other.

Kanban Board

The kanban process utilizes kanban boards, organizational systems that clearly outline the elements
of a process. A kanban board often has three elements: boards, lists, and cards.

Kanban boards are the biggest picture of a process that organizes broad aspects of a workflow. For
example, a company may choose to have a different kanban board for different departments within
its organization (i.e. finance, marketing, etc.). The kanban board is used to gather relevant processes
within a single workspace or taskboard area.

Kanban lists are the to-do items within each board. For example, a manufacturer may have each stage
of manufacturing as a list item, as kanban lists often represent different stages of production within a
similar field. Kanban lists may also flow from one task to another; often, one task will end and another
task will pick up with the next action item following the completion of the prior list item.

Last, kanban cards live within lists and represent the most minute, detailed action items needed to
complete the list. These cards are the specific items that must be addressed in sequential order to
complete the list. For example, a manufacturer must contact the supplier, confirm raw material
availability, submit the order, receive the inventory items, and begin manufacturing. Each of these
steps can even be refined further into more specific kanban cards that represent mini-projects.
What is team management?
Team management is a manager’s ability to carry out and coordinate a team to execute their tasks
and common goals. Team management usually involves a manager, a team, communication skills,
active listeners, objective setting, creating a positive culture, and oftentimes a project management
software to help everyone stay efficient and organized.

Efficient team management skills are crucial because they help employees feel more productive and
motivated.

1. Communicate directly and transparently

Employees dread miscommunication because it causes confusion and stress. During 2019,
80% of surveyed US workers said they experienced stress because of ineffective or poor
company communication.
Effective communication skills ensure team-wide clarity on tasks, deadlines, and goals. This
transparency allows a team to focus on their productivity and collaboration.
On the flip side, poor digital communication management for teams lowers employee morale
and productivity. This negatively impacts customer satisfaction and the bottom line.
A workplace platform, like monday.com, can help managers and team members
communicate better. For example, a manager can use a project communication plan for
meetings, tasks, and progress reviews. Using this platform, managers can assign team
members to action items and monitor their progress at every stage.
2. Offer a clear vision
Setting a clear vision that highlights short-term and long-term goals for projects, teams, and
the overall organization is arguably the best way for managers and employees to stay focused.

Managers can use team management software, such as monday.com’s OKR (objectives and
key results) template, to list and track goals. Templates can help maintain focus while also
directing teams towards achieving their goals.

3. Encourage team collaboration

Employees who say they feel like part of a team are 2.3 times more likely to be engaged at
work.Effective collaboration is crucial for teams to get things done together, on time, and without
conflicts.

To boost collaboration, managers can turn to collaboration software. In fact, using technology to run
workflows and collaborative projects is almost expected; most Millennials (85%) and Gen Z (79%)
workers say they want their direct managers to problem solve with technology, and this includes all
of the tools needed to complete tasks and projects.

Platforms with a customizable project tracking template can help managers set-up projects. Everyone
involved in the project can then track tasks, deadlines, and make changes quickly. For example, if you
run your site on a hosting service such as WordPress, your team can benefit from a designated
management platform to allocate different tasks, keep everyone informed of changes and updates,
and stay accountable to the team’s KPIs. Because a platform such as WordPress is so vast and has a
wide range of WordPress plugins to choose anything from creating a shop to a fully functioning
Learning Management System, it is very easy for a small team to lose focus. That’s why it’s so
important to rely on KPIs to stay on track and navigate your projects.

4. Delegate with care

A manager is expected to assign tasks to employees based on skill, experience, and competency. They
must trust that every team member can complete assigned tasks on time.

Ideally, every team member should have a fair workload.

But even good managers can struggle with delegation. In fact, 21% of employees feel overwhelmed
with their workload “most of the time.” A solution for this concern can be to use workflow
automations.

A Gallup survey found an “unmanageable workload” is the second-leading that employees state for
being burnt out.

5. Provide constructive feedback and recognition

Constructive feedback sessions provide insights into areas for improvement, both for employees and
managers. It gives employees clarity on where they stand and where they are headed.

In Research by Reflektive, 92% of surveyed employees say they want more than an annual
performance review. 72% of those surveyed want at least monthly review sessions.

When employees provide feedback, listen to what they’re saying and if possible, act on it. Changes
inspired by these sessions can help employees, managers, and the team perform better and build
trust.

Another critical aspect of feedback sessions is recognition.

Appreciation of team members’ efforts and achievements has a significant impact on employee
morale, while a lack of recognition can lead to burnout.

A recent study states that a reduction of providing and receiving recognition increases the odds of
burnout by 45% and 48%.
Five-step process improvement with the DMAIC method

DMAIC is an acronym for the five-step cycle used for process improvements. These five steps are:
Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control.

How does the DMAIC method work?

The DMAIC method is often used to drive Six Sigma projects, though the tool is not limited to Six Sigma.
The five steps must be carried out in order, i.e. define, then measure, then analyze, then improve,
then control. As part of the final ‘control’ step, we may find that the process can be further improved,
and in that way, the process can start again where the new improvement can be defined, hence DMAIC
is a cyclical tool. Each step is typified by various actions.

1. DEFINE: Document all that we know: define the target customer; map the process flow, the
parameters of this particular improvement project, the project goals and targets, etc.

2. MEASURE: During this step, decisions are taken as to what metrics are going to be used, and the
measurement tools and criteria are also defined. In essence, the current performance of the business
process in question is measured. Data is collected according to the measurement criteria.

3. ANALYSE: During this step, all the data gathered in the previous step is analyzed to ascertain the
difference between the current process performance and the targeted performance. Any variations
in the process will also be scrutinized and documented during this step. Various potential
improvement opportunities will present themselves, so these can also be scrutinized and prioritized.

4. IMPROVE: Improvement opportunities are further brainstormed. An improvement plan is

documented and implemented.

4. CONTROL: This step ensures that new processes are adhered to in order to sustain the
improved process. Monitoring procedures should be documented and become common-
place. The process should be reviewed from time to time to ensure the new methods are
working well. If further improvements are necessary, the DMAIC method can be repeated.

What is Leadership and Management?

How do we define leadership and management? Leadership is an act or behavior, such as developing
a structure, so that group members know how to complete a task. A word that is commonly associated
with leadership is “motivation,” as in the ability to motivate individuals to carry out tasks. In addition,
encouragement, power, and agreement to achieve certain group or organizational goals are
characteristics of leadership. The level of leadership relies on the social and group relationship that is
present to formulate a vision and direction for the group.

Leadership is defined as a social relationship between two or more persons who depend on each other
to attain certain mutual goals in a group situation[2]. Good leadership helps individuals and groups
achieve their goals by focusing on the group’s maintenance needs (the need for individuals to fit and
work together) and task needs (the need for the group to make progress toward attaining the goal)[3].
Leaders are the individuals who will take charge in an organization and delegate responsibility to other
members to achieve the best results. Leaders provide the members of their team with the tools for
success and are the emotional captains of the ship. Chapter 3 will delve into the leadership style
present in organizations, along with how leaders use power to motivate individuals.

Successful organizations have productive management teams. When this is the case, companies can
complete goals toward becoming more competitive in the new technical and global business world.
Management is generally defined as the process of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the
activities of employees in combination with other resources to accomplish organizational objectives[4]
In a way, management is taking the leadership concept and putting it into action.

Management is shaped by an individual’s duties to the organization. Managers have described their
responsibilities in nine different factors[5]:

• Long-Range Planning – critical planning and development.

• Controlling – Evaluating and “following up” with action.
• Environmental Scanning – Aware of organizational and global changes in the business
landscape.
• Supervision – Oversee employee work, but not micromanaging.
• Coordinating – Coordinating the work of a department and at times an organization.
• Customer Relations and Marketing – contact with current and future customers.
• Community Relations – Contact must be nurtured with outside the company such as vendors,
suppliers, municipal, state/provincial, and federal agencies (especially as a not-for-profit)
• Internal Consulting – Use of expertise to solve organizational problems
• Monitoring Products and Services – Having a hand in the development monitoring and
delivery of products and services.

Management exists in virtually all goal-seeking organizations, whether they are public or private, large
or small, profit-making or not-for-profit, etc[5]. All organizations have had some basis in developing
from management theory. Chapter Two will look deeper into some of the classical and contemporary
management theories that are present in organizations. In addition, we will use management as a tool
for self-reflection.

The difference, and in many ways similarities, between leaders and managers relies on the
effectiveness of the leader or manager. Many contrasts can be found between leaders and managers
through conceptual ideals and notions relating to both. First, we look at the definitions; words
associated with leadership are social, influence, and relationships. This is in contrast with words linked
to management, such as organizing, directing, and controlling [5]. Both require action to be taken, but
it is the level of action that is needed where differences emerge.

Leadership can be regarded as a macro approach to situations requiring broad strokes of ideology in
shaping an organization. Management, on the other hand, involves taking a micro approach: using
systems to develop an a b = c method. Second, both leaders and managers exercise power in their
organizations, however, both may take different approaches to showing power. Managers are often
described as using the rewards and punishments approach; benefits and bonuses for good work,
corrections and reprimands for bad work. Leaders, on the other hand, can use perks and penalties,
but most leaders use a mix of expertise and aesthetic features to gain social influence within an
organization[6]. In many ways, the manager will use inducements while the leader will create the ideas
as to why the the awards and corrections are beneficial to success.