How to Use This Book


The intent for this book is that it be used as a tool to help Project Leaders guide a project, and thus needs to be structured in a form that best helps the reader start with their problem in hand and quickly progress to the solution. I'm sure it is possible to read it from beginning to end; however, it is not designed with that purpose in mind. Its layout probably will be perceived as a little unorthodox, mainly due to a few simple issues:

  • There are a multitude of different Problem Categories.

  • Each Problem Category has a different route to a solution.

  • The same tools are used in the solution of multiple Problem Categories.

  • The application of each tool can vary subtly, depending on the problem. This book is structured into three main parts (shown graphically in Figure 1.2):

Figure 1.2. How to navigate through this book.


  • Part I (Chapters 25). Project Roadmaps describe the route to a solution for a wide range of problems. The text lists which tools to use (listed in italics like this), in which order, why, and in essence forms the detail behind the roadmap shown in Figure 1.1. The Belt/Team should follow the roadmap in this section that best describes the process problem that they are encountering, based on key decision points listed in the text. For more detail on a tool listed, the Belt/Team should refer to the tool detail in Part III, where the tools are listed in alphabetical order.

  • Part II (Chapter 6). A Discovery Roadmap is used to identify potential projects in a process where there are no obvious targets. This is often useful to businesses that are new to Lean Sigma and are not sure how to identify good projects to work on. The text lists which tools to use (listed in italics like this), in which order, and why. For more detail on a tool listed, the Belt/Team should refer to the tool detail in Part III, where the tools are listed in alphabetical order. After the project or multiple projects have been identified in the process using the Discovery Roadmap, one will be selected and the Team will follow the Project Roadmaps described in Part I.

  • Part III (Chapter 7). Individual tools roadmaps explain in detail how to use each tool.

Thus, in summary:

  • If no project is obvious for the process, the Team will follow the Discovery Roadmap in Chapter 6 to its conclusion to identify projects.

  • If a project is clear, the Team will follow the Project Roadmap(s) commencing in Chapter 2 to their conclusion to complete the project.

  • In both Roadmaps, the text will refer to a sequence of tools and the rationale for the sequence. Details on each tool listed are available in alphabetical order in Chapter 7.

The Project Roadmap in Part II follows this path:

  1. A standard set of Define tools is applied in sequence at the beginning of any project.

  2. At this point, the Belt/Team should have enough understanding of the process problem to select the type of problem that is apparent. The text lists some 25 or so Problem Categories with titles such as "The capacity of the process is too low." Generally speaking, this is at an overall-process level (considering the process as a whole), in which case the categories are listed in Chapter 3. However, there are rare projects in which a significant amount of work has already been done on the process. In this case, the Problem Category might be at a within-process level where a single process step has been identified as being the problem area, in which case the categories are listed in Chapter 4.

  3. The Belt/Team selects the Problem Category in Chapter 3 or 4 and follows the Measure, Analyze, and Improve tools roadmaps specific to it.

  4. A standard set of Control tools is applied in sequence to the end of any project.

Thus, for any project, the user applies the following:

  • Define tools, standard across all projects

  • Measure, Analyze, and Improve tools, pertinent to the specific Problem Category

  • Control tools, standard across all projects

And, for each tool along the way, practical application detail is available in Chapter 7.

Problem Categories

To use this book effectively, it will be necessary to identify the Problem Category based on the process issue(s) at hand. This might seem awkward to novice Belts, but it is an important skill to develop. Belts need to be able to step back from the process and see the bigger picture before diving into the detail. Quite often, the inexperienced Champion and Process Owner can be a hindrance at this point by pushing the Belt down a road to solution before truly understanding the underlying problem. The purpose of the Define tools is to provide an understanding of what, from the customer's perspective, the problem truly is and frame it in a measurable form. Only after the Define tools have been applied can the Belt confidently say which Problem Category he is dealing with.




Lean Sigma(c) A Practitionaer's Guide
Lean Sigma: A Practitioners Guide
ISBN: 0132390787
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 138

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