Lean Six Sigma is an altered form of Six Sigma Training, but also a process all its own in many capacities. Knowing the vital differences that come with Lean can prove to add more to your quality improvement projects than you might have thought possible. There are basic fundamentals of Six Sigma that will not be absent in the Lean process, but there are also a few additions to the process that make it what it is.

There are eight elements of waste that Lean Six Sigma focuses on. It has been proven that once these areas are removed from a company, their quality has improved. The following is a list of what the Lean process considers to be waste and examples to each area.

-Wasted human talent: this includes people who don’t have a specific job function within the process or are simply slowing down the process with their presence.

-Defects: Any product or process that is not working properly. Before they can be eliminated, however, they will require a fixable solution.

-Inventory: Too much product waiting to be worked. This can also refer to too many patients in a doctors waiting room, for example.

-Overproduction: Having too much of anything before it is needed can get in the way of efficient process operation.

-Wasted time: Waiting on product to arrive, idle time that could be better spent on various processes or activities. Having five employees standing around waiting to unload a truck that hasn’t arrived is a good example.

-Motion: When talking about motion, it is pretty self explanatory. It refers to the moving around of people when there is absolutely no need for it. An great example of this is when you make an appointment for a clinic and you are sent to triage, then back to the waiting room and then to the exam room. Everything should just be down right in the exam room.

-Transportation: If the company is using a means of transportation for a person or product that is not needed, then that would fall under the wasteful category.

-Process Waste: Anything that needs to be done within the company, but does not add any value to the process, product or service. For example, a manager may be required to fill out paperwork each night, but it has nothing to do with improving the product or customer service.

Understanding these waste products will enhance the quality improvement projects that you approach using Lean Six Sigma processes.

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