Yes, Process Improvement Is Vital to Business Success

Recently, the Marietta Daily Journal posted an opinion piece from Six Sigma black belt, Bill Bailey, in which he discussed how process improvement is vital to business success. Here are a few take-away points from that discussion.

• Lean Six Sigma is a combination of two powerful and proven tools for process improvement. Lean improves organizational performance by eliminating waste from processes. Six Sigma uses statistical methods to reduce variations in the process. While neither is focuses on reducing costs, cost reductions are generally the by-product of waste elimination and variation reduction.
• The need for process improvement in universal. Though Lean Six Sigma was originally developed for the manufacturing industry, it is a highly adaptable methodology for organizations, small and large, of all industries.
• Lean Six Sigma changes an organization’s culture from gut-instinct reactions to a reliance on data and analysis. This project-driven strategy helps improve the quality of your products or services, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and an improved bottom line.
• Lean Six Sigma certifications are offered at different belt levels. An individual certified as a yellow belt is equipped with basic improvement tools and a knowledge of the Lean Six Sigma methodology in order to assist green and black belt-led projects. A green belt has the ability to lead a department-level team or serve on a higher level team. A black belt is fully trained in the methodology and capable for leading a company-wide team.
• Lean Six Sigma certification is highly recommended for anyone in your organization who is responsible for process improvement, including managers, engineers, and other team members.