For eight years, the U.S. Army has embraced Lean Six Sigma. So much so, according to a September article from the Army News Service, that they’ve trained 11,000 people in the methodology, who are embedded throughout the military branch. Looking at the results, it would appear that the efforts have paid off. To date, over 2,000 different projects a year have been implemented, resulting of a cost-savings of $1 billion and the avoidance of more than $5 billion in costs in 2013 alone, more than $545,000 per trained person.

Recently, the Army took a look at those project and honored some of its departments for the cost savings and efficiencies they created through Lean Six Sigma. Included in that was the Army Material Command, which implemented 717 projects last year, which achieved $87.7 million in financial benefits, which equals more than 4.5 percent of their budget, the article stated. The Joint Munitions Command also saw success with their Lean Six Sigma projects, resulting in a savings of 5.5 percent of their budget, or $40.8 million.

The Communications and Electronics Lifestyle Management Command at Tobyhanna Army Depot also saw significant benefits from Lean Six Sigma in 2013, with a reduction in the process of material induction of 229 man hours each month and a 98 percent reduction in process defects, the article stated.

Year in and year out, the U.S. military is finding through Lean Six Sigma new ways to do business while streamlining processes and reducing costs. Any business could benefit from those concepts, including yours.


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