5S Six Sigma is a business strategy that combines lean manufacturing and Six Sigma. The process involves quality training, planning, analysis, and improvement. It involves data collection through tools like check sheets or fishbone diagrams.
The process uses a pull system for production where products are only produced as they have been ordered, instead of making more than is needed and storing the extra inventory until it is sold. This lean strategy reduces waste in a business by keeping optimal inventory levels.
Methods used to implement the Lean Six Sigma strategies include brainstorming sessions for problem-solving, Pareto charts to find the most common problems occurring in the processes, and the value stream map (VSM), a “customer view” of how workflows through an organization.
The ten essential tools include:
1. Fishbone Diagram
A cause and effect diagram is used to determine the main issue and what other factors may be involved in the problem. The fishbone has a spine with branches for categories of causes, such as management, policies, machine, methods/procedures, materials, measurements/inspection, environment, and people.
2. Check Sheet
This is a simple datasheet used to record important information during problem-solving or other types of process improvement. The data collected on the check sheet may include the date, observation, costs associated with the situation being solved, how much waste is reduced through the solution, and other details from the process.
3. Control Chart
This is a tool used to determine whether a process is within control limits. It follows standard patterns or a particular cause that may warrant investigation into areas producing substandard quality work.
Six Sigma control charts have upper and lower control limits on either side of a central line representing the process. When a point falls outside the limits, there is a particular cause. It’s best to investigate what is going on with the process.
4. Pareto Chart
This graph shows where the wastes are occurring by breaking down data into categories. The most common kinds of waste or issues with each step are listed on the left side of the chart with the corresponding frequency.
This step helps identify where problems and potential solutions should be focused first.
5. Value-Added Flowchart
This process map looks at the workflow from a different perspective than a traditional flowchart.
The value-added approach to this tool shows each step contributing to the result instead of unnecessary waste. This approach helps identify areas that need improvement and steps that do not add value or need to be reworked.
6. Affinity Diagram
This variation on the cause and effect diagram is used when the information to be sorted is not well organized. The data for this chart comes from an unorganized list that needs to be grouped into categories.
This helps identify areas where there are likely problems that could benefit from improvement projects.
7. 5-Whys Analysis
This process is used to find the root cause of a problem by asking why it occurred five times. The fifth question will lead down to the root cause.
In this type of analysis, you dig deep into why there is a problem to determine and what needs to change in the way people work if the issue is going to be resolved for good.
8. 5S Tool
Lean Six Sigma focuses on keeping the workplace clean and organized to improve morale, efficiency, and safety. The five S’s stand for seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke, which are the Japanese words for sort, set in order, scrub (or sweep), standardize/sustain (self-discipline), and sustain.
This organizing system gets rid of clutter and unnecessary items to improve efficiency.
9. SMED Tool
One key area that 5S Six Sigma focuses on is reducing time by eliminating non-value-added processing steps in the workflow. Setup time is significant waste in manufacturing because it does not add value to the product.
This tool, Single Minute Exchange of Die, reduces setup time by asking how long it takes to change over machines/equipment for different kinds of work. The goal is to get this down below 10 minutes to eliminate waste.
10. Poka-Yoke
This tool is used to create a mistake-proof system so that the process cannot continue if an error occurs or certain conditions are not met. This is done by requiring additional actions, guards, warnings, information, and other safety measures to ensure quality is produced on every level.
It is essential to have access to the right Six Sigma tools. Each of these ten options can help teams become more efficient and positively impact company culture by building morale. In addition, the business will produce higher quality products because everyone is following the same processes, and additional information has been provided to prevent mistakes.
Featured image: Unsplash (Jason Goodman).
