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What is Lean Six Sigma

Authors: Michael L. George, David T. Rowlands, Bill Kastle
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional
Category: Book

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Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

5 reviews
Sales Rank: 19846

Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 96
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 0.5

ISBN: 007142668X
Dewey Decimal Number: 658.562
UPC: 639785384342
EAN: 9780071426688
ASIN: 007142668X

Publication Date: November 1, 2003
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Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars

Easy read and a good introduction to LSS July 31, 2008
My qualifications for buying this book were:

I knew nothing about Lean
I knew nothing about Six Sigma
I was head of CMMI implementation for my dept and another neighbouring dept was taking Lean Six Sigma

So I bought the book and read it.

I now know enough about Lean Six Sigma to (a) tell the difference between Lean and Six Sigma (b) incorporate its requirements into my implementation plans (c) give a presentation to my dept on what the other department is doing and (d) enough to discuss LSS over lunch (pass an interview?) with LSS experts.

For me, the 17 Eur I paid at the airport and the few hours it took to read and make some notes were time and money well spent. The book is not enough to implement six sigma yourself, for that you need to spend a lot more but it is perfect for familiarising the novice. It is also, thank god, readable. Examples abound in the book, they're all a `bit American' but don't worry about that, the substance was spot on for me.

2 out of 5 stars

Now what? What can I do with it? December 9, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This book in nothing more than a set of articles about Lean Six Sigma implementation cases. It does not tell you much on how to implement it, how to approach real life problems, what tools to use in different situations. This is only a soft read to get acquainted with "Lean Six Sigma". If you are looking for something that can really help you applying these principles on your company/work choose another title for you'll consider this one useless.

4 out of 5 stars

Concise but a light read August 17, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

Not a great deal of substance but it does give a useful perspective on combining Lean process thinking with Six Sigma's emphasis on quality.

5 out of 5 stars

An accelerated explanation of how to produce more and better results, in less time, and at a lower cost May 15, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

It seems eminently appropriate that a book which explains what Lean Six Sigma is (and isn't) should exemplify the same principles it addresses: It delights its reader with the speed by which its material is covered and with the quality of that material, it offers immediate help with mastering whatever the given process (or processes) may be, its authors work effectively with their reader to achieve the desired objectives within that reader's organization, and they prepare their reader to make better decisions, based on verifiable data.

Many people who consider purchasing it may be deterred by terms such Six Sigma and Lean which tend to be associated only with immensely large and complicated organizations such as GE and Motorola. In fact, authors Michael L. George, David Rowlands, and Bill Kastle include a number of mini-case studies throughout their narrative that suggest how decision-makers in almost any organization (regardless of size or nature) can apply Lean Six Sigma to produce more and better results, in less time, and at a lower cost if (huge "if") there are leadership at the top of the given organization, buy-in and sustained commitment at all levels and in all areas, sufficient resources, and accurate and consistent performance measurement.

For me, some of the most valuable material is provided in Chapter 8, "Making Improvements That Last." After explaining the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) process, the authors make skillful use of various "Figures" that serve two separate but related purposes: they highlight key points, and, they facilitate, indeed expedite frequent review of those points later. For example, Figure 8.1: Sample Project Charter that demonstrates how to capture the essence of a Lean Six Sigma project. It describes what the team should accomplish, who will work on the project (and in what roles), timelines and other key information. Then with Figure 8.3: Value Stream Map, the authors indicate with the example provided how the value stream map, based on an actual process, captures the main sequence of activities in the boxes across the top line. If executed with rigor and discipline, the DMAIC process offers a framework for effective collaboration that will reveal real solutions to root problems.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones's Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation and their more recent book, Lean Solutions: How Companies and Customers Can Create Value and Wealth Together. Also, Michael George's Lean Six Sigma for Service: How to Use Lean Speed and Six Sigma Quality to Improve Services and Transactions, The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook: A Quick Reference Guide to 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed (with John Maxey and David T. Rowlands) and Fast Innovation: Achieving Superior Differentiation, Speed to Market, and Increased Profitability (with James Works, and Kimberly Watson-Hemphill).

5 out of 5 stars

Packed with Knowledge ! March 18, 2005
21 out of 21 found this review helpful

Six Sigma books often couch their wisdom in acronyms or jargon, or they offer vague, unfulfilling anecdotal narratives. This book is different. As trim, focused and efficient as if a Six Sigma team had designed it, it gets the job done. Its mission is simple: explain the basic structure of Lean Six Sigma initiatives to readers who are likely to become involved in one. While select case studies are judiciously sprinkled throughout, this is a meat-and-potatoes book that tells you what you need to know in clear, straightforward prose. Although the authors - Mike George, Dave Rowlands and Bill Kastle - humbly issue the caveat that this is not intended to be a comprehensive reference, its terse yet relevant style will probably make it one of those dog-eared volumes that barely gets back to the HR bookshelf before it's checked out again. Because of its plainspoken functionality, we recommend this manual strongly to anyone whose future may involve Lean Six Sigma.