Lean or Six Sigma?

Lean production and Six Sigma principles are used to improve processes and create efficiency in the overall production process. Lean is used to eliminate losses, while saving costs, to increase productivity so as to create the maximum possible efficiency. Six Sigma focuses on reducing variation and errors in the production process, which is due to the fact that processes without consistent reliability ultimately lead to errors and defective products. Reducing variation will lead to higher quality products and services.

Although we compare Lean with Six Sigma, the situation is that both work towards the same end goal, they just take different approaches on how to achieve this.

Lean production is more specific to the manufacturing process, while Six Sigma is a broader process that easily adapts to the application of production processes, but also serves as an overall approach to business strategy using statistical models. The entire Lean process seeks to maximize production, while minimizing losses, to achieve the highest possible production without sacrificing quality. It creates communication channels between management and the workforce, it also works on the idea that employees have detailed knowledge about the process they perform daily, contributing to improvement.

Co-consistency is the basis of the Six Sigma process, the identification and reduction of variation ultimately provides a higher level of consistency and predictability in each stage of production. In order to identify variation and take accurate measures, each process in the production cycle must be identified, qualified and quantified effectively. One of the differences is that Six Sigma focuses on statistical analysis, identifying statistical variations, in order to increase production and quality through a data-based approach.

Combined, the two methodologies help companies to become more efficient in all operations, at the same time creating better quality products and services. To choose the right method, it depends on the needs of the organization and even if there are differences, both are designed to increase the competitive advantage of companies.