TASK 1

1.1 INTRODUCTION OF LEAN SIX SIGMA

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) has become the key business process improvement for companies
today. The main goal of LSS is to develop the business process by combining the strategies
of Lean and Six Sigma into an integrated approach. By implementing the LSS the companies
are focusing on performance by improving cost, quality, and time. To bring out savings to
the bottom-line of companies, Lean Sigma merges Six Sigma's variability reduction tools and
techniques with Lean Manufacturing's waste and non-value-added elimination methods and
technologies. The increment of load from the clients and opponents led the companies to
choose Lean Operation to boost the speed of consumer needs and total cost and Six Sigma
for problem-solving and process improvement to maximize the profit. The fundamental
principle of Lean manufacturing is that it works in combination to create a streamlined,
high-quality system that produces finished goods at the speed of customer demand with
minimal waste. The lean strategy employs a collection of proven tools and practices to cut
lead times, inventories, setup times, equipment downtime, scrap, rework, and other hidden
production wastes. Most companies that adopt the integrated method start with
fundamental Lean tools and approaches, such as a current and value state map, 5S
practices, standardized work, and so on. Some wastes are eliminated from the system after
using the tools and strategies mentioned above. Six Sigma's tools and methodologies are
now being leveraged to provide significant solutions to chronic problems.

Concerning the literature, Evenort is a Small to Medium-sized Enterprise based in South

Yorkshire that produces high-quality steel and alloy flanges mainly for the oil and gas
industries. The company is looking forward to improving the efficiency of the business by
implementing a process improvement strategy.

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1.2 TOOLS OF LEAN SIX SIGMA USED IN DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES

Hospitality Telecom Steel Manufacturing Health Aerospace Automobile Textile

Care

DMAIC      
5S     
Value Stream   
Mapping
(VSM)

KANBAN     
Visual    
Workplace

A3 Thinking    
Pull System     

Table 1: Tools of Lean Six Sigma used in different sectors

From the table (Table 1), we can see the different types of Lean Six Sigma tools to
implement process improvement to different sectors, which tools are used most in
industries, and which are less. The hospitality, telecom, steel, health care, aerospace,
automobile, and textile industries are taken to identify which industry uses which tools.
According to Table 1, most of the industries use DMAIC for improving their process. Define,
Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control (DMAIC) is a data-driven quality technique for
process improvement. DMAIC is a tool of LSS that approaches problem-solving ability. 5S
stands for Sort, set in order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain, these processes include going
over everything in a place, identifying what is and isn't required, organizing, cleaning, and
establishing systems for executing these duties regularly. Visual Stream Mapping (VSM) is a
lean manufacturing technique for analyzing, designing, and managing the flow of materials

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and information required to deliver a product to a client. VSM can be used to optimize any
process that has repeating phases - particularly those with multiple handoffs. The majority
of waste in knowledge work happens during handoffs (or wait time) between team
members, not during the actions themselves. Value stream mapping aids in the
identification of waste and the streamlining of the manufacturing process. KANBAN System
Kanban evolved into a useful instrument for supporting the overall operation of a
production system, as well as an outstanding means of encouraging development. Problem
areas are identified by monitoring the total process and process steps' lead time and cycle
time. One of the primary advantages of KANBAN is the ability to set an upper limit for work-
in-process inventory to avoid overcapacity. The Visual Workplace is a continuous
improvement model that is strongly tied to lean manufacturing. It helps to reduce wastes
and improve and secure processes. A3 Thinking is a problem-solving method developed by
Toyota. It is a structured cycle of improvement and a framework for organizing thinking by
which it reveals problems and helps to eliminate wastes. The Pull implies that production
should begin only when the consumer demands it, taking into account the criteria that it
establishes.

1.3 STRATEGIES FOLLOWED IN IMPLEMENTING LEAN SIX SIGMA IN

DIFFERENT SECTORS

Hospitality

Consider a hotel that includes an in-house repair workshop that is allocated to the team in
charge of building maintenance. The workshop also served as a storage facility for technical
spare parts and supplies. After a more in-depth examination of the workshop, it was
discovered that there was a lot of chaos, which resulted in a lot of inventory and a lot of
seeking time. The workstations were filthy, untidy, and disorganized, with broken tools
spread among excellent and functional instruments. The LSS tool 5S has been implemented
and the broken tools were removed. The remaining equipment and materials on the
worktables are arranged systematically, and to designate a specific location for each piece.
Tools that were used frequently were put within grasping distance of the worktables,
whereas tools that were used rarely were placed further away. Following that, each tool

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was assigned its location. The workers were scheduled to clean their workplaces regularly.
Broken or damaged tools can be repaired instantly, improving safety, quality, and reliability
greatly. The improvements made should become a standard pattern.

Health Care

Lean Management has made its way into the healthcare sector to cut rising medical
expenses caused by expensive drugs and rising labor costs. The primary goals are to reduce
the process and waiting time for the patient, standardize and optimize the interfaces
between different divisions and wards, integrate IT systems to eliminate unnecessary work,
reduce inventory, and reduce patient length of stay. Lean forces employees to take time to
consider simple things that affect their everyday job, identify and fix issues, foster
teamwork, and provide a measure of control over their own life. Value Stream Maps (VSM)
and A3 Report have been implemented to solve concerns with patient movement or
information flow across multiple departments. The Lean implementation helps to eliminate
interruptions and clutter. The backlog in pharmacy, accuracy, and time took for billing has
been improved by the KANBAN system and visual workplace.

Manufacturing Industry

The DMAIC is used to identify the gaps in the industry and it reveals which area of the
industry needs to be improved. The tools KANBAN, VSM, 5S, and the visual workplace have
been implemented. The finance department was suggested to digitalize their work using
computers and printers. The written procedures were used before. The KANBAN system
recognizes missing and empty bins automatically via sensors and prompts refilling using
information and communication technology. The charge level of the bin can also be
monitored, and data can be wirelessly communicated in real-time to an inventory control
system. The 5S helps to clean the workplace to a nice working environment and arranging
the tools helps to ease access. The workers must be well trained for long-run lean
implementation in the industry.

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1.4 BENEFITS ACHIEVED USING LEAN SIX SIGMA

The benefits of Lean Six Sigma for the organization include the release of working capital,
the reduction of inventory and improved turnover, the increase of supply chain speed, the
reduction of costs, particularly manufacturing costs, the improvement of working
conditions, the increase of productivity, the improvement of customer satisfaction, and the
promotion of learning and knowledge creation. LSS focuses on the consistent use of the
products and services flowing through a process: if the value is not being added to a part, it
is simply inefficient inventory demanding an investment but coming no closer to producing a
return. So the traditional approach to production may be thought of as keeping investments
in equipment and people busy, whereas LSS focuses on keeping things passing through the
process active. Through implementing Lean Six Sigma in hospitality, effective space
utilization can be made and 5S implementation helps to identify the inefficiencies in the
hotel cleaning process and it improves the workplace appearance by placing the tools in the
right order. When Lean is implemented in a health care industry a continuous improvement
can be seen. Patients will benefit from more precise and timely medicine distribution,
resulting in better health outcomes also internal expenses will be lowered. LSS helps the
manufacturing industry to reduce the operational costs attained by the reduction in process
cycle time, reduced defects and wastes in production, inventory reduction, and increased
client satisfaction. The reduction in scrap help to save tonnes of wastes on the landfills
thereby showing the sustainability of LSS. The problem-solving skills of workers are also
improved and add some morale to their job.

1.5 LESSONS LEARNED

The tools and strategies used to implement LSS have proven continuous improvement to all
sectors. But some of the tools are not useful in some industries. There are many challenges
to be faced when implementing LSS, the company size, the demand of the customer,
financial resources. It is important to carefully examine the actions to take during the
implementation process in order to avoid suboptimal results or even failure. Keeping in
mind not to overstate or overdo the lean endeavor will boost the likelihood of its success.
The final basic difficulty is to gain the cooperation of suppliers by earning their confidence,

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demonstrating the benefits, and incorporating them in the lean process. Mass
manufacturers must require their employees to perform several tasks while also training
them to recognize and handle difficulties. Workers must adapt their prior knowledge to
their new standardized surroundings. They must learn how to communicate the answers to
challenges they have discovered to other teams or departments. Workers are to keep them
motivated in work circumstances that they may see as less appealing. Hotels must focus on
training their employees to perform several duties because this increases the hotel's
flexibility and capacity.

Hospitals mostly benefit from layout changes to save time and walking distance. An
important component of lean in hospitals is to divide patients into distinct groups as soon as
they arrive. This method simplifies the queuing procedure and reduces waiting time.
Because healthcare is still in the early stages of lean growth, hospitals can gain an advantage
over their competitors by implementing lean as holistically as feasible.

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TASK 4

Sustainability in the long-term means that the concept's interest and momentum can be
continued long enough for companies to learn and obtain the required capabilities to realize
the concept's potential advantages. Global competition, fluctuating client demands, and
limited natural resources have all created barriers to manufacturing companies'
sustainability. Manufacturing companies have used Lean Six Sigma as one of their key
business strategies to improve their operational performance. The integration of
sustainability and Lean Six Sigma has stimulated researchers' and practitioners' interest in
improving long-term performance. Centered on topics widely linked to the implementation
and application of Lean, and evidence has indicated that success in Lean adoption can be
difficult due to a lack of managerial commitment, poor communication, cultural mismatch,
or institutional opposition. The major goal of the Six Sigma technique is to increase process
performance while also ensuring that the improvements are sustained over time. As a
result, it is necessary to standardize the optimal process parameter configuration.
Sustainability consideration in an organization is generally referred to as the activity that
focuses on three perspectives: economy, environment, and society (Antony et al., 2019). LSS
and sustainable performance improvement efforts share some similarities in terms of
delivering facilities, such as waste removal, continuous improvement, and staff engagement.

To sustain the implementation of Lean Six Sigma in Evenort, the involvement and support of
senior management are backed up by the right Sustainable LSS implementation training
provided, and the proper use of all essential resources such as human, finance, technical,
and so on are extremely important components that aid in effective implementation. The
absence of these criteria will be a barrier to the sustainability of the LSS framework.

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TASK 5
Sustainable demand, globalized competition, and government climate change policies have
compelled industries to implement sustainable methods. The rising awareness of
sustainability and demand for environmentally friendly products has compelled industrial
organizations to reconsider their business processes. The integration of Lean Six Sigma and
Sustainability is called Green Lean Six Sigma (GLS). The Green Lean Six Sigma is an
environment-friendly approach that produces high-quality components by lessening the
carbon footprints which is the total amount of greenhouse gas emission produced by a
person or an organization or a crisis. Lean manufacturing processes, with a focus on waste
removal, are compatible with environmentally sustainable green activities within
enterprises. Lean principles have spread throughout the supply chain and into the service
industry, while interest in greening supply chains has expanded concurrently. When lean
attempts to eliminate waste in all aspects of manufacturing, design, supply chain
management, and factory management, the combination of lean and green appears
obvious. Concerns about the environment have prompted businesses to take a proactive
approach to produce greener manufacturing methods and services, as well as designing
recyclable items. As an outcome, the green paradigm has emerged as a concept and
operational strategy to improve organizations’ environmental efficiency and reduce the
ecological effect of their products and services while still attaining their financial objectives.
The transition to green operations has compelled organizations to seek ways to combine the
now "conventional" performance measurements of profitability, efficiency, customer
happiness, quality, and responsiveness with green aims and activities. This technique
produces green lean. When considering the meanings of lean and green, their synchronism
appears to revolve around their emphasis on waste reduction; nevertheless, this extends
farther. Manufacturers must develop and adopt low-carbon emission technology to remain
competitive. Lean businesses that use continuous improvement approaches appear to be
more likely to accept environmental advancements. Because lean emphasizes waste
reduction, it creates a more conducive environment for implementing green concepts,
methodologies, and tools. The similarity between the two appears logical in this

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circumstance, waste reduction. However, green goes beyond waste reduction because it is
also concerned with operational efficiencies, material consumption reduction, and recycling,
and, as with any quality improvement approach, one of its ultimate goals is to improve
client happiness. From this perspective, multiple synergies between the lean and green
principles may be identified, including waste reduction, lead-time reduction, and the use of
various ways and strategies to manage people, organizations, and supply chain
relationships. Waste in the lean idea refers to any action that does not add value to the
product, whereas waste in the green concept refers to the wasteful consumption of water,
energy, or another natural resource.