Lean Six Sigma is a business and problem solving methodology designed for the elimination and reduction of waste and variation. To achieve the highest levels of performance excellence, we believe that we have to empower our workforce with the tools and skills to engage in continuous improvement.

The Lean Six Sigma methodology consists of:

• Define – Is the process by which the Lean Six Sigma team identifies the potential opportunities for improvement. During this phase the Lean Six Sigma team will collect data to evaluate performance, evaluate the cost impact of the process, and ultimately create a Project Charter that is used define the project for City leadership.
• Measure – In this phase of the methodology, the Lean Six Sigma team will evaluate the measurement system to be able to determine to overall process capability. It is during this phase that tools such as a detailed process/value stream map, a fishbone diagram, and other tools are used to identify the variables that influence the process.
• Analyze – In this phase of the methodology, the Lean Six Sigma team will evaluate the variables identified in the previous phase. The ultimate goal of this phase is the identification of the root-cause that affects the process the most.
• Improve – In this phase of the methodology, the Lean Six Sigma team will identify and implement improvements. The team will proceed to use various improvement tools and use Kaizen to implement those improvements. The team will also evaluate and confirm that the process capability has improved.
• Control – The last phase of the methodology requires the Lean Six Sigma team to implement controls in the process to sustain the improvements. The team will monitor the process and properly hand off the project to its process owners.

Through the use of the methodology, Lean Six Sigma seeks to eliminate waste in the process. The Seven Waste involved in the process are:

• Transportation – Consists of the unnecessary movement of products and materials.
• Inventory – Excess amount of material in the process.
• Motion – Unnecessary movement of individuals within in a process.
• Waiting – Wasted time waiting for the next step in the process.
• Over-Production – Production that is more than needed or before it is required.
• Over-Processing – More work used or required than is needed as required by the process or customer.
• Defects – Defective product or services that leads to excess rework, scrap and incorrect information.

Lean Six Sigma empowers employees to improve processes and engage in culture change to achieve the highest levels of performance excellence.