Kaizen sweets pick-n-mix ..

"It's no wonder people get confused!" This heartfelt complaint was recently heard from the Director of Operations of a household name in the financial services sector while discussing possible frameworks for their change programme. He had read about 6 sigma, had been presented at by a consultant about Lean Enterprise and his team had suggested using the EFQM model.

It's easy to see his point. The costs involved in getting it wrong are atrocious. And not just in financial terms. There is the credibility of the leaders, the time wasted in getting to the point of failure and probably most important - the loss of faith in the hearts of the employees. There are also a number of senior executives still recovering from failed change programmes and wondering if they had chosen a different technique whether it might have all been different.

So, which is the best methodology?

The answer is really simple. One isn't any better than any of the others and in fact they all fit together like one beautiful jigsaw.

The differences between them have been exaggerated over time. If you ask a Ford driver why he chose a Ford, you will get a list of the reasons why Fords are the best, ask a VW driver the same question and you may get a slightly different list but the belief that they are right will be the same.

And so it is with change methodologies. If you "do Lean" you must have value stream maps; if you "do 6 sigma" you must base it on DMAIC. Says who?

Lean Enterprise focuses on the flow of value through the organisation while 6 sigma focuses on measurement but actually they both focus on reducing variation and delivering value to the customer at the lowest cost.

There are some really great tools associated with each but these can easily be mixed and matched.

For example, a recent Lean program in a Pharmaceutical company led to the adoption of run charts in the sales office. And value stream mapping helped a financial service organisation to focus their 6 sigma activities.

So, pick-n-mix your techniques. Evaluate them all and choose the ones that best suit your organisation. Be aware of organisational indigestion and select just the vital few that will deliver exactly what you want. And if anyone says you can't, politely invite them to go to the sweet counter and choose the one sweet that everyone will love.

If you need any help with your pick-n-mix contact paul@kaizen-training.com