Just to underscore the problems with labelling various current approaches to the improvement of operations here is the original coinage of the term “lean”:
“… undertake a detailed study of the new Japanese techniques, which we subsequently named “lean production”, compared with the older Western mass-production techniques …” (Womack, J.P., Jones, D.T. and Roos, D. (1990). The Machine That Changed The World: The Story of Lean Production. Harper Perennial, p. 4).
The difficulty of even using the term DMAIC as an umbrella for lean and six sigma can be found in the original publication of Harry and Schroeder (2000). “There are eight fundamental steps or stages involved in applying the Breakthrough Strategy to achieve Six Sigma quality in a process, division, or company: These eight phases are Recognize, Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control, Standardize and Integrate. The four core phases (MAIC) … are described here. Chapter 7 addresses each of the eight phases in greater detail” (p. 22).
In its original form Harry and Schroeder state (p. 13): “It’s important to understand that Six Sigma is a performance target that applies to a single critical-to-quality characteristic (CTQ), not to the total product.
Current deployments of Six Sigma, Lean or Lean Six Sigma all suffer from the same issue: Their meaning has evolved over time and it is simply impossible to put a correct label on the implementation of these evolving methodologies and views on the practice of current organizations.
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