How Do Lean and Six Sigma Work Together?

@prudhvi309 It appears that you did not search our site before asking your question. If you search you will find how they work together.

@KatieBerry nice to see more traffic but there’s quite a few “interesting” threads started.

@MBBinWI My sentiments exactly. It is interesting to see how folks try so hard to marry Lean and six sigma whereas I see them as completely separate. Lean (the Toyota way) is the holistic approach to operating a successful business and six sigma is a tool to be used on specific improvement projects (although I believe it unnecessary to use at all). Folks who have a “Lean Six Sigma” certification think they know anything remotely Lean but after working with some of them, it is clear that their teachers have failed them in Lean teachings. Lean isn’t just something you decide to do one day and start doing it, no! It is the way of life, part of the company’s culture and most importantly is a mandate that comes from leadership who have a strong buy-in to the proper way to approach Lean and expresses the need for their entire company to adopt Lean thinking. Six sigma does not provide this at all and instead takes more of a project management approach.

@stephanieareid – you mis-interpret my comment.  I don’t doubt that they work together – I was merely inquiring how the original poster thought they work together.  Too many posters here look for others to do their homework (due diligence that they could figure out themselves if they just did some basic work).

My years of experience show me that they do work together.  One of the wastes that Lean seeks to reduce is defects – which are often caused by being out of acceptable tolerance.  That is where six sigma can be applied.

You sound like many zealots who latch on to their favorite approach/methodology/tool which becomes their hammer and every problem is a nail (the same can be said for many six sigma practitioners, by the way).  I would encourage you to critically evaluate the problem that you are looking to address and apply the correct tool.  By the way, Lean and Six Sigma are merely a couple of them.  You should keep learning new ways to solve problems – or better yet, create a new one where no existing ones seem to be adequate.

Good luck.  And open up your mind to other approaches.  It will make you a better problem solver.