CHOOSING THE BEST APPROACH
Selection of an appropriate process improvement
methodology depends on the culture of your organization.
When considering lean, six sigma, or the Systems
Approach, one main concern is the speed at which the
methodology will be accepted by the organization. To
help your company decide which would work best, keep
the following guidelines in mind:
! If your organization values analytical studies (and
their associated data, charts, and analysis), then six
sigma may be a great program to lead off with.
! If your organization values visible progress and
immediate change, lean may be the best way to
initiate a process improvement program.
! If your organization is seeking a systematic decisionmaking
approach with employee participation, then
the Systems Approach to process improvement will
work well. Just be sure that you develop the
requisite skills to use the decision-making tools.
Exhibit 2 highlights commonalities and differences
among the three process improvement methods.
THE DECISION IS UP TO YOU
Despite the protestations of purists, these programs can
all work well together in nearly any organizational
culture.
Each improvement methodology contributes valuable
concepts, ideas, and techniques to your organization.
Your challenge is to use the particular strengths that each
approach possesses to help your organization improve.
And remember that it is important to never stop
learning!