Lean Six SIGMA for Service: How to Use Lean Speed and Six SIGMA Quality to Improve Services and Transactions

This book is exceedingly helpful in explaining sometimes difficult concepts and providing an integrated, practical framework with which to implement the Lean Six Sigma methodology within a service business. I bought a copy for each of my key staff members and we worked through it together, profiting greatly from the experience.

Lean Six Sigma defends the doubtful proposition that higher quality, higher speed and lower costs can be simultaneously designed into the key business processes of any company. The focus of this book is service companies, though many examples are from manufacturing companies. The author elegantly makes the argument; but adds a great deal of content that is more-or-less a technical HOW TO manual for doing Lean Six Sigma in the reader's own service organization. If you are more of a philosopher than an engineer, these passages may make you impatient. If you're an engineer, you will almost certainly want the companion handbook that the author has also published, focusing on the analytical tools. Through his very logical, thorough, precise and methodical narrative, the author transforms a doubtful proposition into an arguable one. Given the importance of the goal, that's a major accomplishment and well worth your devoted attention. It will have to be devoted, rather than casual, because the book is rather too long for philosophers like me. I learned more than I needed to know. Most of that length is for left brain people who are needed to implement Lean Six Sigma for Service. However, the right brain reader can get nicely grounded thanks to this book.

The author has established his credentials with a number of books on both lean manufacturing (a Toyota innovation) and 6-Sigma, with a body of work that spans and integrates both approaches. This is the first book I've come across that employs lean principles in services, and is unique in that it integrates 6-Sigma as well.The approach set forth is achievable if there is management commitment to perform. The benefits of using this hybrid approach are clearly and realistically communicated in the book, with possible benefits in best case scenarios of up to 50% reduction in delivery time, with cost reduction in near the same range, and resource efficiency attainment of up to 20%. On the other hand, the author also communicates that attaining these efficiencies requires an investment in training, organization and process reengineering, so this book is realistic about what it will take to implement the hybrid lean/6-Sigma approach.I like the details and practical advice, combined with concepts and a touch of theory, and the lack of what I consider to be hype. If you understand either lean principles or 6-Sigma - or better, are practicing one or the other - the information in this book becomes all the more valuable because significant barriers to attainment have already been breached. If you are attempting either approach for the first time, this book will show you what is possible in the future as your chosen initiative (lean or 6-Sigma) stabilizes and starts producing a positive ROI. This is an excellent addition to the body of knowledge related to service delivery in any industry or discipline, as well as service level management. Even if you use this book for ideas instead of implementing a major improvement initiative you will find many opportunities to better serve your customers.

"Lockheed Martin is driving operating excellence in all work that we do. We recognized that our business support processes have as much opportunity for improvement as our design and build areas. By applying Lean process speed and Six Sigma quality tools to all elements of work, such as marketing, legal, contract administration, procurement, etc., we can drive competitive advantage. The lessons learned and practical case studies contained in Lean Six Sigma for Service provide a template which can create great value for customers, employees and shareholders." ---Mike Joyce, Vice President, LM 21 Lockheed-Martin