Lean Six Sigma

About: Lean Six Sigma is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1919 publications have been published within this topic receiving 29142 citations.

Get Results: Improve Your Accounting Firm Processes Using Lean Six Sigma: Renewed Focus on Efficiency and Quality Can Beef Up Profitability

Abstract: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY * Inefficient processes affect the services your firm provides and, ultimately, client satisfaction and overall profitability. The Lean Six Sigma concept is a holistic approach that can be applied to your firm's processes to help identify waste and increase efficiency. * Measure efficiency based on a new system of metrics that includes: understanding the voice of the client, both internally and externally; identifying the steps that your firm is taking that add or do not add value; and using lead and cycle time more efficiently. * Identifying and quantifying waste is a step toward helping your firm implement solutions that can improve the effectiveness of the overall process. Examples of categories of waste include: defects, overproduction, underutilized talent, inventory and excess processing. * The Lean Six Sigma method includes: identifying the needs of your internal customers and making sure your processes support them; increasing the work flow by identifying and eliminating non-value-added steps, bottlenecks and the potential for errors; choosing a person in each office, work team or group to participate in ongoing workflow analysis and to encourage continual improvement; and driving improvement by defining, measuring, analyzing, improving and controlling the process. ********** Poor processes directly affect client service and client satisfaction. You see it in delays in completing jobs, responding to client requests, or when a partner fails to communicate a piece of client-related information, causing an unnecessary mistake down the line. Inefficient processes can result in your firm's inability to bill for all the work in process, which decreases profitability. If your firm has experienced any of these problems, it is a sign of inefficient work processes that are keeping you from maximizing talents and resources. Lean Six Sigma, a method often used by manufacturers to improve internal processes, can improve your firm's business operations while driving short- and long-term benefits to the bottom line. Lean Six Sigma is a combination of the "lean" manufacturing concept that focuses on efficiency, and Six Sigma, which focuses on quality. The Lean Six Sigma concept is a balanced approach of these two methods. In an accounting firm, Lean Six Sigma focuses on adding client value by eliminating non-value-added steps and inefficiencies in client service processes, resulting in more time to be proactive. It is a holistic, team-based approach that requires time and commitment to detect waste and inefficiency. Skilled facilitators (certified Black Belts who are trained experts in applying Lean Six Sigma concepts within an organization) lead teams through a thorough analysis of the "current state" of the firm's processes. Waste and inefficiencies are identified, and lean techniques (tools that are focused on process effectiveness and understanding client value) are applied to eliminate waste and improve processes. My firm, Rea & Associates Inc., an Ohio-based CPA firm with 11 locations and 250 employees, embraced this approach in its quest to better serve clients and to become an improved trusted adviser firm. As a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, I led the firm through a Lean Six Sigma tax program beginning in the fall of 2007. Initially, we had about a year of startup costs, including tuition for the Black Belt and Master Black Belt program, initial test project and modifying of the improvement model specific to a CPA firm. Starting with a handful of our offices in the fall of 2007, we slowly rolled out a Lean Six Sigma tax program. We saw enough gains and benefits to warrant a firmwide rollout beginning in the fall of 2008. Although we applied the approach to all of our processes (see sidebar "Areas Where Lean Can Improve Firm Processes"), this article illustrates its application to our business tax return process, and how we ultimately reduced our write-offs by more than 50% in one year (see Exhibit 1 for other results). …

Qualifications and Skills Required for Performance Improvement: A Content Analysis of Job Postings.

Abstract: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Healthcare reform and the implementation of a national quality strategy in the United States have increased emphasis on quality improvement. Additionally, as healthcare organizations focus on value, they are paying more attention to quality in the context of cost and seeking to address these concerns through various performance improvement initiatives. Given the importance of these initiatives, this study analyzed the improvement job positions posted by U.S. healthcare organizations, specifically with respect to the qualifications and skills required. The author conducted a content analysis of improvement job postings using an inductive approach to capture and categorize core information about each posting and a deductive approach to evaluate skills required for selected job areas. The results show that healthcare organizations have invested in a breadth of improvement positions across all levels of the organization. Many positions are tied to strategic initiatives. The greatest number of positions posted were in the performance improvement area, followed by quality improvement, process improvement, Lean, Six Sigma, and Lean Six Sigma. These research results may be useful to healthcare organizations for strategic resource planning purposes and to educators and professional associations to target programs that offer students and members the opportunity to gain needed qualifications and skills.

Performant Management Through The Introduction of The Lean Six Sigma Methodology in the Hospitals In Romania Case Study Municipal Emergency Hospital Moinesti

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to present the results that can be obtained by implementing the Lean Six Sigma methodology in the health system of our country. The results are also supported by the case study regarding the implementation of Lean Six Sigma techniques in a public hospital with good performances, nationally recognized: The Municipal Emergency Hospital Moinesti. These strategies, which include Lean and Six Sigma methods, aim to implement process improvements through a set of principles and practices that promote greater efficiency and effectiveness, with fewer errors. The main motivation for the thematic research is due to the fact that the Romanian health system has notable deficiencies which, despite the many positive changes in our country in general, in the health system, in particular, the progress is expected. From previous studies in clinics in the US and Europe we have found that there is a methodology that puts patients and their needs first, by reducing and avoiding waste, as well as streamlining and organizing medical services, so that they can meet patients’ expectations. The present paper is based on both a secondary research and the actual carrying out of a case study, extended at the experiment level. The results of this paper show that the medical organization has a greater capacity to respond to challenges within the system, the use of resources has been maximized. There has been an increase in the satisfaction of the patients but also of the doctors, with the elimination or reduction of some costs. The application of the Lean Six Sigma concept in healthcare is a new topic and few researches have been carried out in this field, this work can be useful to the entities that carry out their activity in this area of utmost importance, who want to increase their level and quality. the services offered.

Promote Intelligent Manufacturing with Lean Six Sigma Management Concept

Abstract: Intelligent Manufacturing has broad market space and huge potential. The rapid development of intelligent manufacturing has effectively promoted the transformation and upgrading of enterprises. However, to promote and implement Intelligent Manufacturing, there is no mature experience for both of supply and demand to draw lessons from. It is necessary to explore how to accurately measure needs and quickly diagnose problems. Lean six sigma (LSS) management methodology consists of a series of scientific and rigorous tools. And it is a process method of continuous improvement. In this paper, by using LSS tools, the status quo of Intelligent Manufacturing ecological is analyzed. And the terminal influencing factors are teased out. In order to implement intelligent manufacturing on a lean basis, combined with the case of digital workshop, how to pay attention to customer demand and enterprise development strategy, collect enterprise business process data, plan and drive project based on data decision are discussed.

Learning and Applying New Quality Improvement Methods to the School Health Setting

Abstract: A school health registered nurse identified medication administration documentation errors by unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) in a system of school health clinics in an urban setting. This nurse applied the Lean Six Sigma Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control process of improvement methodology to effectively improve the process. The UAP of medication administration documentation error rate improved from 68% to 35%. This methodology may be used by school nurses to collaboratively look at ways to improve processes at the point of care.