High Performance Lean Six Sigma in the 21st Century

Lean Six Sigma in the 21st Century ( "LSS-21") describes a new data-driven way to solve problems that expands and transforms a proven 100-year foundation. It is an integrated set of new thinking, perspective, tools, and approaches to Follow the Trail of Data, based on the core principle that every problem leaves a Trail of Data to its solution. LSS-21 starts with the impact data from the problem and follows that trail to the source to eliminate the problem, compared to approaches which may focus on goals that do not solve the problem and tools that may not achieve the goals. To accomplish this, there are 6 parts to the book, progressing from the need for new approaches and tools for 21st Century problems, to a new LSS-21 set of principles, frameworks, and the 21st-Century PCARSI model [Prepare - Collect-Analyze - ReDesign - Sustain - Integrate] to permanent solutions. While incorporating legacy applications, the book addresses modern challenges including inconvenient data that is difficult to identify, collect, and analyze. While LSS-21 is technology-independent, the book has detailed descriptions of 80 tools and 47 activities that can be used to accelerate data collection and analysis, including both process-based quantitative and people-based qualitative instruments. It is both a textbook and a field guide for problem-solving, without presuming a previous level of technical or mathematical knowledge. This comprehensive approach serves a wide variety of readers including executives, managers, and practitioners who are looking for rapid-cycle solutions to fast-paced problems; leaders who want to increase capability, capacity, and speed of response; and anyone who wants to solve problems and increase productivity and engagement. Readers will be able to obtain new insights into effective innovation and change. In addition to local, process-based improvements, they can leverage new perspectives, tools, and techniques to address people-related and large-scale enterprise challenges. Significantly, many tools and techniques can be completed in hours and days, rather than weeks, months, and years.