Most leaders would agree that culture is an essential element of the success of any organization. However, in a study by the HR company, Hayes, 46% of employees cited culture as the reason they quit their job. Clearly, there is room for improvement when it comes to workplace culture.

Before we get into the signs and symptoms of a dysfunctional culture, it is helpful to outline what culture does in business.

Value stream mapping (VSM) is used to visually depict, analyze, and improve the flow of materials and information through end-to-end processes. It is an effective method of identifying waste and opportunities for error. It is used by companies who have adopted the Lean Manufacturing or Lean Sigma business methodologies, as well as by others who are practicing continuous improvement. The visualization of value stream maps often makes bottlenecks, unnecessary activities, and information flow problems more readily apparent, making it easier for stakeholders to agree on opportunities for improvement. The best practice is to approach the initiative in the following phases.

Organizations turn to the Six Sigma business methodology to reduce variation, eliminate defects, and make operations more efficient and effective. One of the cornerstones of Six Sigma is the DMAIC process improvement cycle. DMAIC stands for define, measure, analyze, improve, and control.

When you're thinking about rolling out Strategy Deployment in your organization, it can be intimidating to know exactly where to start, what pitfalls to avoid, and how to set yourself up for success right from the beginning. I've recently written an eBook that covers these questions, as well as information about the software you need to enable Strategy Deployment, that you can download here:

But I thought that today on the blog, I'd give you a sneak peek into one of the chapters of the book covering the formula for successful Strategy Deployment.

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Investing in software to support your Six Sigma initiatives is an effective way to ensure that you get the most out of the methodology. In addition, setting up a structure for improvement makes it simpler for people throughout the organization to participate in and effectively oversee continuous process improvement efforts.

Organizations that leverage Six Sigma software collect more opportunities for improvement, implement more solutions, and see a higher ROI for Six Sigma. Several solutions on the market were either developed as Six Sigma management tools or repurposed as such, so we thought it might be helpful to identify some of the most critical capabilities that you should look for when evaluating this type of technology.

While there are several Six Sigma software solutions on the market, they are not all the same. The best platforms for this type of improvement include:

In today’s hyper-competitive and rapidly changing environment, organizations must find innovative ways to improve quality, reduce waste, and get products to market quickly and efficiently. To do so, many organizations of all types are turning to the tools and techniques that manufacturing companies have used for decades to achieve operational excellence. Today, hospitals, construction companies, software developers, and even educational institutions are adapting ideas from the Toyota Production System and Lean manufacturing to suit their needs.

One of the most popular techniques is Standard work.  

Standard work is the documented and current best way to do a particular task, procedure, or process. Workers develop the standard and follow it until an improvement process results in a new standard. Standard work ensures that results are consistent and forms the foundation upon which improvements are made. Leader standard work applies this same concept to the task of driving Lean thinking and behavior throughout the organization.

Gemba walks are an increasingly popular management technique. By visiting the place where work is done, leaders gain valuable insight into the flow of value through the organization and often uncover opportunities for improvement and learn new ways to support employees. The approach is a collaborative one, with employees providing details about what is done and why.

Great results depend on thoughtful planning, execution, and follow-up. Here are the most important steps you can take to ensure that your next Gemba walk is successful.

I often find myself falling into the common trap of believing that if something is worthwhile, it is necessarily difficult. I think we all expect that valuable things are hard. The truth is, however, that sometimes the most effective and impactful things we can do are really quite simple.

When it comes to continuous quality improvement, this is absolutely the case.

Here are 9 examples of quality improvement tools, techniques, and technology that are uncomplicated yet extremely valuable.

The Lean Management System is a popular business process methodology that started in the manufacturing sector but quickly spread to healthcare, software development, construction, and a host of other fields. While its use is widespread, many of the business leaders we talk to still have questions about its origins, structure, and benefits. This post answers the ones we hear most often.