Lean Six Sigma Projects: Responsibilities, Success factors, DMAIC template (pptx)

Lean Six Sigma is a project-driven business system improvement method. Its successful implementation and the growing organizational interest in it have been exploding in recent years. It is rapidly becoming a major driving force behind the strategies of numerous successful organizations.
Understanding the main responsibilities and success factors of LSS projects provides important opportunities for project professionals. It allows them to lead successful projects and better support their organizations' strategic direction.
In this article, we summarize the responsibilities of the LSS project team, identify critical factors affecting project success, and provide a sample project template.

The central component of every Lean Six Sigma project is the DMAIC cycle, which has the following phases:
• Define: What is important?
• Measure: How good are we?
• Analyze: What's wrong?
• Improve: What needs to be done?
• Control: How do we ensure sustainable improvement?

Lean Six Sigma uses statistical tools that enable detailed process representation and analysis. By applying a statistical-mathematical approach, the solutions are based on numbers, data, and facts, not just on the subjective perception of those involved.

A clear definition of roles and responsibilities is crucial for successful implementation of Lean Six Sigma in any company.
• Champion: Initiates and sponsors the Lean Six Sigma initiative, providing resources and support.
• Master Black Belt and Black Belt: These experts act as coaches, trainers, and project managers, applying their expertise to guide and support project teams.
• Green Belt: Leads and executes smaller Six Sigma projects, applying their training and knowledge to drive improvement.
• Yellow Belt: Participates as a team member in Six Sigma projects, having received basic training in the methodology.

Champions are individuals who are responsible for leading and managing the Lean Six Sigma program within an organization. They are responsible for translating the company’s vision, mission, goals, and metrics to create an organizational deployment plan and identify individual projects, identifying resources, and removing roadblocks.
• Monitoring the external and internal factors affecting the business.
• Defining business strategy
• Communicating the plan for business success
• Championing Lean Six Sigma vision
• Establishing improvement priorities and targets
• Providing and aligning resources (sponsors, black belts, and green belts) and ensuring cross-functional collaboration.
• Establishing accountability for results
• Role modeling appropriate behaviors and changing leaders
• Integrating Lean Six Sigma into business direction and plan
• Marketing Lean Six Sigma program and results

Process owners are individuals who assume responsibility for the end-to-end management of a specific process within an organization
• Assisting in identifying potential Lean Six Sigma projects
• Approving and supporting projects
• Providing resources to serve as team members and subject matter experts (SMEs) on projects.
• Approving changes in the project scope and removing barriers
• Owning the solution delivered by the Lean Six Sigma project team
• Being responsible for supporting the implementation of improvement actions

Project sponsors are key members of any project as they determine the success of the project. Project sponsors can be project champions or process owners.
• Providing and aligning resources (black belts, team members), ensuring cross-functional collaboration.
• Establishing improvement priorities, targets, and accountability for results
• Role modeling appropriate behaviors and changing leaders
• Ensuring the project is aligned with departmental and strategic objectives.
• Approving all phases of Lean Six Sigma projects
• Ensuring project deliverables are maintained and the project is on time and on budget. • Approving changes in the scope of the Lean Six Sigma project and removing barriers • Marketing Lean Six Sigma program and results

A Master Black Belt is a Lean Six Sigma expert who is responsible for leading and managing the Lean Six Sigma program within an organization.
• Master Black Belt is a part-time or full-time position.
• Providing expertise on Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques, including project management and change management.
• Providing strategic direction to the leadership and project team.
• Identifying Lean Six Sigma projects critical to achieving business goals.
• Being ultimately accountable for project success
• Serving as the main champion during change implementation.
• Identifying, training, coaching, and evaluating black belts, green belts, and team members. • Ensuring cross-functional and cross-team collaboration
• Acting as a Lean Six Sigma advisor to champions, sponsors, and process owners.

•    Full-time position
•    Provides direction and leadership for the project team and manages interproject communications.
•    Delivers results through the application of Lean Six Sigma methodologies
•    Provides skills training when needed.
•    Accountable for reporting project progress and coordinating communication to project stakeholders
•    Maintains all documentation from the project, prepares and submits deliverables
•    Manages implementation of solutions and ensures the transition of improved processes to the business.
•    Acts as a change catalyst

• Green Belt is a part-time position.
• Providing direction and leadership for the project team and managing inter-project communications.
• Delivering results through the application of Lean Six Sigma methodologies.
• Providing skills training when needed.
• Being accountable for reporting project progress and coordinating communication with project stakeholders.
• Maintaining all documentation from the project, preparing and submitting deliverables. • Managing implementation of solutions and ensuring the transition of improved processes to the business.
• Acting as a change catalyst.

• Project Team Members are typically part-time positions.
• They are team players in the application of Lean Six Sigma methodologies.
• They provide expertise and feedback to the project team.
• They are responsible for tasks within the team action plan.
• They deliver regular updates to the team on the status of action steps.
• They act as change catalysts.

Since Lean Six Sigma hides a complex process of change, this can only be carried out successfully if top management shows permanent personal commitment.
Strategic orientation: Lean Six Sigma must be an integral part of the corporate strategy, as it is not just a method for improving individual processes but the philosophy of a continuous improvement process that all stakeholders involved must understand.

The definition and selection of projects are key prerequisites for success. There are differences in the urgency of implementing Lean Sigma. It is not important to select the first process that comes along, but rather the most sensible process. The project with the highest strategic benefit has priority. In the end, however, all processes must be brought to the level required by the customer.

Since Lean Six Sigma affects the entire value chain, it is important to inform all those involved in good time and regularly and to take feedback into account. Because Lean Six Sigma does not work without committed and convinced employees.

The defined projects should be implemented in a stringent and disciplined manner. A clean project management helps. Quick wins at the beginning of an implementation are also important since a Lean Six Sigma initiative is designed for the long term. Therefore, short projects with quick and visible success are recommended at the beginning in order to promote the motivation and willingness of those involved.

A successful Lean Six Sigma initiative requires employees who think and act entrepreneurially, who can recognise problems that arise and solve them immediately. Every employee is in demand across the entire company. The ability to anticipate risk and create improvements based on customer needs is essential. An environment is also necessary in which employees are willing to talk openly about possible weaknesses and mistakes.

Lean Six Sigma initiative is a complex and long-term project whose success depends on the commitment of stakeholders. For companies, this means increasing revenues, cutting costs, shortening delivery times, reducing inventories and waste, increasing customer satisfaction, and building and expanding decision-making, problem-solving, and team skills for employees. For this purpose, targeted training and further education are of immense importance for successful implementation in the company.