Given the similarities between Lean, Six Sigma, & ERP initiatives, how can a company get all three approaches to work together?

I agree with Mr. Mohammed Thiab  

I think the base of all three are on different platfroms and cummilatively we can get analysis of all aspects to respected platfroms

    Six Sigma and Lean systems have the same goal. They both seek to eliminate waste, reduce the time, saving the cost, improving the quality of product and create the most efficient system possible, but they take different approaches toward how achieving this goal.

     Lean practitioners believe that waste comes from unnecessary steps in the production process that do not add value to the finished product, while Six Sigma proponents assert that waste results from variation within the process.

But ERP INITIATIVE is differ from the six sigma and lean

ERP INITIATIVE

ERP initiative, it is often the case that businesses spend so much time and energy on the preparation stages they overlook what comes after implementation. A lot of effort is spent setting strategic goals, selecting the appropriate ERP vendor, calculating the estimated cost of ownership, formulating an implementation plan, communicating with employees, executing the processes, and so forth. It is the “after” implementation part—how we measure the success of an ERP implementation—that is often neglected until the project goes live. However, the “after” implementation stage can be just as important as the earlier stages. After all, only after your ERP implementation is complete are you able to conclude whether or not the project was successful.

AGREED WITH ARINJAY,,,

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Those companies leveraging the similarities of the three approaches achieve dividends

in both the short and long term.

Those similarities include:

• Shared objectives: All three approaches ultimately have the same objective – to improve

business performance. All analyze current processes, and design new processes.

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brightest” share a commitment of executive support and sponsorship.

• Shared focus: All three approaches keep a focus on quality, customer satisfaction

and reduced variation.

Design your journey of continuous improvement to include all three methods.

• Employ one set of resources – a company core team for continuous improvement

across each approach.

• Use Lean for value-stream mapping and identifying value.

• Use Six Sigma for measuring processes and designing new processes.

Become educated on ERP capabilities, especially those that facilitate Lean like

demand leveling and JIT inventory, to enable your future improvements.

• Map ERP into your journey of continuous improvement when the current technology

becomes a roadblock to improvement.

• Implement Lean technology solutions that provide a solid foundation to manage

Lean transactions across core value streams that extend from the customer, through

production, and back to the supplier.

When Lean, Six Sigma and ERP are in sync, the journey of continuous improvement will

be a journey that never ends.

It will include business-improvement projects using Lean and Six Sigma tools, while at

the same time enabling the transformation to improved ERP systems.

No contradiction among them, but lean is more advanced than six sigma

The following tips are effective techniques to draw the three approaches together:

·         Design your journey of continuous improvement to include all three methods.

·         Employ one set of resources—a company core team for continuous improvement across each approach.

·         Use Lean for value-stream mapping and identify value.

·         Use Six Sigma for measuring processes and designing new processes.

·         Learn ERP capabilities, especially those that facilitate Lean like demand leveling and JIT inventory, to enable your future improvements.

·         Map ERP into your journey of continuous improvement when the current technology becomes a roadblock to improvement.

·         Implement Lean technology solutions that provide a solid foundation to manage Lean transactions across core value streams that extend from the customer, through production, and back to the supplier.

I do not see any problem in embracing and adopting these initiatives and many others (!) as long as there is a GENERAL OVERALL FRAMEWORK  that "contains" and "positions" these key initiatives correctly.   If you do NOT have such a framework, or have no clue about it, let me know

Within this framework and the "positioning" of these initiatives in this framework, you musy watch for "GAPS" and "OVERLAPS' between what these initiatives give ... versus ...what you want to achieve and where you want to reach !