Process Improvement, Step by Step for 2027

Fix processes that are slower, costlier or more error-prone than they should be, using Lean and Six Sigma methods in plain words and sized to the problem.

Who it's for

Managers, team leaders and anyone who owns a process that is slower, costlier or more error-prone than it should be. You do not need a statistics background: every calculation is set out in plain words and worked through with an example.

What you'll learn

• Write a factual problem statement and match the method to the problem: a quick fix, a PDCA cycle, a kaizen event or a DMAIC project
• Define the problem through the customer’s eyes with the voice of the customer, a CTQ tree, a SIPOC and a one-page A3
• Walk the gemba, draw a swimlane map and spot the eight wastes (DOWNTIME), building on the seven identified by Taiichi Ohno
• Draw a value stream map, as set out by Mike Rother and John Shook in Learning to See, and calculate process cycle efficiency
• Separate routine variation from special causes on a control chart and judge capability with Cpk and sigma level
• Find the root cause with a Pareto chart, Kaoru Ishikawa’s fishbone diagram and 5 Whys, then verify it with data
• Mistake-proof with poka-yoke (Shigeo Shingo), standard work and 5S, and sustain the gains with a control plan, tiered huddles and leader standard work

What's inside

• 59 pages, 8 chapters
• Each chapter gives you key concepts, a step-by-step method, an illustrative example from a fictional UK organisation, a ready-to-use tool, common mistakes, a recap of the key steps and a short exercise to try this week
• Worked examples from four fictional UK organisations, from a packaging plant to an outpatient clinic
• Tools in every chapter, including the approach selector, SIPOC and A3 templates, waste walk checklist, value stream data sheet, capability sheet, fishbone and 5 Whys templates, mistake-proofing plan and control plan
• A 30-60-90 day action plan with checklists, plus a glossary
• PDF in A4 format — read on screen or print
• Instant download after purchase

Contents

1. Choosing Your Improvement Approach
2. Defining the Problem Through the Customer’s Eyes
3. Mapping the Process and Spotting Waste
4. Value Stream Mapping End to End
5. Measuring Variation and Capability
6. Finding the Root Cause
7. Improving and Mistake-Proofing
8. Sustaining the Gains

Part of The Business Library

This title is one of the 55 ebooks in The Business Library, available together for £109 (worth £1,437 if bought separately: the total of the individual prices of the included titles in our store). It is also included in The Ultimate Business Bundle, which adds 8 checklists and toolkits and 10 workbooks — all 73 products for £147.