Lean Six Sigma for a Non Profit

Success is relative but more often than not I've seen a lot of issues with organizational-wide implementation. Whether it's lean, lean six sigma, lean plus, or whatever variant, organizations often generate a lot of waste trying to chase lean. They'll value stream map everything, declare we're all going to be at X level of lean by the end of the year, and essentially implement for the sake of saying we're using these new processes and tools rather than using them to become more efficient. I've seen organizations spend a whole year mapping, organizing, 5S-ing and at the end of they year all they've done is generate a whole bunch of additional work to lean out their lean processes rather than apply it to making their other day-to-day work more efficient. Then they declare victory and move on to the next big thing.

Some tips for more effective implementation:
- Lean six sigma requires some special knowledge in statistics so you will want to start identifying and developing your SMEs right away as it takes time to learn if they are not already proficient.
- Focus your implementation on high value areas rather than try and implement 100% across the board. Learn from these early improvement projects rather than inflict bad processes on the whole organization.
- Make sure you have a measurement system in place that can validate your results. Claiming a small improvement when there is large uncertainty in your data is not statistically valid.
- Like many things, use the tools and methods that fit each situation rather than try to do everything one way, or use every tool available.
- Be careful of sub-optimization. It is very easy to focus on a few variables to the detriment of all others.
- Embrace change and focus on results. Change makes people uncomfortable. It takes people much longer to accept change when they are motivated by community (everyone is doing it) or proficiency (I am good at it) than by results (I may be one of the few doing it and not very proficient yet but I am getting good results.)

I was the opportunity to do that. @Pang above have listed key points. In the top of all of that there is something critical you have to define: value. Value is defined from your clients, where clients is used as a generic term. But you have to define your clients and then you will be able to define value.

Though I do not have Lean Six Sigma experience in non-profit organizations, I hope below thoughts can be related or of some help.

As Lean Six Sigma focuses on streamlining processes, try value-stream mapping to map out the organization's network and current processes of that require for the project.
- Measure the time and resources required to perform the processes.
- Identify the steps that are of low-value and high-value, analyze whether the low-value steps can be eliminated or reduced time and resources required.
- Identify the steps that may cause defects in medical devices and errors in health tests.
- Brainstorm for solutions/alternatives that can achieve highest level of quality and accuracy, test-run them.
- Implement the viable solutions/alternatives in gradual stages.
- Measure and monitor the processes to take note of fluctuations and impacts, make adjustments where necessary.
- Review the processes periodically to see any further improvements can be made.

In the long-run, gradually build or strengthen the culture of minimizing waste, which will help the organization to manage its resources effectively.