Lean, Six Sigma and Sustainable Technologies

Once upon a time, there was a manager who needed to hone his skills on teamwork. Back then, the only option he had was to sign up for classes in which the student and the professor interacted face-to-face in a rather lecturer-listener setting. Through the evolution of the internet, and most importantly e-learning, nowadays students and practitioners have many options to choose from when it comes to self development. There are courses, certificate programs, masters and even doctoral degrees being delivered fully or partly online. The internet has undoubtedly changed the way we learn. But not only has the internet changed the way we learn, it has also changed the way we access and use information on a daily basis. Think about booking a trip, shopping for a new car, getting tickets for a concert, and even conversing with a loved one on the other side of the planet. As well, technology has changed the way we work. It has changed the way we control processes, the way we deliver services, and the way we communicate with each other.

Now that we have touched on how technology has changed the world, let's address what we know best: process improvement methodologies and techniques. As Lean and Six Sigma practitioners, we are very aware of how we need to approach customers to deliver the best in process improvement. But what about the sustainability of such programs? As we all have seen, many initiatives fail to stay if champions are not present to keep them going - which is indeed a major factor. But what about the technology behind these initiatives? Can software solutions contribute to the continuance of Lean and Six Sigma programs? Can they at least help somehow? Or is it just about the organization's culture? Have you experienced issues with Lean and Six Sigma implementation due to the lack of a tool or solution that could help the organization with the program's longevity?

This post is a bit different from the ones posted before. We would like to provoke the reader with this question: as we move towards a quasi-completely technology-driven business environment, can improvement process programs and methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma be sustainable in the long run without the adoption of some sort of technology suite that will ensure that such programs stay, and are not considered the flavour of the month? Please vote on our first poll on the top right hand side of this blog and let us know what you think. And please feel free to comment on this post if you feel like it - we'd love to hear from you.