Alumni Interview on Six Sigma

In this post, we would like to feature an interview with one of our prestigious alumni on the value of Lean Six Sigma. As a community of quality improvement practitioners, we all know how much Lean and Six Sigma can change an organization's approach to process improvement. Nevertheless, the best testimonials come from those who are in the front line leadership of such initiatives. We pride ourselves in delivering quality content to our students and it is our pleasure to share with our community of learners what one of our own has to say. Darryl Tooley is a PMP and Certified APM Senior Consultant in the field of Performance Optimization. He works for the Health Integration Network in Belleville, ON. Hear what Darryl has to say.

What program did you complete?

Both Lean Green Belt and Lean Black Belt

How have you been able to apply the tools and skills on the job?

My role within healthcare focuses on performance optimization, which has benefited greatly from Lean training.  By looking at things through the Lean lens I am better able to identify waste, quality issues, and processes that need an overhaul.  In healthcare it was often a case of if it isn’t broke it doesn’t require change; however as the economic environment has changed a greater focus has been placed on ensuring care is provided in the most economical way possible.  Using lean tools, I am able to lead health service providers through robust reviews of their existing processes with the goal of reducing waste and more efficiently utilizing limited resources.

Have you seen tangible cost saving results from LSS projects?

Through both internal and external projects I have seen tangible cost savings through more efficient utilization of resources, in one case reducing a 3-week process to 1 week with a corresponding reduction in staff time and effort.

How has this designation impacted your career?

It has provided a level of respect and comfort with others when I am leading performance optimization and quality improvement initiatives that I am very skilled and knowledgeable in the ability to lead them through a process to identify waste.  Personally it has added a number of additional skills to my repertoire and increased my ability to take on more complicated projects.

How would you recommend presenting a case for implementing LSS?

In many businesses, including healthcare, the bottom line is often the only thing that matters.  Through Lean a lot of savings are not “money in the hand” type savings, instead savings are seen through more efficient use of scarce resources and reduction in wasted effort.  If someone were to put together a case for LSS training it would be best to focus on quality and waste as many don’t realize how costly waste and low quality can be because they don’t see the direct link on their budget statements.

We would like to thank Darryl for his time and his commitment to continuous improvement. If you are an eZSigma alumni and would like to be featured in our blog, please contact Elizabeth Stuart at lstuart@ezsigmagroup.com. We would love to hear from you!