Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement Training Course

Course overview

Process delays, rework, defects and inconsistent handovers consume capacity while making service levels harder to meet. Teams often respond with local fixes, extra checks or more staffing without confirming where variation originates or which changes will improve the end-to-end process. This Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement Training Course equips professionals to investigate operational performance using evidence, define a measurable problem and lead focused improvement work through the DMAIC method.

Participants learn to frame a project using a charter, identify customer-critical requirements, map the current process with SIPOC and value stream maps, and establish a credible baseline. They apply practical Lean tools including waste identification, 5S, standard work and visual management alongside Six Sigma techniques such as data collection planning, Pareto analysis, run charts, process capability, cause-and-effect analysis and basic hypothesis testing. The emphasis is on selecting methods that fit real operational data rather than applying statistics for their own sake.

Instructor-led explanation is paired with a running improvement case involving defects, queue time and process variation. Participants work with process data in Microsoft Excel and Minitab Statistical Software, interpret outputs, test likely root causes and evaluate countermeasures. They leave with a completed DMAIC project pack: problem statement, SIPOC, current-state map, baseline measures, root-cause analysis, improvement options, control plan and a 90-day implementation roadmap suitable for adapting to their own workplace.

The course is suited to professionals responsible for service delivery, quality, production, projects or business operations who need a disciplined way to improve performance. It is particularly valuable for managers sponsoring improvement projects and practitioners expected to turn operational concerns into measurable, sustainable results.

Course objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define a scoped DMAIC project charter with a problem statement, goal, business case and measurable boundaries
• Translate voice-of-customer evidence into critical-to-quality requirements and operational measures
• Construct SIPOC diagrams and current-state value stream maps to expose handoffs, queues and non-value-added activity
• Develop a data collection plan with operational definitions, sampling logic and measure validation checks
• Analyse baseline performance using Pareto charts, run charts, histograms and descriptive statistics in Minitab and Excel
• Identify and validate root causes using fishbone diagrams, 5 Whys, scatter plots and basic hypothesis tests
• Design Lean countermeasures using waste analysis, 5S, standard work and visual management
• Produce a control plan with process ownership, monitoring measures, response actions and a 90-day improvement roadmap

Benefits of attending

Target competencies

Who should attend

• Operations Managers — who must reduce delays, rework and capacity constraints across end-to-end workflows
• Quality Managers and Quality Engineers — who need a structured method to investigate defects and stabilise process performance
• Continuous Improvement Specialists — who facilitate DMAIC projects and require practical analysis tools for measurable results
• Project Managers — who deliver operational change and need to define benefits, measures and control arrangements
• Production Supervisors — who must improve daily flow, standard work and first-pass yield on the shop floor
• Business Analysts — who map processes, analyse performance data and turn findings into implementable requirements

Requirements and prerequisites

This is a foundation-to-intermediate course and does not require a prior Lean Six Sigma belt, advanced mathematics or statistical software expertise. Participants should be comfortable reading simple tables and charts, using basic Microsoft Excel functions, and discussing the steps and measures of a process they know. Familiarity with common operational terms such as cycle time, defect, target and KPI is helpful but not assumed. Complete beginners should expect an intensive introduction to DMAIC and basic statistics, with guided practice rather than independent advanced modelling. A laptop is recommended for the data-analysis exercises.

Training methodology

The five days combine short instructor-led demonstrations with a continuous DMAIC case study based on an underperforming operational process. Participants map the workflow, define measures, analyse a supplied data set in Microsoft Excel and Minitab Statistical Software, and test causes before proposing improvements. Facilitated group reviews challenge assumptions, scope and evidence quality in the same way a project sponsor would. Each day adds a section to an improvement project pack, ending with peer critique and an individual 90-day application plan for a live workplace opportunity.

Course outline

Day 1: Define: selecting and scoping the improvement opportunity

• Lean Six Sigma principles and the DMAIC improvement cycle
• Types of waste in service and production processes
• Voice of Customer and critical-to-quality requirements
• Problem statements, goal statements and business cases
• Project scope, boundaries and stakeholder analysis
• SIPOC diagrams for supplier-to-customer process definition
• Project charter roles, risks and governance

Workshop: Participants develop a project charter and SIPOC diagram for the case-study process, producing a defined improvement brief.

Day 2: Measure: understanding current process performance

• Current-state process mapping and swimlane analysis
• Value stream mapping of flow time, wait time and rework loops
• Operational definitions for defects, cycle time and yield
• Data collection plans, sampling approaches and data integrity
• Baseline metrics and process performance dashboards
• Descriptive statistics, histograms and box plots
• Run charts and time-based variation

Workshop: Participants create a current-state map and baseline measurement plan, then produce initial charts from the case data.

Day 3: Analyse: finding and validating root causes

• Pareto analysis for defect and delay prioritisation
• Stratification by product, shift, customer and process step
• Fishbone diagrams using people, process, technology and material categories
• 5 Whys analysis and causal-chain testing
• Scatter plots and correlation interpretation
• Introduction to hypothesis testing and confidence levels
• Process capability concepts using Cp, Cpk and specification limits

Workshop: Participants analyse the case-study data in Minitab Statistical Software and produce an evidence-based root-cause statement.

Day 4: Improve: designing practical countermeasures

• Generating improvement ideas from validated causes
• Lean waste elimination and flow improvement techniques
• 5S workplace organisation and visual controls
• Standard work design and error-proofing methods
• Kaizen event planning and rapid improvement cycles
• Impact-effort matrices and solution prioritisation
• Pilot design, benefit estimation and implementation risk analysis

Workshop: Participants design and prioritise a countermeasure package, producing a pilot plan with expected benefits and risk controls.

Day 5: Control: sustaining gains and leading application

• Control plans and ownership of critical process measures
• Visual performance boards and daily management routines
• Response plans for out-of-control performance
• Standard operating procedures and training handover
• Control charts and escalation thresholds
• Benefits tracking and project closure evidence
• 90-day DMAIC application planning for workplace projects

Workshop: Participants complete and present their DMAIC project pack, including a control plan and 90-day workplace implementation roadmap.

Tools & standards covered

Minitab Statistical Software, Microsoft Excel, ISO 13053, ISO 18404

A typical training day

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in the East Africa Time zone, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

How you can take this course

Certification

Participants who complete the full five days receive the Skillset Development Certificate of Completion, stating the course title, course code, dates and delivery format — suitable for professional-development records and employer reimbursement.

Frequently asked questions