Lean Six Sigma and Minitab: The Complete Toolbox Guide for Business Improvement

When we start out on a big project, it s like beginning an extensive trip we ll get to our destination sooner and more comfortably if we have a good roadmap to follow. That is just what is offered in this guide. The entire Six Sigma and Lean process improvement strategy is laid out from start to finish through the DMAIC phases, showing the array of tools and techniques used along the way. A big bonus is the extensive presentation of examples showing how to analyze and interpret process improvement data using Minitab. This guide fills a unique need in demonstrating the integration of Six Sigma and Lean methodologies with the power of the Minitab statistical analysis software package. The book can easily be used to design a Six Sigma Lean project. Most routine templates (e.g., project charter, FMEA table, Pugh diagram and so on) are provided via download from the publisher s website. These templates have a common look and feel, making for a consistent and attractive presentation of your results. In addition, numerous Minitab example analyses are displayed. Pointers are offered to customize graph and data outputs to be more understandable by decision makers. The format of the presentation of Six Sigma and Lean tools and Minitab analysis setup and output interpretation should fit well with team members who have some training (green belts). The guide should also be an excellent training resource for more experienced belts who are coaching and mentoring team members. It could first be used as a training text and then kept at the ready as newly acquired skills are applied in a real-world process improvement project. There are several outstanding free resources that come with the pocket guide: First, the author provides a customized menu that can be added to Minitab to ease the task of finding commonly used Six Sigma and Lean graphing and statistical analysis procedures. This drop-down menu is easily installed and allows selection of procedure groups for statistical analysis, statistical process control, graphical analysis, and hypothesis testing from a single consolidated menu. Second, dozens of data files and Minitab script files are provided for readers who want to practice further with examples presented in the guide. These resources show the data setup and procedure instructions to obtain the analysis output, and more importantly, how the source data must be configured in the Minitab data file. Finally, a Six Sigma Tool Finder app (for Android and iOS) provides a high-level summary of each tool and technique explained in the text. These summaries are accessed through aninteractive DMAIC roadmap, making this a valuable addition to allow selection of tools quicker and with greater certainty about appropriateness. I had the good fortune of meeting the pocket guide author Quentin Brook at the ASQ World Conference on Quality Improvement in Indianapolis. I obtained the print version of the guide, which is 7 X 8¼ inches and about 1¼ inches thick. This is actually larger than pocket size, but the guide is easy to carry around and the spiral binding makes it a pleasure to use since pages can be laid flat for easier viewing. At last count I have nearly two dozen references in my library on Six Sigma and Lean practices. Although I would not want to part with many of these resources, I could do rather nicely in most process improvement projects with just this guide as a reference. The guide s subtitle: The Complete Toolbox Guide for all Lean Six Sigma Practitioners accurately states the utility of this book to business process improvement leaders and the members of their Six Sigma and Lean teams. --ASQ Quality Management Forum, Fall 2013

There are literally thousands of Lean Six Sigma books, guides and roadmaps available to the avid quality reader, with this 'Lean Six Sigma and Minitab' among the best selling. The book comes with strong endorsement from BT, among others. The third edition is split into seven sections, the first five following the DMAIC principles of define-measure-analyse-improve-control, with an additional manage section and appendices. Written in clear, simple English, the book uses easy-to-follow process flows that work not only within their specific section of the book, but also with other sections and linked concepts, tools and techniques (140 of them in total). The guide doesn t offer a follow-me type approach, rather it states what should be happening at every stage and gives options for successful project delivery. Refreshingly, the book tends to prompt rather than tell, and asks the reader key questions such as what s wrong and what do you want to achieve, to elicit meaningful responses. Another great feature of the book is the wealth of content available online, which gives the reader valuable tools. While the book probably isn t suitable for someone starting out with Lean Six Sigma, it is pretty much a one-stop-shop for all the tools a practitioner might need. In all, it s a solid companion for any Lean Six Sigma practitioner. --Quality World Magazine, Volume 37, Issue 2, February 2011

For those wanting to pursue the discipline of Lean Six Sigma, this 4th edition toolbox guide for business improvement is an invaluable set of tools and processes to help develop a deep understanding of the Lean Six Sigma methodologies. This toolbox guide is aimed at those wanting to learn Lean Six Sigma including trainees and senior managers, improvement practitioners and project sponsors to name a few. Whilst Six Sigma and the efficiencies have been traditionally linked to minimizing defects within manufacturing industries, the tools can be applied to a wide variety of disciplines and sectors. Naturally the guide is structured around the 5 phases (DMAIC) with sub-steps for each phase. The guide also contains Minitab screenshots and instructions for each tool, data files and templates that are available online and process flows through each DMAIC phase. It also contains an informative appendices section including a very useful quick guide to P-Values and a section for acronyms and a glossary of terms. The major advantage of this toolbox guide is in the portable, reference-style format which is very logical and easy to use. The author has clearly thought about this in detail and it shows in his work. All the required learning and a host of useful information is contained in this guide and this makes it a must-have resource for learning Lean Six Sigma. The checklist at the end of each section identifies anything that may have been missed. I would definitely recommend purchasing this guide in pursuing certification and post certification to put into practice what has been learned. --The Chartered Institute for IT