4 Uses of Lean Six Sigma for Engineers

​Motorola was the first company to employ the methodology of Six Sigma. The system of Six Sigma was developed in 1986 by Bill Smith, an engineer. And it is no surprise that an engineer came up with this system, given the importance Six Sigma places on processes that reduce defects and utilize efficient methods.

​The Lean in Lean Six Sigma comes from another management philosophy that believes in reducing wastage in operations. It was adopted following the manufacturing principles that operated in the successful industries of Japan. Together ‘Lean Six Sigma’ stands for a team-based approach that strives to voice customer preferences in business functionality and remove additional procedures and processes that do not provide value to the customer.
As was the case in Motorola in 1986, today too, engineers can benefit a great deal by emphasizing on the principles of Lean Six Sigma in their operations. 

Helps In Reduction of Wastage in the System

Lean Six Sigma is primarily a tool that was developed to answer engineering problems that present themselves during the manufacturing process. Engineers for the most part work on complex projects that require a great deal of detailing.
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Using Lean Six Sigma can help engineers who work in manufacturing divisions to make their processes more efficient, both in terms of time and resources, and diminish wastage. 

Works for Different Functions Within Engineering

 As the field of engineering has developed and expanded into other sections of work, the applicability of Lean Six Sigma has also improved in resolving engineering problems. New fields such as Design Engineering make use of Lean Six Sigma in the early stages of design development where they look to design products to appeal to their customers’ values.
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Similarly Process and Systems Engineers use this tool to evaluate the different systems that could be operated to arrive at a solution.

​Learn Management Skills

​Since Lean Six Sigma is not only an engineering tool, it also has a managerial aspect to it. Applying Lean Six Sigma to their operations means that engineers would also have to wear Managerial hats. This would enrich their work experience and help in the development of their teams and careers. This would especially help young engineers as they get to experience leadership roles and are able to understand the problems they face in a new light.

Add a Certification to their CV ​

Lean Six Sigma is also offered as a certification by various institutes. Its certification is offered in several levels, each showing a certain degree of expertise. And like martial arts programs, a title based on colored belts is awarded for clearing each level.

Taking a Lean Six Sigma exam and earning a certificate would allow Engineers to add a relevant qualification in their CV and resume, and would signal a potential employer of their understanding and interest in their field.
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If you wish to learn more about the system of Lean Six Sigma, check out LearningManager Lean Six Sigma.