Lean Six Sigma Green Belt for the Health Sector

Course details

In recent years, Lean Six Sigma is being increasingly deployed in Service Industries as an effective means of Continuous Improvement. In particular, the Health Care Sector has seen many innovative projects focusing on patient care and associated efficiencies.

An essential element of a Lean Six Sigma roll-out is Green Belt training.This Green Belt training course will expose delegates to the powerful tools and methodology necessary to successfully lead and contribute to DMAIC improvement projects within a Hospital or Healthcare environment.

This level 7 programme involves completing the five training days and an individual project.

Learning Outcomes

The aim of the programme is to produce graduates who possess the pre-requisite knowledge of theory and practice of Lean Six Sigma to enable them to participate in process improvement efforts in their organisations. This includes successfully leading a Green Belt Team and also potentially contributing in a practical and value-added manner to a Black Belt Team Project.

On successful completion of this programme the graduate will:

• Have a good understanding of a variety of graphical and team based problem solving tools and the manner in which these are combined in the process of solving well defined and narrowly scoped operational problems
• Have a good understanding of basic statistical concepts while recognizing limits of current knowledge
• Be able to apply well established technical and creative tools to solve well defined and narrowly scoped process problems
• Be able to participate in the planning and management of well-defined and narrowly scoped process projects
• Be able to employ an investigative and data driven approach to establish the source of well-defined process problems
• Be able to identify, and plan for effective implementation of, solutions to a variety of well-defined process problems
• Be able to work effectively as a leader of a cross functional problem solving team, taking responsibility for the work of team members
• Have a good appreciation of the importance of effective communication in managing organisational change in an healthcare environment
• Demonstrate, through successful completion of a narrowly scoped process improvement project, that the learner understands the discipline of the dmaic approach and can deliver meaningful patient care benefits.

Course Programme

Define

Aim

To successfully launch a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt project by refining a project charter, leading a project team, garnering support for the project from process stakeholders and ensuring a common understanding of the process across all project participants and stakeholders.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject the delegate will be able to:

• Explain the DMAIC methodology that the project will follow
• Create a narrowly scoped problem statement using data to quantify the problem and its impact(s) on the organisation
• Undertake high level process mapping to assess the requirements of internal and external process customers to ensure these are understood by all team members and align with project goals
• Lead a project team comprising of peers from different functions with whom the learner has an established working relationship.
• Review and refine the project charter to minimize risks to successful project completion
• Create a basic communications plan to ensure stakeholders are kept informed of the projects progress at regular intervals
• Create a basic project plan to ensure the project is completed on time (within six months of training completion)

Measure

Aim

To develop a factual and accurate picture of the current state of process performance, identifying areas of weakness within the process for further investigation and achieving ‘quick win’ improvements where possible.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject the delegate will be able to:

• Construct a suitable map of a process with the input of process experts (limited to Deployment, IPO, Flow Maps and Spaghetti maps)
• Identify waste and potential weaknesses in processes via analysis of process maps, brainstorming with process experts, observation, or other suitable means.
• Prepare a basic data collection plan to gather data from the process to address areas of uncertainty among process experts.
• Examine the stability and capability of a process using historical process data
• Assess adequacy of process measurement systems and/or create operational definitions for new measures

Analyse

Aim

To understand the drivers of poor performance in a process and select focus areas for improvement actions.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject the delegate will be able to:

• Identify causal relationships in a process using basic graphical analysis and team brainstorming techniques (e.g. fishbone diagrams)
• Complete 5 why root cause analysis to investigate systemic drivers of variation and/or waste in a process
• Examine possible sources of waste/variation to establish a shortlist for further investigation based on a variety of selection criteria
• Use basic graphical analysis of data to answer questions regarding shortlisted factors

Improve

Aim

To develop and implement optimum, sustainable solutions with minimum resistance from stakeholders in the organization

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject the delegate will be able to:

• Lead team based solutions workshops using creative thinking techniques to identify many potential solutions
• Select appropriate solutions from a list of possible solutions
• Demonstrate the effectiveness of chosen solutions using pilot studies, test data or post implementation data
• Manage stakeholders’ resistance to proposed solutions
• Effectively implement planned changes following appropriate change control procedures, updating documentation and conducting training of existing personnel impacted by these changes, as appropriate

Control

Aim

To verify solutions have been implemented effectively and ongoing controls are institutionalized in the organisation

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject the delegate will be able to:

• Standardise and simplify work practices to reduce potential for variation in process outputs
• Select appropriate control techniques for ongoing process control including statistical process controls as appropriate.
• Create a process control plan to identify responsibility for maintaining process performance at the new, desired level
• Compare the project results versus objectives. Communicate recommendations for further improvement and lessons learned from the project to project stakeholders and customers, as appropriate.