Project managers have many tools in their toolkit. PMs who combine Lean and Six Sigman thinking and tools with project management techniques become an unbeatable combinatgion.

Project management uses five basic steps to define and complete a project:

• Initiate--Select project, define initial scope

• Plan--Establish schedule, budget, team, risk, communications, project management plan

• Execute--Work the plan

• Monitor and Control--Quality control, monitor schedule/budget, corrective actions

• Close--Verify scope, deliver results, close contracts and projects

Ideally, project managers improve their processes by clearly defining how projects will be selected, and by establishing and mapping the process to ensure they are mistake-proof. They emphasize doing it right the first time, and eliminate waste in the project by looking for clutter, rework, bottlenecks, and uneven workload. They also gather metrics and use statistical tools if appropriate.

Process management combines individual tasks into a series that yields a result, starting with input that is acted upon and changed to produce an output used by a customer, based on customer requirements. Each process should be linked to the organization's strategic goals.

But before we can manage processes, we must define them. Process mapping provides a clear, visual way to examine processes and identify redundancies, waste, and weaknesses. Process mapping becomes the foundation for continual improvement by ensuring employee understanding, reducing variation, providing standardized new employee training and orientation and ultimately, through improved customer statisfaction, results in operational excellence and improved financial performance.

Because Lean Six Sigma and project mangement share many commonalities, LSS is a powerful tool for project managers:

• LSS improvements are projects focused on specific processes
• LSS requires the same project management tools as any project to be successful
• LSS projects often fail due to poor project management.

Lean Six Sigma takes principles of Lean and Six Sigma to create a "best of both" system.

• Lean methodology focuses on identifying and eliminating waste and reducing cycle time. Lean uses tools such as value stream mapping, just-in-time inventory, quality function deployment, and kaizen events.

• Six Sigma focuses on reducing variation and errors within a process (rejects, returns, mistakes, etc.) by drilling down into a process to solve root causes. Tools such as charters, failure modes and effects analysis, data plans, statistical tools (histograms, Pareto charts, regression analysis, hypothesis testing), fishbone diagrams and solution matrices are used in Six Sigma projects.

All projects have imbedded processes that can be improved. LSS projects must use sound principles of project management to be successful. Thus, we all must first understand processes, then use Lss mehtodology/tools to manage and continuously improve our projects.

The results - and increase in the speed of delivery of products and services, and a reduction in mistakes -- also results in a change within your organization that will delight your customers and positively impact employee productivity and financial goals.