James William Martin is a Lean Six Sigma consultant and Master Black

Belt for 25 years and has trained and mentored several thousand executives,

champions, Black Belts, and Green Belts in process improvement methods

including manufacturing, services, and supply chain applications. He

led successful Lean Six Sigma assessments across Japan, China, Korea,

Singapore, Malaysia, Th ailand, Australia, North America, and Europe. Th is

work included organizations in hardware, soft ware, computer security,

retail sales, banking, insurance, fi nancial services, measurement systems,

automotive, electronics, aerospace component manufacturing, electronic

manufacturing, controls, building products, industrial equipment, and

consumer products. He served as an instructor at the Providence College

Graduate School of Business for 20 years. He holds an MS in Mechanical

Engineering, Northeastern University; an MBA, Providence College; a BS,

Industrial Engineering, University of Rhode Island; several patents; and he

has written numerous articles on process improvement.

Contents

Introduction ......................................................................................... xiii

About the Author .............................................................................. xxvii

STEP 1 Align Improvement Opportunities

Chapter 1 Strategy Alignment ............................................................. 3

Chapter 2 Project Identification ....................................................... 51

Chapter 3 Lean Six Sigma Basics ...................................................... 83

STEP 2 Plan and Conduct the Rapid Improvement Event

Chapter 4 Rapid Improvement Events ............................................ 135

Chapter 5 Data Collection and Analysis ........................................ 167

Chapter 6 Process Improvement ..................................................... 225

STEP 3 Implementing Solutions

Chapter 7 Building a Case for Change ........................................... 259

Chapter 8 Implementing Solutions ................................................. 277

Chapter 9 Organizational Change .................................................. 303

Index .................................................................................................... 339