Lean Six Sigma

Cheat Sheet
Booklet
Lean Six Sigma Cheat Sheet Booklet
Keep these Lean Six Sigma terms and definitions at your side
whenever you jump into a new project and you will never be caught
with your process improvement pants ‘round your ankles.

Lean Six Sigma Cheat Sheet Booklet 1

 DMAIC
An acronym for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control - a
structured problem-solving method used in Lean Six Sigma.
Define Kaizen
A Japanese term meaning “continuous improvement” and is a
philosophy that emphasizes small, incremental changes to improve
processes and eliminate waste.

Me
rol

Value Stream Mapping (VSM)

Cont

asure
THE A visual tool used to identify and analyze the flow of materials and

DMAIC
information through a process, with the goal of eliminating non-
value-added activities and reducing lead time.

Cycle Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)

A methodology for improving equipment effectiveness by involving
operators in the maintenance process and using preventative
maintenance techniques.
ve

na
pro lyz Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
e
Im A structured problem-solving technique used to identify the
underlying cause(s) of a problem, rather than just addressing the
symptoms.

Lean Six Sigma Cheat Sheet Booklet 3

 The 7 + 1 forms of waste
7 + 1 Wastes
A categorization of waste into eight types, including
overproduction, waiting, defects, overprocessing, excess inventory,
unnecessary motion, unnecessary transportation, and untapped
talent.

Kanban
Transport Inventory Motion A visual system used to manage inventory and production flow by
using cards or signals to indicate when items should be replenished
or moved.

Gemba
A Japanese term meaning “the actual place,” which refers to the
location where work is done and where problems can be observed
and solved.
Waiting Over-production Over-processing Defects
Muda (waste)
Any activity that does not add value to the customer and should be
eliminated or minimized.

Statistical Process Control (SPC)

A method for monitoring and controlling a process by using
statistical techniques to measure and analyze process data.
Skills

Lean Six Sigma Cheat Sheet Booklet 5

 5S
5S
A methodology for organizing and maintaining a clean, efficient,
and safe workplace through the five pillars of Sort, Set in order,
Shine, Standardize, and Sustain.
Sort
Control Charts
A graphical tool used to monitor and control a process by displaying
process data over time and highlighting any trends or patterns that

Se
may indicate a problem.
in

t in
Susta

Standard Work
order A method for creating and documenting best practices to ensure
5S consistency and quality in a process.

Design of Experiments (DOE)

A statistical method for systematically testing different factors
or variables to identify which ones have the greatest impact on a
ze

process or product.
di

Sh
dar ine
Stan Fishbone Diagram
Also known as Ishikawa diagram, a visual tool used to identify the
potential causes of a problem by breaking down the problem into
its component parts.

Lean Six Sigma Cheat Sheet Booklet 7

 VOC

Voice of the Customer (VOC)

A method for capturing and analyzing customer feedback to
understand their needs and expectations, and then using this
information to improve products or services.

CTQ (Critical to Quality)

A measure of a product or service’s characteristics that are most
important to customers, used to identify the processes that need
improvement to meet those CTQs.

Value-Added Time
The time spent on activities that directly contribute to the creation
CTQ of value for the customer.

Non-Value-Added Time
The time spent on activities that do not add value to the customer
and should be eliminated or minimized. Some Non-value-added
time can still be necessary, such as business-value-added time.

AQL (Acceptable Quality Level)

A predetermined level of acceptable quality for a product or
Project Y process, used to set quality standards and inspect products for
defects.

Lean Six Sigma Cheat Sheet Booklet 9

 A3 Management
1 Define the problem & project scope
3 Next target
5 Counter measures
7 Evaluate result and process
2 Describe current situation and identify ‘gap’
4 Root causes
6 Implementation plan
8 Standardize the new process and celebrate
A3 Problem-Solving
A structured problem-solving approach that involves using a single
A3-sized sheet of paper to capture and communicate the problem,
analysis, and proposed solutions.
5 times why
A problem-solving technique used to identify the root cause of a
problem by repeatedly asking “why” until the underlying cause is
revealed.
8D
A problem-solving methodology used to identify, analyze, and solve
problems by following eight steps, including defining the problem,
identifying the root cause, and implementing corrective actions.
FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis)
A structured approach to identifying and mitigating potential
failures or defects in a process, product or system by analyzing the
potential causes and effects of each failure mode.
PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act)
A problem-solving and continuous improvement methodology that
involves planning a solution, implementing it, checking the results,
and acting on what was learned from the process to continuously
improve.
Lean Six Sigma Cheat Sheet Booklet 11
 Poka Yoke
(Mistake-proofing)

Poka Yoke
A Japanese term for “mistake-proofing,” which refers to designing
processes or products to prevent mistakes or errors from
occurring.

Andon
A visual signal used to alert workers and management of a problem
in real-time, allowing them to respond quickly and effectively.

Andon Cord
A pull-cord or button used by workers to immediately stop
production and alert management when a problem arises.

Visual Management
A system of using visual aids such as charts, graphs, and signs to
convey information about the status of a process or system.

SMR (Standardized Work, Mistake-Proofing, and Rationalization)

A framework used to improve a process by standardizing work
procedures, mistake-proofing the process, and rationalizing the
layout and flow of materials and information.

Lean Six Sigma Cheat Sheet Booklet 13

 Hoshin Kanri
A strategic planning methodology that involves aligning the goals
and objectives of an organization with its daily operations and

Hoshin Kanri noun improvement initiatives.

方針管理
Hoshin Kanri (Policy Deployment)
A strategic planning and deployment process used to align
an organization’s goals, objectives, and resources to achieve
breakthrough improvements and long-term success.

Ho shin kan ri OKR

方 針 管 理
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs): A goal-setting framework
that uses specific, measurable objectives and key results to help
Direction Needle Control Logic organizations achieve ambitious goals.

Heijunka
Compass management A method for leveling production to reduce variability and improve
efficiency, often used in conjunction with a pull-based system such
as Kanban.
[Policy management] (from Japanese, business)

Heijunka (Production Leveling)

Smoothing the production flow by producing smaller batches of
products at a steady rate, to avoid overproduction and reduce
inventory levels.

Lean Six Sigma Cheat Sheet Booklet 15

 Lean Manufacturing
Workable production Hours A philosophy and methodology for eliminating waste and
Takt Time = maximizing value in a manufacturing process, often used in
Units Required (Customer Demand) conjunction with Six Sigma.

Takt Time
A German term meaning “rhythm time,” which refers to the rate at
which a product must be produced to meet customer demand.

JIT (Just In Time)

Net Production Time
A manufacturing philosophy and methodology that emphasizes
Cycle Time = producing and delivering products just in time to meet customer
Number of Units Produced demand, without carrying excess inventory.

Lean Startup
A methodology used to develop new products and businesses by
testing and iterating on hypotheses through a process of rapid
experimentation.

Stand-up
Lead Time = Order Delivered Order received a daily team meeting that is typically held standing up, in which
team members discuss their progress, plans, and any issues that
need to be addressed.

Lean Six Sigma Cheat Sheet Booklet 17

 SIPOC (Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers)
A high-level process map used to define and understand a process
by identifying its suppliers, inputs, process steps, outputs, and
customers.

SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die)

A methodology for reducing the time it takes to switch a
S I P O C manufacturing process from producing one product to another.

Supplier Inputs Process Outputs Customers Standard Deviation

A measure of how much variation there is in a process or system.

DPMO (Defects Per Million Opportunities)

Who are the
Who supplies What are the Describe the What are the
the input to the inputs to the process in 4-7 process
customers for A metric used to measure the level of defects or errors in a process
the outputs of
process? process? steps outputs?
the process? or product, calculated by dividing the total number of defects by
the total number of opportunities for defects to occur, multiplied by
one million.

3P (Production, Preparation, Process)

A methodology used to design and develop new products and
processes by involving the entire team in the planning, preparation,
and testing stages.

Lean Six Sigma Cheat Sheet Booklet 19

Huddle
A daily meeting used to discuss and review the status of a process
or project, and to identify and address any problems or roadblocks.

DFSS (Design for Six Sigma)

A methodology used to design new products and processes that
meet customer requirements and have a low defect rate, by using
statistical tools and techniques to optimize the design.

MSA (Measurement System Analysis)

A methodology used to assess and improve the accuracy and
precision of a measurement system, to ensure that it can provide
reliable data for decision-making.

Kaikaku (Radical Change)

A Japanese term that refers to a radical change or transformation of
a process or system, rather than incremental improvement.

Jidoka
A Japanese term meaning “autonomation,” which refers to a
process that incorporates automatic or semi-automatic devices to
detect defects or abnormal conditions, and then stops the process
to prevent the production of defective products.

Lean Six Sigma Cheat Sheet Booklet 21

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