Add MindManager to Your Lean Six

Sigma Toolbox

1 Lean Six Sigma - A Primer ....................................................................................................................................... 2

1.1 The DMAIC Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 3
2 MindManager Tools for Lean Six Sigma ............................................................................................................ 4
2.1 DEFINE ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Plan it like any project! .................................................................................................................................... 5
Gantt Charts .................................................................................................................................................... 9
2.2 MEASURE ............................................................................................................................................................. 10
2.3 ANALYZE .............................................................................................................................................................. 11
2.4 IMPROVE ............................................................................................................................................................. 13
2.5 CONTROL ............................................................................................................................................................ 15
3 Conclusion and Additional Resources ............................................................................................................. 16
3.1 Resources ............................................................................................................................................................ 16

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1 Lean Six Sigma - A Primer
Lean Six Sigma is a quality management methodology and a customer-focused change strategy to
improve performance. You can also look at it as a collection of tools, or rather a toolbox, for fixing
processes.

Any toolbox is only as useful as the tools it contains. Before we get into the tools themselves and how
MindManager is a welcome addition, let's review some of the key components of Lean Six Sigma.

Lean Six Sigma, as the name implies, is a combination of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma
methodologies. Lean has a long history dating back to the Middle Ages, long before the Industrial
Revolution when the Venetians developed techniques for mass-producing warships in the Arsenal of
Venice. But it was Henry Ford who is credited with the modern concept of Lean since he integrated an
entire production process into what we know as the assembly line. Lean can be summarized as the means
by which we eliminate waste in processes, specify and make value flow in the customer's eyes, and pursue
perfection through continuous improvement.

Six Sigma traces its origins to quality management fundamentals developed in the 1980s by Motorola,
and later by General Electric in the early 1990s. It has a similar definition to Lean, in that it is focuses on
improving the performance of processes to satisfy customers and enhance bottom-line results, but it
takes a more statistical approach in doing so. The Six Sigma name is derived from the Greek letter sigma

σ, and refers to the population standard deviation, which is a measure of the variation in the data set
collected about a process. A Six Sigma process is one in which the 'mean' or process average is six
standard deviations away from the nearest specification limit. Another way of explaining a Six Sigma
process in terms of capability is in the number of defects per opportunity. A Six Sigma process is one that
produces a 99.99966% yield and thus has only 3.4 defects per million opportunities.

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Together, Lean and Six Sigma, hereinafter referred to as Lean Six Sigma, offers a set of tools that can be
used in any environment, whether it be manufacturing, e-commerce, healthcare, financial services, law
offices, retail, education, or your unique organization to decrease costs, increase revenue, and ultimately
improve overall performance.

1.1 The DMAIC Methodology

Companies can employ different Lean Six Sigma strategies to reduce variation and waste in their
organization, three of which are known as DMAIC, DMADV, and DSFF. This whitepaper focuses on DMAIC,
which stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

Although DMAIC was not part of the original development of Lean Six Sigma, it rapidly became a core
component and has helped many organizations achieve long-lasting results. Each of the five steps in the
DMAIC approach has a distinct purpose and set of tools to help Define the problem, Measure how bad it
is, Analyze the root causes and options for solving the issue at hand, Improving the process, and, finally,
putting a Control plan in place to ensure the process remains stable.

Let’s explore just some of the ways MindManager can help you plan and execute a successful Lean Six
Sigma project!

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2 MindManager Tools for Lean Six Sigma
2.1 DEFINE

In the Define step, we agree on the nature of the problem, who the customers and stakeholders are, both
internal and external, and their requirements. During this stage, we also develop the project plan with
attainable and realistic milestones, and then create a high-level process map. Tools used in this phase
include Affinity Diagrams, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (Risk Analysis), and Value Steam Mapping.
MindManager has several built-in templates that can be used to help with the Define stage. One of the
first activities is identifying the stakeholders, characterizing them, and then conducting stakeholder
analysis. First, we need to understand the relationship between the various players (the suppliers and
customers) and the process steps. This involves a SIPOC analysis - SIPOC stands for Suppliers, Inputs,
Process steps, Outputs, and Customers. The following SIPOC tool was created in MindManager:

Once the stakeholders are identified, we can analyze them using a map part in MindManager specifically
designed for this purpose:

Then we need to kick off the project and begin understanding the nature of the problem. Pick an
appropriate template from the Meetings and Events menu to create a meeting agenda, plan a meeting
and conduct a brainstorming session:

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Plan it like any project!

There are many types of Lean Six Sigma projects, and they can be used to address a variety of key
performance indicators (also known as quality characteristics) that are in need of improvement.

Often, organizations have so many processes that need optimization that it is necessary to prioritize the
improvement projects. MindManager can help with this by creating a project prioritization map to assess
the ease of implementation and the relative benefits of each project. Go to File > New, and select
Strategic Planning > Matrix – Value-Effort:

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Plan it like any project!

There are many types of Lean Six Sigma projects, and they can be used to address a variety of key
performance indicators (also known as quality characteristics) that are in need of improvement.

Often, organizations have so many processes that need optimization that it is necessary to prioritize the
improvement projects. MindManager can help with this by creating a project prioritization map to assess
the ease of implementation and the relative benefits of each project. Go to File > New, and select
Strategic Planning > Matrix – Value-Effort:

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Once the project is selected, it needs to be planned using project management best practices, and that
means creating a Work Breakdown Structure for the project. Refer to this whitepaper titled “Project
Planning with a Visual Work Breakdown Structure” for details on how MindManager can help you create a
winning WBS.

Start by opening a new map, then select Org Chart under Layout in the Design menu. Name your Lean Six
Sigma project using the central topic and begin identifying the project deliverables:

You can very rapidly use this mind map to create the deliverables for your Lean Six Sigma project, as per
the example below.

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Of course, you can use whatever format you prefer to lay out your project. For instance, this radial view
works just as well, so long as all the elements are included and represent the totality of the project, along
with applicable task information and dates:

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When expanded, the above WBS looks like this:

Gantt Charts

Once the WBS components have been given start and due date information and dependencies, select the
Gantt chart icon at the bottom of the mind map window to view tasks on a Gantt timeline. MindManager
comes with a built-in core Gantt charting capability.

It is also possible to adjust the task information directly within the Gantt chart, and to have MindManager
display the Critical Path (and critical tasks) for the project. The Critical Path is defined as the longest
sequence of activities in a project plan which must be completed on time for the project to achieve the
due date.

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The result will be a Gantt chart that can be displayed either above, below, to the left or to the right of the
WBS map. It offers more features than the core Gantt and can be opened in a new window for display on
a separate monitor. In the image below, the Gantt chart for the Lean Six Sigma project was produced by
Gantt Pro:

2.2 MEASURE

During the Measure phase, we gather the necessary data to understand the performance of the process.

One of the elements of the Measure phase is a refinement of the Value Stream Analysis. MindManager
has powerful features that allow you to create a Value Stream Map (VSM) and input cycle time and delay
information related to the process steps in the VSM:

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A MindManager map is also very useful as a catchall file for storing all of the project artefacts. Virtually
any file format, such as an Excel spreadsheet or a Word doc, can be attached to the WBS element in
MindManager, thus keeping all project files in one place.

To attach a file to any element of the mind map, select the element, right-click, and select the Attach File
item from the drop-down menu, or press Crtl+Shift+H.

2.3 ANALYZE

In the Analyze phase, we seek to understand the nature and source of the problems in the process.
Various tools can help us in this phase, like the 5-Whys Analysis, which we use by asking "why?" up to five
times to get to the root cause of a problem. MindManager makes it easy to create tools of this nature.

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Another commonly used tool in this phase is the Ishikawa or Fishbone Diagram. These are available in
several formats such Manufacturing, Market, or Services. Simply create a new mind map under File > New,
and select the Problem Solving folder under Professional Templates.

Once you have opened Problem Solving templates, select your applicable Fishbone diagram. See the
Service Fishbone Analysis template below:

The output of a Fishbone diagram can be unwieldy, and it is often useful to group the resulting
information into an Affinity diagram. MindManager can create such a diagram with ease. Go to File >
New, select Matrix Diagram:

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This template allows you to place floating topics into various boxes. Add rows and columns as needed.

2.4 IMPROVE

Improvements implementation is the phase where mind maps can also be of great assistance in
brainstorming ideas for problem solving and ensuring the right solutions are in place to complete
projects.

Brainstorming is a great way to engage a team in a creative way to solve a problem. It has many benefits,
not the least of which is group cohesion.

MindManager has a brainstorming template under File > New > Meetings and Events:

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A MindManager map is also very useful as a catchall file for storing all of the project artefacts. Virtually
any file format, such as an Excel spreadsheet or a Word doc, can be attached to the WBS element in
MindManager, thus keeping all project files in one place.

To attach a file to any element of the mind map, select the element, right-click, and select the Attach File
item from the drop-down menu, or press Crtl+Shift+H.

2.3 ANALYZE

In the Analyze phase, we seek to understand the nature and source of the problems in the process.
Various tools can help us in this phase, like the 5-Whys Analysis, which we use by asking "why?" up to five
times to get to the root cause of a problem. MindManager makes it easy to create tools of this nature.

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Another commonly used tool in this phase is the Ishikawa or Fishbone Diagram. These are available in
several formats such Manufacturing, Market, or Services. Simply create a new mind map under File > New,
and select the Problem Solving folder under Professional Templates.

Once you have opened Problem Solving templates, select your applicable Fishbone diagram. See the
Service Fishbone Analysis template below:

The output of a Fishbone diagram can be unwieldy, and it is often useful to group the resulting
information into an Affinity diagram. MindManager can create such a diagram with ease. Go to File >
New, select Matrix Diagram:

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3 Conclusion and Additional Resources
Lean Six Sigma is a broad subject and there are many aspects to this methodology for process
improvement. Like any field, it has acronyms and terms that are specific to the Lean Six Sigma field like
Takt Time, Kaizen, Nike, JIT, TQM, etc. There are software packages and other tools that are specifically
designed to provide the templates needed to conduct a DMAIC project, and these are necessary for any
project that requires statistical data analysis. It is not the purpose of this paper to provide a
comprehensive treatment of the subject. Instead, the goal is to present alternative tools available within
MindManager that can complement and often replace other sources, some of which are listed below for
reference. As mentioned earlier, one of MindManager's many powerful features includes the ability to
save attachments within the elements of the mind map, thus allowing you to have a self-contained project
file with all artefacts in one place. The ability to make notes within MindManager is also a powerful feature
for producing reports. For instance, this whitepaper, along with all images was written entirely in
MindManager, and then exported to Microsoft Word.

3.1 Resources

One of the most useful tools in any Lean Six Sigma toolset is an advanced spreadsheet program like
Microsoft Excel. There are free or reasonably priced add-ons available for Excel that provide statistical
packages for data preparation, conducting statistical and regression analysis, preparing control charts, and
aiding with decision-making. One add-on that the author recommends is PHStat. Below is the menu that
comes with this add-in:

For advanced data analysis and Lean Six Sigma projects, the author recommends Minitab and Companion
by Minitab, which are software tools that can be used in complement with MindManager. NOTE: Neither
the author nor MindManager have any affilitation to Minitab.

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Every Lean Six Sigma practitioner should have access to a good statistics manual, and there are many
excellent ones to choose from, both in print and online. Even a basic statistics manual will provide all the
necessary formulae and tables needed by the average user. The author has been using Statistics Manual,
by Crow, Davis, and Maxfield for more than two decades.

An excellent online resource for statistics is the free e-Handbook of Statistical Methods.

Other recommended books include The Fifth Discipline, the Art and Practice of the Learning Organization
and The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook, Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization, both by Peter
M. Senge.

Please note that the author used MindManager 2019 for Windows to create this whitepaper, and
the included screenshots. Some features may be different or not available in the Mac editions of
MindManager, or in earlier editions of the Windows version.

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