Lean & Six Sigma Foundations — 90‑minute Workshop Pack

Purpose

This compact workshop helps teams get a shared language and practical momentum for continuous improvement. In 90 minutes you will introduce core Lean thinking, common waste types, the basics of flow, and a lightweight Six Sigma approach (DMAIC) — then practice applying those ideas through short, structured activities so participants leave ready to start a pilot and take immediate, measurable next steps.

Who this is for

Front-line teams, supervisors, team leads, first-line managers, and leaders who want a fast, practical start to Lean & Six Sigma. Suitable for manufacturing, service, healthcare, office, and field teams.

Learning outcomes

• Speak a shared set of Lean & Six Sigma terms (waste, flow, standard work, DMAIC).
• Recognize and record common wastes in your area using a simple observation approach.
• Map a short process step-by-step and identify one quick improvement opportunity.
• Create a one-page Quick A3 with an owner and immediate next action to test an improvement.
• Agree short follow-up actions and measures to run a short pilot and track progress.

90‑minute agenda (timed)

1. Welcome & Purpose (5 min) — Why we’re here; expected outcomes; ground rules.
2. Core Concepts (15 min) — Brief, image-rich intro to Lean thinking, the 8 wastes, flow, and DMAIC with quick examples relevant to the group.
3. Waste Walk (20 min) — Small groups do a focused observation walk and capture wastes.
4. Process Walk + Map (20 min) — Groups map a short process (3–8 steps) and identify bottlenecks or variability.
5. Quick A3 Problem Solving (20 min) — Use a one-page Quick A3 to state the problem, capture current state, root cause hypothesis, countermeasure, owner, and next steps.
6. Reflection & Commitments (10 min) — Teams share one commitment, metrics to track, and next meeting/huddle.

Slide outline (suggested)

1. Title slide: workshop name, date, facilitator
2. Purpose & outcomes (one slide)
3. What is Lean? (one slide with simple metaphor)
4. The 8 wastes (visual slide with examples)
5. Flow & why it matters (one slide)
6. What is DMAIC? (one-slide visual: Define–Measure–Analyze–Improve–Control)
7. Exercise instructions: Waste Walk (slide with checklist)
8. Exercise instructions: Process Walk & Map
9. Quick A3 template walkthrough
10. Reflection prompts & next steps

Facilitator notes

Prepare the room so small groups can huddle and come back together quickly. Provide printed observation sheets, Quick A3 templates, sticky notes, sharpies, and a visible timer. Keep explanations brief and use current examples that matter to the group.

• Start on time and protect the exercise time — hands-on practice is the point.
• During exercises, circulate and ask probing questions: "What wastes do you see? What causes that delay? Who needs to be involved to test a fix?"
• Encourage clear, measurable next steps with an owner and a target date.
• Avoid over-engineering: aim for quick, testable countermeasures and visible results.

Exercise details

Waste Walk (20 minutes)

Goal: Spot and record examples of the 8 wastes in the actual work area.

1. Form small groups of 3–4 (include at least one person who does the work if possible).
2. Set a focused scope (e.g., "order fulfillment pick area" or "patient discharge paperwork").
3. Walk the area for 8–10 minutes, quietly observing and taking notes on a simple observation sheet: location, waste type, short description, immediate impact (time, quality, safety), and photo or sketch if useful.
4. Return and pick the top two observations to share in the A3 exercise.

Process Walk & Map (20 minutes)

Goal: Develop a quick current-state map of a short process and find the highest-value waste or delay.

1. On a flipchart or whiteboard, list the main process steps (3–8) and estimated time or wait between steps.
2. Identify variations, handoffs, rework, or decision points.
3. Choose one step or handoff to address with a Quick A3.

Quick A3 (20 minutes)

Use a single page with these fields: Problem statement (concise), Why it matters (metric), Current state (one-line), Root cause hypothesis, Proposed countermeasure(s), Small test plan (owner, by-when, measure), Expected outcome. Keep it short — the goal is a rapid experiment, not a finished report.

Reflection prompts & follow-up actions (examples)

• What one testable improvement will you run this week?
• Who owns the test and when will you check progress?
• Which metric will you use to know if it helped? (cycle time, lead time, defects per unit, customer wait time, number of touches)
• Schedule a 15-minute huddle in one week to review results and decide to adopt, adjust, or stop the countermeasure.

Materials & setup checklist

• Slides (from outline)
• Quick A3 printed template (one per group)
• Waste Walk observation sheet (one per person)
• Flip charts or whiteboards, sticky notes, markers
• Timer/phone visible to groups
• Optional: smartphone or camera for photos

Measurements & suggested KPIs

Pick one clear measure per experiment. Suggested quick metrics:

• Cycle time for the chosen process (before and after)
• Number of defects or rework occurrences per shift
• Queue length or customer wait time
• Percent on-time completion

Common pitfalls & how to avoid them

• Doing tools without purpose: Always link exercises to an observable problem and a measurable outcome.
• Analysis paralysis: Favor quick tests over lengthy solutions. Use the Quick A3 to limit scope.
• No ownership: Every countermeasure needs a named owner and a date for review.
• Short attention span after workshop: Schedule the first follow-up within 7 days and keep it brief.

Adapting the workshop

Shorten to 45 minutes by focusing on Core Concepts (10) + Waste Walk (15) + Quick A3 (15). For leadership sessions emphasize system-level examples and governance items; for remote teams use breakout rooms, digital A3 templates, and photos uploaded to a shared board.

Suggested next steps & learning path

1. Run the agreed test, measure the chosen KPI, and report results at the 7-day huddle.
2. If successful, standardize the new practice and expand to adjacent processes.
3. Follow with a deeper module: Standard Work & Visual Management, Root Cause Analysis, or Basic Statistical Thinking for DMAIC Measure/Analyze steps.

Further resources

• Books: "The Toyota Way" (for principles), "Learning to See" (value-stream mapping), a short guide to A3 problem solving.
• Tiny experiments: keep testing — small wins build capability.

Closing

This workshop is designed to get teams out of the theory zone and into short, measurable experiments that build capability and confidence. Keep the energy practical, focus on ownership, and treat the Quick A3 as a living experiment rather than a polished report.