xvii SECTION 1

SECTION 1.
LEAN SIX SIGMA
LOGISTICS:
WHY BOTHER?

1
WHAT IS LEAN SIX
SIGMA LOGISTICS?
Lean Six Sigma Logistics. Although it may sound as if it would require a year-
long training course to do the topic justice, most logisticians are in fact using
Lean Six Sigma Logistics techniques without realizing it. As the competitive
environment changes the way we do business, companies are embracing Lean
and Six Sigma initiatives to support cost reductions and quality improvements.
Although Lean and Six Sigma programs were separate initiatives in most or-
ganizations initially, today’s firms see that Lean and Six Sigma do not compete
against but rather complement each other and provide for dovetailing of con-
tinuous improvement activities.
But what does this have to do with logistics? The quick answer is “every-
thing.” Once grounded in Lean and Six Sigma principles, the logistician will
realize that logistics, Lean, and Six Sigma form a natural union. This union
leverages the strengths and weaknesses of each discipline to create a cultural
and operational model that will aid the logistician to solve age-old issues while
improving operations and contributing to business success at all levels.
Where does one start when dealing with a topic as complex as Lean Six
Sigma Logistics? Mathematicians have shown us that Y is a function of X, so
if we truly want to understand Y (Lean Six Sigma Logistics), the best place to
start is with the Xs. In this case, the Xs we need to understand individually are
logistics, Lean, and Six Sigma. Once we can envision the three focus areas on
their own, then we can see how they come together, allowing the whole to be
greater than the sum of the parts.

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