By: Rex Jayson Tuozo "The Six Sigma Guy"
"You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes." ―Morpheus to Neo (The Matrix movie)
Lean Six Sigma or Design Sprint (Design Thinking v2.0)?
In the 1999 film The Matrix, the main character Neo is offered the choice between a red pill and a blue pill by rebel leader Morpheus. The red pill would free him from the enslaving control of the machine-generated dream world. On the other hand, the blue pill would lead him back to stay in the comfortable simulated reality of the Matrix.
For both Lean Six Sigma and Design Thinking Professionals however, the decision in choosing either Lean Six Sigma or Design Sprint (Design Thinking v2.0) is usually not the first question to answer. Most of the time, we suffer from "exaggerated confidence based on one's expert experience". Simply put, "If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail (Maslow, 1962)". Which means, for a Lean Six Sigma professional, most problems look like DMAIC can solve, and for a Designers, the 5-day Design Sprint is the way to go.
For those who are knowledgeable of both best practices, the choice of what to use is usually difficult because there is currently no framework in identifying what methodology to pick. Both Lean Six Sigma and Design Thinking professionals say that some problems may be solved by either of the two, or combination of both. This leads to trial-and-error which means more time and more resources spent on projects.
For both Lean Six Sigma and Design Thinking Professionals however, the decision in choosing either Lean Six Sigma or Design Sprint (Design Thinking v2.0) is usually not the first question to answer. Most of the time, we suffer from "exaggerated confidence based on one's expert experience". Simply put, "If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail (Maslow, 1962)". Which means, for a Lean Six Sigma professional, most problems look like DMAIC can solve, and for a Designers, the 5-day Design Sprint is the way to go.
For those who are knowledgeable of both best practices, the choice of what to use is usually difficult because there is currently no framework in identifying what methodology to pick. Both Lean Six Sigma and Design Thinking professionals say that some problems may be solved by either of the two, or combination of both. This leads to trial-and-error which means more time and more resources spent on projects.
Rare Misprints of 100-peso Faceless Bills
In December 28, 2017, In a televised press conference, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Managing Director Carlyn Pangilinan said Machine errors have caused “rare misprints” of the 100-peso “faceless bills”.
Now, before you react on how inefficient and incompetent BSP is, it was found that there are only 33 misprinted bills out of the millions of pieces BSP is printing in a day, or at least 728 millions of pieces they print in a year. In Six Sigma lingo, it is equivalent to only 0.04 defect per million opportunities, exceeds even the ultimate goal of Six Sigma which is 3.4 defects per million opportunities.
This problem though is a good example on how to clearly distinguish a Design Problem against a problem that can be solved by Six Sigma's DMAIC methodology.
Let's look at how the two problems are difficult:
Now, before you react on how inefficient and incompetent BSP is, it was found that there are only 33 misprinted bills out of the millions of pieces BSP is printing in a day, or at least 728 millions of pieces they print in a year. In Six Sigma lingo, it is equivalent to only 0.04 defect per million opportunities, exceeds even the ultimate goal of Six Sigma which is 3.4 defects per million opportunities.
This problem though is a good example on how to clearly distinguish a Design Problem against a problem that can be solved by Six Sigma's DMAIC methodology.
Let's look at how the two problems are difficult:
Design Problem
Can be solved by Design Sprint (Design Thinking v2.0)
Can be solved by Design Sprint (Design Thinking v2.0)
Photo courtesy of Jannielyn Bigtas
According to Inquirer news article, consumers have expressed confusion at being handed the recently released five-peso silver coins which are closely similar in shape and in size to the one-peso BSP coins.
This is a perfect "design" problem that can be solved by Design Sprint. Persons involved in designing and launching this new generations coin have not considered critical user experience, lacked user "empathy", and "assumed" that what they think the users need are, are exactly what they really need. The BSP officials should have collected customer insights of the prototype and adjusted the specifications based on the user feedback before minting the new coins.
Design Sprint (Design Thinking v2.0) focuses on 3 things:
1. Developing a New Product or Service that your target customers love.
2. Innovating an Existing Product or Service to make it better for your target customers.
3. Improving the Customer Experience of your existing product or service.
This is a perfect "design" problem that can be solved by Design Sprint. Persons involved in designing and launching this new generations coin have not considered critical user experience, lacked user "empathy", and "assumed" that what they think the users need are, are exactly what they really need. The BSP officials should have collected customer insights of the prototype and adjusted the specifications based on the user feedback before minting the new coins.
Design Sprint (Design Thinking v2.0) focuses on 3 things:
1. Developing a New Product or Service that your target customers love.
2. Innovating an Existing Product or Service to make it better for your target customers.
3. Improving the Customer Experience of your existing product or service.
Lean Six Sigma Problems
Can be solved by using Lean Six Sigma's DMAIC methodology
Can be solved by using Lean Six Sigma's DMAIC methodology
 |  |  |
| Process Defects (Face and some areas not printed) | Process Delays *NOT a real life example (If let's say BSP's target is to print 1 Million pcs of bills per day, and at the end of day only 950,000 pcs were printed) | Variations *NOT a real life example (Variation of sizes of bills: Some did not meet the standard length, width, or both) |
Lean Six Sigma focuses on 3 things:
Reduction of:
1. Process Defects
2. Process Delays
3. Process Variations
of an existing products or services of a company. The assumption of Lean Six Sigma: a company has a product or service that the customers love. Six Sigma is not after designing a new product or service, but after the company deliver the product or service, with fewer defects, delays, and variations.
Reduction of:
1. Process Defects
2. Process Delays
3. Process Variations
of an existing products or services of a company. The assumption of Lean Six Sigma: a company has a product or service that the customers love. Six Sigma is not after designing a new product or service, but after the company deliver the product or service, with fewer defects, delays, and variations.
Conclusion
Lean Six Sigma is used if your existing product/ service has recurring problems with process defects, delays and variations. It means you still do not know what solutions to do for your problem, because you still do not know what the root causes are.
For Design Sprint (Design Thinking v2.0), the problem is about how to facilitate innovation: How to design a new product or service that your target customers love; How to innovate an existing product or service; and how to improve customer experience of your existing product or service.
Lean Six Sigma is used if your existing product/ service has recurring problems with process defects, delays and variations. It means you still do not know what solutions to do for your problem, because you still do not know what the root causes are.
For Design Sprint (Design Thinking v2.0), the problem is about how to facilitate innovation: How to design a new product or service that your target customers love; How to innovate an existing product or service; and how to improve customer experience of your existing product or service.
What business problems do you currently have? Will you take the Lean Six Sigma pill? or choose the Design Sprint (Design Thinking v2.0) pill?
Please share your thoughts so we all learn from it.
Please share your thoughts so we all learn from it.
Rex Jayson Tuozo "The Six Sigma Guy"
2018 Program Schedules:
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Significantly improve your critical thinking, facilitation skills, process analysis, and be able to organize ideas in a structured and logical way. | BE ONE of the FEW Certified Six Sigma Green Belts in the Philippines DESIGNED by no less than "The Six Sigma Guy" | Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Program for Service Industry | DLSU RCBC Plaza Makati City | Feb 1, 2, 8, 9, 2018 (Wave 29) | 8AM - 5PM | P38,000.00 | ask@6sigmaph.com | +632-357-6830
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Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Workshop for Service Industry Leaders | Be promoted. Boost your career and Earn Respect from your Boss and Peers. | DLSU RCBC Plaza Makati City | JAN 26, 2018, 8AM - 5PM | P9,000.00 | ask@6sigmaph.com | Designed by no less than "The Six Sigma Guy", you deserve the best |
Please email ask@6sigmaph.com: Yellow Belt and we'll send you details.
https://yellowbeltwave47.eventbrite.com
Significantly improve your critical thinking, facilitation skills, process analysis, and be able to organize ideas in a structured and logical way. | BE ONE of the FEW Certified Six Sigma Green Belts in the Philippines DESIGNED by no less than "The Six Sigma Guy" | Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Program for Service Industry | DLSU RCBC Plaza Makati City | Feb 1, 2, 8, 9, 2018 (Wave 29) | 8AM - 5PM | P38,000.00 | ask@6sigmaph.com | +632-357-6830
Please email ask@6sigmaph.com: Green Belt and we'll send you details.
https://gbwave29.eventbrite.com
INNOVATION Certificate for Customer Experience & Product Development (using Design Thinking v2.0) [Wave 2] | 2FEB2018, 8AM to 12:01PM | P2,500 + VAT if applicable |
Please email ask@schoolofdesignsprint.com , and we'll send you details.
CLICK to register: https://innovationcertificatewave2.eventbrite.com
Certified Customer Experience Innovator (CC/EI) using Innovation Design Sprint (Design Thinking v2.0) [wave 2] | MAR 19, 20, 2018 | DLSU GSB RCBC Plaza Campus Makati City | 8AM to 5PM | P15,000.00 | ask@schoolofdesignsprint.com | https://customerexperience2.eventbrite.com
References:
Lewis, M., (2016). The Undoing Project (W. W. Norton & Company).
Maslow, A. H., (1962). Toward a Psychology of Being.
Ballaran, J., (2017). BSP takes action to address misprinted P100 bills in circulation. [Online]
Available at: http://business.inquirer.net/243192/bsp-takes-action-address-misprinted-p100-bills-circulation-bsp-p100-bill-misprint-faceless-isolated-incident?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_s
[Accessed 28 December 2017].
Roxas, P. A. (2017). Binay Wants Halt in Issuance of New P5 coins to Avoid Confusion. [Online]
Available at: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/955491/binay-wants-halt-in-issuance-of-new-p5-coins-to-avoid-confusion-coins-aguinaldo-bonifacio-p5-new-coins-bsp#ixzz52ZpZ8f2P
Lewis, M., (2016). The Undoing Project (W. W. Norton & Company).
Maslow, A. H., (1962). Toward a Psychology of Being.
Ballaran, J., (2017). BSP takes action to address misprinted P100 bills in circulation. [Online]
Available at: http://business.inquirer.net/243192/bsp-takes-action-address-misprinted-p100-bills-circulation-bsp-p100-bill-misprint-faceless-isolated-incident?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_s
[Accessed 28 December 2017].
Roxas, P. A. (2017). Binay Wants Halt in Issuance of New P5 coins to Avoid Confusion. [Online]
Available at: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/955491/binay-wants-halt-in-issuance-of-new-p5-coins-to-avoid-confusion-coins-aguinaldo-bonifacio-p5-new-coins-bsp#ixzz52ZpZ8f2P
