Lean Can't Solve "Non Process" Problems?

On LinkedIn, a guy who teaches Lean Sigma as a "Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt" sure doesn't seem to know much about Lean... yet he tries teaching Lean anyway. And, he's an adjunct professor at a pretty major university, to boot.

Reading his bio, he's a GE guy and a "Six Sigma Master Black Belt," which seems to be a more accurate description of his experience and his skill set.

Yet, he feels the need to try to also teach Lean. Stick to Six Sigma!

In a LinkedIn discussion, he claimed there is a "weak spot of Lean," where Lean "doesn't have much to offer for non process problems."

What?

When pressed, he said:

"What lean tools do you use when a company approaches you and says their current profit is 4% and they want it to be 6%? The answer is none, this problem is better suited for the data analytics within DMAIC. Now if my problem is long cycle time to discharge a patient that screams lean tops, VSM etc."

For one, he thinks Lean equals tools. That's a common problem in the Lean Sigma movement, equating everything to tools in a toolbox. The "Lean" in "Lean Six Sigma" often just means superficial use of Lean tools like 5S or Value Stream Mapping without understanding the underlying Lean philosophy or management system.

I replied:

"Organizations use Lean methods like strategy deployment and A3 problem solving to frame strategic business challenges without Six Sigma."

I also asked a former Toyota friend, Tracey Richardson, to chime in and she wrote:

"So one of the first questions I would ask (regarding profit margins)  how many of their KPI's are lagging indicators that they are reacting too, which is waste within that profit margin (answering the general question Mark asked not about the video).  There is really no tool involved with the question, that takes some go-see, understanding of measurements, tools come much later when we determine - what problems are we solving and how do we know.  So I agree Mark questions before tools :)"

The guy then creates a red herring by complaining:

"It’s a shame so many lean only practitioners won’t acknowledge the added benefit of the DMAIC methodology and some of the Six Sigma tools."

I never said there's no added benefit to Six Sigma or DMAIC. I just want this Six Sigma guy to stick to Six Sigma, where there is added benefit. Him teaching incorrect things about Lean isn't helping anybody.

Why are we so obsessed with tools?

This is from a healthcare consultant's website....  Lean is just a bunch of tools? That's not what Toyota says... it's also a management system and a culture. Is the "tools in the toolbox" mental model holding back Lean and holding back healthcare?

The text:

Which method is best… Lean or Six Sigma?
Remember that these are tools and methods. Is a hammer better than a screwdriver or saw? Each tool is appropriate for a specific task or function. In our experience, the Lean toolbox is the place for most organizations to start. Lean is intuitive and easy for managers to put into practice. Lean methods lay the foundation for "process and flow thinking." However, most organizations find that they will rapidly need the rich statistical toolbox of Six Sigma. This is especially true when dealing with complex issues of patient flow when the obvious improvements have already been completed.

I've also never found an organization that's run out of "obvious improvements." This toolbox view can perhaps drive short-term improvement... but is that it?

The Bigger The Firm Is, the Less They Know?

Even a really large, name brand consulting firm sometimes spreads "sh!t" about Lean. It's just a bunch of tools to pick and choose from?

Ugh. Buyer beware.

"We are pragmatic in our use of Lean Six Sigma. We use only the tools that make the most sense for each situation. ________ has developed an up-front diagnostic X-ray that enables companies to identify and focus on only the process changes that will quickly make the biggest differences, ensuring faster results with smaller initial investment."

This Site Says Lean is Just a Toolbox; Toyota Disagrees

A Lean Sigma website (and many others) portray Lean as "a set of tools."

Lean Sigma people often say things like "Lean and Six Sigma are just tools in the toolbox, so you choose the one you need for the problem at hand."

The problem is that calling Lean a "set of tools" diminishes the power of this management system. There's nothing in that toolbox about the core Toyota Way principle of "respect for people." There's nothing about the management system, like going to the gemba, asking why, and not blaming individuals for systemic problems.

Toyota would tend to agree that Lean is not just a set of tools, it seems, if you check out what they say:

TPS isn’t just a tool kit; it’s a culture of problem solving at every level of the organization, from top management to the workplace.

Here is how Toyota illustrates their production system as more than tools:

It's technical (tools) as well as managerial and philosophical. It's an integrated system. 

Using tools is fine, but if you're just using a tool or two from some toolbox, you shouldn't call it "Lean."