Don’t let fads like Agile and Six Sigma hijack true Lean thinking
Exposing mis-understandings, mis-applications and mis-appropriations
Lean is an established methodology that has brought transformative operational improvements in many industries. Lean has its roots in Toyota Production System (TPS). A huge credit goes to various authors who have distilled the essence of TPS into Lean concepts which are universal in application, and understandability.
While Lean tools, concepts and principles are presented in simple sounding terms, they are much more nuanced. They may be easy to understand, but are difficult to master. Being (seemingly) easy to understand brings a downside. Terms like flow, value etc., seem easy to understand but can also be used superficially or insincerely.
As a Lean enthusiast, it’s galling to see Lean concepts being hijacked by fads or sabotaged by inaccurate understanding.
In this post, I expose such hijackers and saboteurs, in the interest of encouraging a deeper appreciation of Lean.
Hijackers
Six Sigma
Let us start with the biggest hijack of Lean till now — Six Sigma or “Lean” Six Sigma as it’s often called / sold as. Six Sigma is a scam that “uses” Lean to feign legitimacy.
The term sigma relates to standard deviation and therefore variation. While reducing unevenness (muri), and by extension, reducing fluctuation/variation is part of Lean, it’s not the only one. Muri is just one part of an interactive trio which impacts flow, the others being muda (waste) and mura (overburden). Variation is a narrow focus and contradictory to the holistic approach of Lean.
Like all fads, Six Sigma has multiple “hooks” to hang on to.
It then links variation control to advanced statistical analysis — creating a mathematical sheen to bamboozle people. Contrast this to Deming’s statistical process control (SPC) methods which provide a simpler yet robust means of process data analysis. Ironically, even Six Sigma’s core theory, the “1.5 sigma shift”, based on which the catchy 3.4 DPMO metric is defined, is on very shaky foundations.
The third part of Six Sigma’s “make-up” or deception kit is DMAIC, which attempts to give it a semblance of a methodology. While there is nothing wrong with DMAIC, it’s basically just a dressed-up Deming (PDSA) cycle.
Lean does not need Six Sigma. It already has all the relevant tools, techniques, methodologies and concepts to effect operational improvement. Six Sigma adds nothing to Lean. Following Six Sigma does not make any process or organization Lean. An imposter like “Lean Six Sigma” serves only to distract us from true Lean principles and its holistic ethos.
Agile
Agile is an iterative software development methodology based on an aspirational manifesto. As products became more digital and as front-end capabilities increased, Agile development got intertwined with product development. Since start-ups were most likely to launch digital products, or products with significant digital companions, that bogey also got added to the agile train. That train then stopped at the Lean station, picking up Lean terms. The net result is phrases (i.e. fads) like Lean Start-up, Lean Agile etc. Once again, Lean finds itself hijacked.
Agile flavoured software and/or product development often references Lean concepts. Terms like batch-size, cycle time etc. are superficially ported over to Agile. Optimizing for these is then considered equivalent to being Lean. While these represent fundamental variables to control in any process, Lean is a lot more nuanced than doing just that. Lean is an entire socio-technical system — much bigger than a mere set of metrics to control.
A bigger concern is the superficial interpretation of concepts like value.
- Iterative development to release a Minimum Viable Product with incremental refinements is considered to be the Lean equivalent of reducing waste and delivering value faster. At a superficial level the analogy fits. The trouble with analogies is that they only stretch up to a point. With extra-finely sliced user-stories, short releases and pivots, iterative development can potentially add waste instead of reducing. The claim to delivering value is equally dubious. People don’t want to pay for minimum viable. They want to pay for finished products. The ethos of Lean is quite the opposite where ever complex and customized finished products are produced to the highest levels of quality.
We also see a twisted interpretation of the PDCA loop.
- The book Lean Startup talks about the Build-Measure-Learn loop. Since the book title has the term Lean and it’s a loop, a first reaction might be to equate it with the PDCA loop; except that it’s completely the opposite. PDCA has “Do” as the second step, with “Plan” being the explicit first step. Just because a phrase uses the term Lean, it does not mean it’s referring to Lean/TPS accurately or as intended originally.
Then there are slogans like “plan to fail fast” which miss entirely the Lean ethos of continual improvement in the pursuit of perfection.
- Agile influenced methodologies glorify speed try to justify that through a shallow superimposition of Lean terms. While Lean improves speed, it does not have a “move fast and break things” type maniacal obsession with speed. Lean optimizes speed in the context of value. The ethos of Lean is to go slow to go fast: to move forward sustainably based on collective problem-solving and all-round capability uplift. Indeed, the Lean/TPS paradigm was a counter-reaction to wasteful automotive manufacturing practices, where production lines kept running for reasons of “efficiency” — regardless of how many defects piled up.
Lean does not need Agile. Agile today has been overextended to the point where its frameworks have to borrow (compulsively) from other methodologies to keep up appearances. Agile is today a nebulous fad, which has embezzled Lean terms. Doing Agile does not make an organization or process lean. On the contrary, it serves only as a distraction from true Lean principles and ethos.
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.” — JRR Tolkien
Saboteurs
The hijackers discussed above have commandeered Lean terms and concepts, mostly to benefit consultants and sell certification courses.
While hijackers operate overtly, saboteurs are covert. They are harder to detect and end up doing the most damage.
Superficial understanding
Many TPS terms shared by Lean are of Japanese origin. While they are translated to English, their real meaning is deeper. This often leads to erroneous or superficial understandings. Standardization for example does not mean uniformity of output but rather working to standards. Respect for People, a key pillar of Lean, is much more than polished communication skills. Its real meaning emerges within the context of jidoka and overall ethos of Lean.
Lean unfortunately has also been deliberately misused to justify indiscriminate cost-cutting. There are a number of myths and half-truths that circulate around Lean. I’ve covered them previously here.
Superficial understanding sabotages Lean.
It leads to a mis-application of Lean concepts. When the results (inevitably) disappoint, it then becomes a reflection on Lean. To be sure, Lean is not a panacea. It will not bring rain to the Atacama Desert. It is however a complete approach to uplift operational and organizational capability. The first step starts with understanding the concepts accurately, in context, and as originally intended.
Selective understanding
An equally destructive sabotage arises from a myopic understanding of Lean. This can happen at the micro or macro level.
Myopia at the micro level happens when the importance of one aspect is blown out of proportion and considered as a pithy synonym for Lean. An example is a statement like: “Lean is about reducing waste”. While Lean is a big focus on waste reduction, it’s a lot more involved than that.
Myopia at the macro level happens when there is a failure to understand how Lean terms and concepts connect with each other and its underlying philosophy. It’s not a coincidence that Lean is depicted as a “house” where all different components reinforce each other.
Lean concepts apply at the process, product and organizational level. They come together holistically to provide the complete framework for operational and organizational improvement.
- At product and process level, concepts and techniques like standardization, waste, overburden, unevenness, flow, pull, jidoka, JIT etc., work together to deliver the best possible quality without compromising on cost or time.
- At a people level, it's about valuing people for their human potential and developing their problem-solving capabilities.
- At the organizational and inter-organizational (value-chain) level, Lean is about holistic and continuous improvement in the pursuit of perfection.
Beyond terms and concepts, there is a broader context for Lean which is important to understand.
Lean is derived from TPS. TPS and indeed much of Japanese manufacturing was influenced by the ideas of W.E Deming.
While he’s associated mainly with the PDSA cycle, Deming’s contribution was much greater. He popularized statistical process control (SPC) techniques which are until today among the most parsimonious methods to understand process data. His System of Profound Knowledge and the complementing 14 Deming Principles, provides a holistic management philosophy with sustainability and quality at its centre. Deming’s work provides the framework for continual improvement of people capability, process efficiency, product quality and organizational effectiveness; within the underlying theme of benefitting society.
Lean is a socio-technical body of knowledge. It’s a confluence of techniques and philosophy. To understand Lean, we need to understand (correctly) the techniques, within their relevant context. We also need to understand the antecedents of Lean/TPS and cognate disciplines like quality.
There is no shortcut to Lean. There are however many dark alleys which we must beware of. We find here hijackers and saboteurs ready to mislead us. The best way to keep our bearings is to carry the proverbial torch which represents an accurate and holistic understanding of Lean.
