Lean & Six Sigma in FMCG - Anyone have any experience?
Discussion
Guys,
I am in an FMCG healthcare industry with accounting qualifications, an MBA and a Master of Business in Logistics. I am starting to get ready for a job move and whilst I am not ready to move from my current role until the end of the year, I have put some feelers out with my resume and haven't had any bites, but to be fair I haven't applied for any roles either.
In looking at some job adverts I see that Lean and Six Sigma is starting to become desirable, so I have done an introduction in to being a Lean Practitioner and found the concepts interesting. Therefore I am considering going for a green belt (Diploma) in Six Sigma to get some formal qualifications.
Does anybody have any experience with this or any other suggestions?
Thanks
I am in an FMCG healthcare industry with accounting qualifications, an MBA and a Master of Business in Logistics. I am starting to get ready for a job move and whilst I am not ready to move from my current role until the end of the year, I have put some feelers out with my resume and haven't had any bites, but to be fair I haven't applied for any roles either.
In looking at some job adverts I see that Lean and Six Sigma is starting to become desirable, so I have done an introduction in to being a Lean Practitioner and found the concepts interesting. Therefore I am considering going for a green belt (Diploma) in Six Sigma to get some formal qualifications.
Does anybody have any experience with this or any other suggestions?
Thanks
I've got some friends who have the qualifications and say they were worthwhile to learn. Looking at your other qualifications though I'd have thought that recruiters would be able to see you are clearly an intelligent individual, so I'm not sure what it would gain you other than a keyword hit on a CV sift.
If you've got Lean Practitioner and understand the principals of it all, you could - if you really do understand it and have this capability - get the same 'hit' on a sift by having a bullet point that says something like 'Using Six Sigma principals' or 'working with Six Sigma methodologies' or whatever. With 'Lean Practitioner' in your qualification list. My wording is probably wrong there, as I don't really have a good understanding of how this should be phrased (E.G ITIL is a Framework for Best Practice, not a Standard, etc etc)
Depends what you want to achieve, but your post reads as someone who gets it already, and just wants to tick a box for the CV.
I wouldn't mind more for personal interest getting round to doing the courses at some point, unsure when though as I'd prefer to finish my ITIL qualifications first. Would be interested to hear your views if you do end up doing it.
If you've got Lean Practitioner and understand the principals of it all, you could - if you really do understand it and have this capability - get the same 'hit' on a sift by having a bullet point that says something like 'Using Six Sigma principals' or 'working with Six Sigma methodologies' or whatever. With 'Lean Practitioner' in your qualification list. My wording is probably wrong there, as I don't really have a good understanding of how this should be phrased (E.G ITIL is a Framework for Best Practice, not a Standard, etc etc)
Depends what you want to achieve, but your post reads as someone who gets it already, and just wants to tick a box for the CV.
I wouldn't mind more for personal interest getting round to doing the courses at some point, unsure when though as I'd prefer to finish my ITIL qualifications first. Would be interested to hear your views if you do end up doing it.
The problem for most recruiters with me is that I live in a small state in Australia and the size of the site I run is small in comparison to some of the larger states. Therefore I often get overlooked for larger roles as I am deemed not to have any the experience or my skills are under developed for larger sites. I am limited by my experience in other peoples eyes through no real fault of my own, just the situation I am in.
I have contacted the training provider who did the Lean Practitioner course asking for advice, so I will see what they have to say.
I have contacted the training provider who did the Lean Practitioner course asking for advice, so I will see what they have to say.
Edited by NBTBRV8 on Friday 25th April 08:08
Worth having - if solely to get you to interview.
Debatable to what extent "lean" is used outside of auto/vehicle-related industries......I covered lean and 6-sigma almost 15 years ago and have worked in instantly recognisable branded FMCG manufacturers for the last 2 decades but see only limited execution in the UK but better in parts of Europe. Eg P&G very good in parts of their business units. Suspect Australia is nearer the infancy end of the spectrum as personally have never worked in Aus/NZ.
Do not work in healthcare but have shared best practice with colleagues at GSK who have really harnessed it.
Both are actually very good systems. If you have the time and funding, definitely worth achieving especially if you are the type of individual who likes to learn and strives for CI (continuous improvement).
Debatable to what extent "lean" is used outside of auto/vehicle-related industries......I covered lean and 6-sigma almost 15 years ago and have worked in instantly recognisable branded FMCG manufacturers for the last 2 decades but see only limited execution in the UK but better in parts of Europe. Eg P&G very good in parts of their business units. Suspect Australia is nearer the infancy end of the spectrum as personally have never worked in Aus/NZ.
Do not work in healthcare but have shared best practice with colleagues at GSK who have really harnessed it.
Both are actually very good systems. If you have the time and funding, definitely worth achieving especially if you are the type of individual who likes to learn and strives for CI (continuous improvement).
Good man.
I've been a Lean Six Sigma practitioner for ten years, working in anything from farm packhouse FMCG, specialised electronics manufacture, financial services, customer services and now leisure and tourism.
There is a problem, which is for many it's a toolkit, and 'business improvement by numbers' treat it that way and you'll never get the improvements you should. It's really a way of thinking and viewing an operation, and fundamentally is about people. They make the difference, and so getting them on board and engaging with the changes is paramount. Six Sigma is a little different, in that it really shines in an environment that is already Lean, in order to find the last nth‰ each iteration.
I love it - delivering large improvements to the bottom line, with improved customer service and happier staff, but it can be an absolute nightmare if leadership isn't bought in, and staff aren't engaged and empowered.
It sounds like you're going for a similar role to now, but with the ability to support/engage with these methodologies being practiced by a practitioner? If so, a Green Belt and a Lean Foundation will be a godsend to the practitioners you work with, and should be considered in good stead with the rest of your CV.
Good luck!
I've been a Lean Six Sigma practitioner for ten years, working in anything from farm packhouse FMCG, specialised electronics manufacture, financial services, customer services and now leisure and tourism.
There is a problem, which is for many it's a toolkit, and 'business improvement by numbers' treat it that way and you'll never get the improvements you should. It's really a way of thinking and viewing an operation, and fundamentally is about people. They make the difference, and so getting them on board and engaging with the changes is paramount. Six Sigma is a little different, in that it really shines in an environment that is already Lean, in order to find the last nth‰ each iteration.
I love it - delivering large improvements to the bottom line, with improved customer service and happier staff, but it can be an absolute nightmare if leadership isn't bought in, and staff aren't engaged and empowered.
It sounds like you're going for a similar role to now, but with the ability to support/engage with these methodologies being practiced by a practitioner? If so, a Green Belt and a Lean Foundation will be a godsend to the practitioners you work with, and should be considered in good stead with the rest of your CV.
Good luck!
Oh, just to say the best practitioner I've ever worked with (whilst working in the banking sector) came from AstroZeneca, so I'm fairly sure at least some of the pharmaceutical sector are bloody good at it!
The one big advantage the vehicle sector has is the integration of it's supply chain - that is the area of Lean/Six Sigma I've never seen emulated anywhere else...
The one big advantage the vehicle sector has is the integration of it's supply chain - that is the area of Lean/Six Sigma I've never seen emulated anywhere else...
I am in the Pharmaceutical industry and we have been using lean for years. We are now at the point where we do not use the term Lean any more because people are sick of hearing it. But, we do still incorporate the practices and even those that do not want to use it are doing so through stealth tactics.
I am in an instrument manufacturer which forms an integral part of both R&D and QC to release and test product. We were told not to use the term "lean" because it would only serve to irritate in one of 2 ways. First, the audience is sick of hearing it or second, the audience is at expert level and will call us out on our lack of black belts at my level.
As mentioned above, we do "stealth Lean" now so people do not think we are forcing "management BS" down their throats but we still benefit from the improvements of processes. I have seen this as an industry trend over the last couple of years.
But, I am sure there is an impact of geography on the approach people are taking. I am in the US so it may be different over here.
As mentioned above, we do "stealth Lean" now so people do not think we are forcing "management BS" down their throats but we still benefit from the improvements of processes. I have seen this as an industry trend over the last couple of years.
But, I am sure there is an impact of geography on the approach people are taking. I am in the US so it may be different over here.
Congrats chap, good effort!
If you've enjoyed it, I'd definitely recommend going into black belt. I'm currently aiming for my MBB, but as a contractor it's proving tough to engineer the projects/environments to achieve the standard. I'll get there, but it'll take longer than I'd like.
Also doing my Prince2 qualification, having used the methodology for years. Just aiming for another string to my CV bow (when employed no one cared what quals I had, just what projects/strategic delivery I'd done. Now I'm out there on my own qualifications are king).
Another great certificate is Global 8D Problem Solving - overblown for most scenarios, but very scalable.
There's always more to learn!
If you've enjoyed it, I'd definitely recommend going into black belt. I'm currently aiming for my MBB, but as a contractor it's proving tough to engineer the projects/environments to achieve the standard. I'll get there, but it'll take longer than I'd like.
Also doing my Prince2 qualification, having used the methodology for years. Just aiming for another string to my CV bow (when employed no one cared what quals I had, just what projects/strategic delivery I'd done. Now I'm out there on my own qualifications are king).
Another great certificate is Global 8D Problem Solving - overblown for most scenarios, but very scalable.
There's always more to learn!
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