ARE YOU READY?

HOW TO
CONDUCT A MATURITY
ASSESSMENT

By Afsar Choudhury
 4 COMMENTS

When an organization begins a Lean Six Sigma deployment, what is

the first step that the leadership team should take? Should they
start executing Kaizen events to demonstrate the impact of quick
process improvement? Or should they kick-off with Six Sigma
projects, using the DMAIC or DFSS roadmap, with a deep dive into
sophisticated statistics?

While these two efforts can bring value in time, ideally leaders
should start with a Lean Six Sigma maturity assessment – a self-
evaluation of where the organization stands. The key to successful
implementation of Lean Six Sigma lies in knowing where the
organization needs to be in the future. At the same time, it is equally
important that leaders know the current state of their business. A
Lean Six Sigma maturity assessment shows leaders how advanced
their organization is in terms of Lean Six Sigma perspective, its
strengths, weakness and improvement opportunities.
 The assessment enables detailed, step-by-step, quantitative scoring
to diagnose the current state. The rigorous nature of this exercise
ensures that the journey going forward will lead the organization
toward a future state of satisfying customer needs, improving
internal processes, motivating employees and keeping the balance
sheet strong.

The 3A Approach: Assess, Analyze and

Address

A Lean Six Sigma maturity assessment should follow a three-phase

approach: 1) assess, 2) analyze and 3) address. The tasks within each
phase are described below.

Assess

The assess phase involves the use of a scorecard of Lean Six Sigma
parameters and a radar chart, also known as a web chart or spider
chart. The scorecard should be completed by both the leaders of the
Lean Six Sigma deployment and the department heads for each of
the individual verticals within the organization. The scorecard (seen
in the table below) should address at these 12 Lean Six Sigma
parameters:

1. Leadership alignment
2. Leadership approach toward Lean Six Sigma
3. Employee involvement
4. Training
5. Process capability
6. Approach to errors
7. Data-driven problem solving
8. Continuous improvement methodologies
9. Standard work
10. Value stream mapping
11. Accounting support to Lean Six Sigma
12. 5S/housekeeping

A 1-to-5 rating scale is used to assess the selected Lean Six Sigma
parameters, where 1 represents the lowest level of maturity and 5 is
best in class. The scorecard contains detailed guidelines for scoring
criteria.

Sample Lean Maturity Assessment Scorecard

Parameters
1 2 3 4 5 Score
(1-5)

Leadership
No LeadershipLeadershipLeadershipTrained
alignmentleadershipis aligned is and
alignmentsomewhatwith aligned committed
for aligned process with resources
process with improvements,
vital supporting
improvements
process visible few projects
improvements,
and metrics,
but active visible
visible selection selection
and and and
active review review
selection of of
and projects. projects.
review No Some
of resourcestrained
projects available resources
are not to available
in support
place. projects
No
trained
and
committed
resources
available
 to 

support
projects

Leadership
CompanyExecutivesExecutives
Executives
Sr.
approachexecutives
demonstrate
demonstrate
demonstrate
execs
toward demonstrate
an an good have
Lean no understanding
understanding
understanding
full
understanding
of the or and understanding
of the Lean Lean have and
Lean approachbut do faith in faith in
approach not Lean. Lean;
have Leadership
leadership
full committedprepared
faith but for
not accelerated
preparedbiz
for improvement
accelerated
biz
improvement

EmployeeLittle Involvement
People Quality 50% or
involvement
or no of form improvement,
more
involvement
people cross- problem involved
of in functionalsolving in
people process teams and teams;
in improvements
whenevercorrectiveopen
process to a action access
improvements
some problem teams to top
extent arises in management;
and place. empowered
people 25 to to stop
are 50% of the
eager employeesprocess
to involved for
work in quality
teams

 in 

teams

Training/ No Few Team Team More

Educationtraining team membersmembersthan
on membersare have 5% of
Lean have trained good employee
tools heard in understanding
time
or about some of devoted
quality different basic process to
improvement
concepts concepts improvement
training
tools, of like 5S, methodologies
and
methodologies
improvement
Lean implementing
or methodology
overview, improvements
even but 7 QC
concepts not tools
formally
trained

Process The The The The The

capabilityarea of area area area area
assessment
has has has has
has sigma sigma sigma sigma
sigma level level level level
level greater greater greater greater
less than 1 than 2 than 4 than
than but but but or
or less less less equal
equal than than than 6. to 6.
to 1, or or Cpk Cpk is
for its equal equal lies greater
most to 2. to 4. between than
critical Cpk Cpk 1.33 or
process. lies lies and 2 equal
Cpk is between between to 2
less 0.33 0.66
than and and
or 0.66 1.33

 equal
to 0.33

ApproachErrors Although InspectionInspection,Zero-

to will errors and control defect
errors happen; happen control and quality
inspect but only; improve; mindset
them some some data
out; initial data collected
accept thought collectionto
cost of prevails to regulate
scrap to regulate variance
and implementvariance
rework; or
deal design
with error-
customer free
complaints
systems
using
Lean

Data Insufficient
Organization
Org MSA is Org
driven data does uses done uses
problem available not use data extensively
data
solving for key data driven and driven
processesdriven problem people problem
needing problem solving know solving
improvement
solving methods. the methods
methods Data tools across
to a collectionneeded the
great is to spectrum
extent. systematic analyze
Data and data
collectionefficient,
processesalthough
are not MSA
systematicnot
 and in done
place extensively

Methodologies
No Improvements
Some CI used Methods
of formalizedreactive improvementto such as
continuous
improvement
– methodology
advance PDCA
improvement
methods usually evident; company.are
(CI) exist. come teams All known
No from sometimes associatesand
evidence management,used to trained. used
of engineering,
develop Open by all
employees,supervision
solutions.documentation
employees;
or or CI and CI is
managerswhen a training dashboards part of
concernedcustomer supportedused to company
about complaintby track culture
CI is managementimprovements
received. tied to
Some dollar
training savings
started
in
problem
solving

Standard No Some All Standard Employees

work standard standard standard work have
work work work procedures
quick
procedures
procedures
procedures
are and
exist. exist to can be current free
No show seen in and access
understanding
how most posted to all
of the the areas. in standard
connection
process Process appropriatework.
between made, owners areas CI to
CI and materials know operations
work flow the reflected
standardsand what,
 administrative
when, in
processeswhere, procedures
function why
but are and
not how of
current their
nor areas.
displayed.Ownership
Thinking taken
of to use
internal standards
customersand
begins keep
them
current

Value No An A Most Most

stream process understanding
number understand
processes
mapping is of VSM of value mapped
mapped is people of with
accordingevident. have VSM. results
to the Some been Mapping of
value attempts trained has action
stream have in uncoveredplans
been VSM, opportunities
recorded
made some for
to map processesimprovement.
a mapped. Action
simple No plans
process improvements
are in
place.
Rapid
improvement
blitzes
preceeded
by
VSM
Accounting
AccountingThere All key Key Accounting
support system is an staff value system
to Lean provides awarenesshas streams provides
basic that been are financial
financial accounting
trained. using data
data has a Pilot Lean. based
based role in project Decisionson
on cost Lean. has are measurements
accounting.Some begun; being at the
There staff departmentmade value
is little has targeting using stream
awarenessbeen waste Lean level
of trained in its financial and
accounting’s
and processesdata. provide
role in initial Some support
support analysis initial for
Lean has investigation
Lean
initiativesbeen to
undertaken review
current
standard
cost
methods

5S/House-DisruptiveCompanyMost Audit Clean,

keeping and aware areas teams orderly,
messy, of 5S have assess self-
no principlesbegun 5S maintained;
formal but no 5S. standards.always
workplacetraining MaterialsAll “tour
organization
underway.have areas ready”
standard Non- permanent working
in routine positions,on
place. cleaning cleaning standardizing
No takes schedule processes.
order, place followed. Evidence
area Teams of
untidy, investigate
 materials root employee
have causes pride
multiple of
locations disorder.
Employees
participate,
support,
understand
and do
most
cleaning

To aid in completing the scorecard, leaders should conduct

interviews and audits, walk the shop floor, and do all other
necessary data gathering. Once the scores are complete, they can
be transferred to a radar chart, which helps leaders see the current
state in a graphic form. The chart illustrates the 1 through 5
rankings for the different Lean Six Sigma parameters; the lower the
Lean Six Sigma maturity level, the closer the scores are toward the
center of the chart.

Figure 1: Radar Chart of Lean Six Sigma Maturity Scores

Analyze

Once the Lean Six Sigma deployment leader receives the completed
scorecards and linked radar charts from the leaders of the various
verticals in the organization, the analyze phase can begin. The goal
of the analyze phase is to identify the most important parameters
on which to start working.

To do this, the deployment leader can start by creating a graph

comparing the scores for the individual parameters to the
organization’s Lean Six Sigma maturity index (the average of all those
scores).

Figure 2: Lean Six Sigma Parameters Compared to

Organizational Maturity Index

The bars on the left side of the graph represent the weaknesses of
the organization. Because these parameters achieved lower scores
they are a matter of concern and need immediate attention. The
parameters on the right-hand side are those with the highest scores,
making them strengths. The difference between the Lean Six Sigma
maturity index and the desired score of 5 is known as the maturity
gap.
Once the key parameters for improvement are agreed upon, based
on this gap analysis, the second phase is complete.

Address

In this last phase, leaders from the various departments and

functions within the organization should meet to begin addressing
the weaknesses. One way to collect ideas for making improvements
in these areas is to use the brainwriting technique. This technique is
different from traditional brainstorming in that participants write
down their ideas rather than immediately share them aloud. After
the broad action ideas are compiled, the group can drill them down
using a decision tree diagram. All attainable action items should be
slotted into a Gantt chart to form the improvement roadmap.

Once the whole cycle of asess, analyze and address is completed,

leaders can look back on lessons learned and prepare for the next
cycle of the continuous improvement journey.

See Also Ad

1 Six 5 Be

2 Cr 6 Le

3 Pr 7 Six Web-Based SPC & Analytics

4 Six 8 Pr Visit Site

Comments 4

John Sylvie

Thank you Afsar.. I will implement this in my organization, as I see

the need to stream line and align the implementation effort.
Thanks for the understanding…
Regards,
John

- Log in to Reply 0

Does all parameters need to be at the same score number? Or

you set a goal on each based on your organizations’ priorities?

- Log in to Reply 0

Andrew Reyment

The key parameters should also allow for market vertical

competition to be laid over the business results, as well as a
“desired” or “target” state for the industry. Thus, you would have
three spider graphs and the parameters would be the same
across the spread.
- Log in to Reply 0

Derrick Gyamfi

I really find this article very practical. Im reviewing the quality

issues in my company and exploring how best to improve on the
current situation. This information adds to the insight gotten
from other materials

- Log in to Reply 0

 SUBSCRIBE