Who would have thought that Lean Six Sigma would make a killing (pun intended) in the forensic science industry? Even with all the new technologies, some things never change, such as working more efficiently and effectively.
A forensics crime lab in Rochester, New York saw amazing results by incorporating the Lean Six Sigma principles to improve workflow. This included a review of DNA profiles, reducing waste and speeding up turnaround time. By doing so, they improved their results by 200%!
In the past, staff members were required to have handwritten notes describing the evidence, each written differently but using similar phasing. By incorporating Lean SS methodologies, the information collected from those notes was used to create a template. This template (form) would have multiple choice answers to choose from, thus reducing variation and increasing accuracy as well as turnaround time.
Meanwhile, at the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory, they experienced success of their own through:
- Reducing their turnaround time by 50%
- Doubling their productivity
- Creating a new work culture of shared problem solving
With the onset of DNA and increase in crime in recent times, the backlog at crime labs have been astronomical. By incorporating LSS, backlogs have decreased by 50%.
What is the Secret of Lean Six Sigma?
It is the seven guiding principles:
- Focus on the customer
- Understand the tasks that need to get done
- Improve and manage the workflow
- Remove non-value steps
- Reduce variation
- Involve and equip everyone in the process
- Undertake improvement in a systematic way
As you can see, the philosophies of Lean Six Sigma can apply across many industries and businesses. For more information on our Six Sigma training courses or services, please visit 6sigma.com.
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