The Grameen Foundation’s goal is to reach more people across the spectrum of poverty, while deepening the focus on the very poor, especially women. Over the past twenty years, one billion people have been able to exit extreme poverty. The Grameen Foundation has the unprecedented opportunity to accelerate such changes, especially for the 800 million people still living in dire poverty and highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Their mission is to enable the poor, especially women, to create a world without poverty and hunger. Its programs expand financial inclusion, enhance health, strengthen resilience and improve livelihoods for people in poor, rural communities around the world.

In this video presentation, Dr. Odeh discusses her Lean IT challenges and the power of Gemba in a small Ugandan village with the Grameen foundation. Watch this enlightening video.

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Implementing Lean Management

In 2012, Michael Grogan introduced the principles of Lean Management to CCBRT. In this interview Suzan Boon, Deputy CEO of CCBRT, discusses the opportunities and challenges of implementing Lean Management within their healthcare facility.

Suzan was very energized with the implementation of the practice. She was encouraged to see results happening in just a few short weeks. Her impressions were that issues that were embedded in the organization were quickly coming to light, and the communication flow between the top and bottom of the organization was significantly increased. Susan felt strongly that Lean Management is allowing CCBRT to get more structure within the organization and quickly increase efficiencies.

Take a few minutes and view this video on CCBRT.

The post Lean Management: An Interview on Implementation at CCBRT appeared first on 6sigma.

Poverty in Africa is about the lack of basic human needs faced by certain people in African society. African nations typically fall toward the bottom of any list measuring small size economic activity, such as income per capita or GDP per capita, despite a wealth of natural resources.

In 2009, 22 of 24 nations identified as having ‘Low Human Development’ on the United Nations’ (UN) Human Development Index were in Sub-Saharan Africa. We know that 34 of the 50 nations on the UN list of least developed countries are in Africa. In many nations, GDP per capita is less than $5200 per year, with the vast majority of the population living on much less. In addition, Africa’s share of income has been consistently dropping over the past century by any measure. In 1820, the average European worker earned about three times what the average African did. Now, the average European earns twenty times what the average African does. Although GDP per capita incomes in Africa have also been steadily growing, measures are still far better in other parts of the world.

This video features Steve Bell at the Lean System Society Reactor Conference. Steve addresses the effectiveness of Lean thinking as supported by Lean4NGO.org.  The goal of Lean4NGO.org is to leverage the principles, systems and tools of Lean thinking to improve efficiency and effectiveness outcomes for those they serve.

View the video here:

The post Lean Thinking: Can We Change the World For Social Good? appeared first on 6sigma.

Since non-profits are missioned-based and not revenue-based, the culture isn’t necessarily a direct fit with the methodologies of Six Sigma. For the implementation of Six Sigma into a non-profit to be successful, complete commitment of both upper management as well as the entire organization is required.

This would require special training, as well as establishing a company culture that is structured so that Six Sigma can work its magic. Even though a non-profit is not revenue oriented, it can still benefit from a well-oiled machine running perfectly — meaning less waste and better use of resources, which would add up to more revenue the non-profit can use towards their mission.

It Takes Total Commitment, Especially From Upper Management

Upper management must be on board because it does take a monetary investment. The training is a truly short term inconvenience for the benefits that full Six Sigma implementation would benefit the non-profit’s mission.

A baseline assessment in every work process must be completed before any thing can begin. This baseline includes the focus of the audience or market that is being helped by the non-profit’s mission.

Much of the initial expenses will go towards training, consultations and facilitation of Six Sigma; this includes the salary of a Black Belt, and other potential Six Sigma pros that might be needed. Remember this is a short term inconvenience for long-term success.

For more information on our Six Sigma training courses and services, please visit 6sigma.com. 

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