Understand what Lean, Six Sigma, and Lean Six Sigma mean, and explain why organizations use all three together to improve quality and speed
Course profile · Process Improvement
Lean Six Sigma for Absolute Beginners
A step-by-step introduction to Lean Six Sigma for people who want to fix everyday process problems at work, without needing a statistics or engineering background.
Free2h 1m23 lessonsBeginner
Outcome-focused
What You Will Learn in This Lean Six Sigma Course
Identify the eight classic types of waste in your own office, service, or project environment using the DOWNTIME framework
Map a process from start to finish and spot delays, rework, and bottlenecks that slow work down
Use Voice of the Customer and Critical-to-Quality concepts to define what actually matters to the people you serve
Build a SIPOC diagram, write a clear problem statement, and create a project charter for a small improvement project
Follow the DMAIC roadmap (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) to structure a real improvement project from start to finish
Apply practical tools including check sheets, Pareto charts, 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, 5S, and basic control plans
Choose and scope a right-sized first project that shows measurable results and builds confidence with stakeholders
About this course
What This Free Lean Six Sigma Course Covers
This free course introduces Lean Six Sigma to people who have never studied it before. It covers the full picture (what Lean is, what Six Sigma is, and how the two approaches work together) using plain language and real examples from office, service, and project environments. No manufacturing background is needed.
The course moves through the DMAIC framework step by step: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. Each phase is explained with practical tools you can apply to real problems, check sheets, Pareto charts, 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, 5S, and basic control plans. Three case studies show how the tools connect across a complete improvement project.
By the end, you will know how to spot waste and variation in your own work, map a process clearly, frame a problem statement, and select a right-sized first project. You will also understand how belt levels (from White Belt to Yellow Belt) relate to different types of improvement work. The course is built for people who want to start using these ideas on the job, not just prepare for an exam.
Is this for you?
Who this course is for
- People starting from zero who want a clear, practical introduction to Lean Six Sigma without jargon or heavy statistics
- Professionals in office, service, or project roles who want to identify and fix everyday process problems at work
- Project managers, team leads, and analysts who need structured improvement tools without a statistics or engineering background
- Students and career changers who want a recognized improvement methodology to apply in new or current roles
Before you start
Requirements
- No prior experience needed. This course starts from the basics
Inside the course · 23 lessons
Course outline
Introduction to the Course
What the course covers and how to work through it
What Is Lean Six Sigma and Why It Matters
What Lean, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma each mean, and why organisations use all three
Lean vs Six Sigma: Complementary Approaches
The practical difference between the two and how they work together
Defining Value and Flow in Processes
What counts as value to a customer, and what stops work flowing
The 8 Wastes: DOWNTIME
The eight classic wastes with simple workplace examples you will recognise
Process Mapping Basics and Value Stream Mapping
Mapping a process from start to finish to expose delays and rework
Voice of the Customer and Critical to Quality
Turning what customers say into requirements you can measure
SIPOC Diagrams: Framing the Process
Scoping an improvement project using a SIPOC diagram
Writing a Problem Statement and Project Charter
Stating the problem clearly and getting the project chartered
Measurement Plans, Operational Definitions, and Check Sheets
Deciding what to measure and how, before you start collecting
Types of Data, Scales, and Basic Sampling
The data types you will meet and how to sample them sensibly
Simple Descriptive Statistics: Mean, Median, Variation
The basic statistics you need to understand improvement data
DEFINE: Stakeholders, Scope, CTQs, and SIPOC
Applying the Define phase: scoping the project and identifying stakeholders
MEASURE: Baselines, Check Sheets and Run Charts
Documenting current performance before making any changes
ANALYZE: Root Cause Tools and Pareto Charts
Using 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams and Pareto charts to find the real cause
IMPROVE: Impact-Effort, 5S, and Mistake-Proofing
Choosing solutions that are practical and likely to hold
CONTROL: Control Charts, Visual Management, Control Plans
Locking in improvements so gains do not fade after the project ends
Case Study: Reduce Customer Wait Times (Define and Measure)
A worked example: defining the problem and measuring the baseline
Case Study: Root Causes and Prioritized Fixes (Analyze and Improve)
Continuing the case study: finding root causes and selecting fixes
Case Study: Control Plan and Simple KPIs (Control)
Completing the case study: building a control plan and tracking results
Selecting Your First Improvement Project
Choosing a right-sized first project and building support for it
Roles, Belts, and Ethics, Sustaining Gains
Who does what in a Lean Six Sigma programme, and how gains are kept
Final Word
A short close, and what to do next
Professional development
PDU information
This course lists 1.75 PDU. Review PDU guidance before claiming credit.
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