If you are looking to bring Lean Six Sigma into your business, it is important to know that the numerous tools associated with the process are the driving force behind Lean Six Sigma's success. Lean Six Sigma follows the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control, or DMAIC, project phases. Each phase has its own set of associated tools, that will drive the process, and ensure the success of your Lean Six Sigma projects. The first Lean Six Sigma phase, Define, is where opportunities for improvement are identified, and where the project scope and deliverables are defined. In the Define phase, there are several Lean Six Sigma tools that are used, the most important of which is the SIPOC (Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers) Diagram.

Once you have identified your opportunities for improvement, determined what is going to be in scope for the project, and what your deliverables are, you can then enter the Measure phase of your Lean Six Sigma project. The Measure phase is where you use various Six Sigma tools, like the operational definition and the process map, to measure your business processes, to obtain the data you will need to determine where you can improve these processes.

Maps like the process map and the value stream map, created in the Measure stage, will provide vital information about your business processes, like where there are delays in your process and where resources are being wasted, or used inefficiently. Some other important Lean Six Sigma tools that are introduced in the Measure phase are the Cause and Effect Matrix and the Preliminary Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA).

Other tools will be introduced throughout the Lean Six Sigma Training courses. The data collection plan is an important tool that will be utilized in all Lean Six Sigma projects and processes. The data collection plan will, of course, be the plan on what data is necessary to collect for the project, the identification of stratification factors, the determination of a sample size, identifying the data sources and the development of data collection sheets.

Pareto Charts, Control Charts and various other charts will be used in the Lean Six Sigma projects as well. All of these tools are needed to implement a successful Lean Six Sigma process into a company.