How to select a good lean Six Sigma Consultant?

A Six Sigma consultant is someone who is not only trained in Six Sigma but who will also impart and help the stakeholders to implement Six Sigma.

The key to selecting the right consultant is to have patience.

Letting the consultant do the audit, allowing them to come with their feedback could be the initial step. It is highly recommended to not reveal all your problems to the consultant on day one. Companies tend to choose consultants based on temporary results or quick wins instead of choosing a consultant with a long-term vision.

On the contrary, we at Arrowhead Consulting (arrowheadco.net – Serving Global Clients Implement Lean Six Sigma Concepts ) strongly believe in going through all the details and requirements of clients thoroughly before taking up training. We customize the training as per the needs. Specific training for team members has proven to be essential in equipping team members with the tools and skills to accelerate project cycle times and reduce the time to realize economic benefits. 

Having worked with clients across the globe for the past 21 years in different sectors gives us leverage to help better. As we understand and have expertise in almost all industries.

The Stages of Hiring a Consultant 

Stage I: Here, the experienced consultant (internal or external to the company) plays the main role in leading a team. The consultant plays the primary role of facilitating and guiding the counterpart team through the project stages, from inception to successful implementation. and more comfortable with  Lean Six Sigma tools. 

 Stage II: In this phase, the roles are reversed from Phase I. The Lean Six Sigma expert becomes the shadow while the counterpart is now pushed into the main role. Although in the shadows, the expert is very active in ensuring the success of the project.

Part of the role of the expert is to ensure that the other party is always seen in the primary role, whether facilitating discussions, solving problems, assigning group roles.

Stage III: Stage III: This phase is a replica of Phase II, except the consultant, is no longer acting as a shadow.

The consultant may not even be at the Client’s site if the expert was an external consultant. 

The new Team Leader leads a new project and deploys the necessary  Lean Six Sigma tools without an on-site LSS consultant 

Here are the qualities recruiters should look for in a Six Sigma consultant:

• A prospective Six Sigma consultant must understand the current state of the business and the general market. 
• Must be able to persuade members of the need for change.
• The six sigma consultant must have an aptitude for statistics and data analysis. 
• Must be open to learning and using that knowledge to make appropriate changes to increase customer satisfaction. 
• The Six Sigma consultant must have the ability to lead and provide adequate guidance to those working under him. 
• Must have a strong technical predisposition with greater practical ability. 
• Must be able to persuade members of the need for change. 
• Lead root cause analysis to detect problems and develop lasting solutions.

General roles a consultant plays in an organization: 

•  Provide consulting services to the senior executives and business unit managers, business process and value stream analyses, and identification of strategic projects 
•  Manage both tactical and strategic projects in various areas of the business to achieve incremental revenue, cost/expense reductions, and working capital optimization 

•  Be a change agent driving cultural change focused on the success of the business and its customers 
•  Works with the senior management to ensure Six Sigma support is strategically aligned with business or customer goals. functional area
• Ensures six sigma functional area policies and procedures are aligned with the six sigma business vision 
•  Lead projects from inception through delivery and benefit control 
•  Lead cross-functional teams, including staff/ business function and external vendors 

•  Deliver results that meet or exceed project objectives based on goals of improving return on investment, customer satisfaction, or employee satisfaction  
•   project timelines to manage the realization of project benefits and maintain the downstream effect on the project pipeline 
•   Monitor and communicate results of process improvement projects/initiatives to management and leadership team 
•  Communicate and influence stakeholders at all levels 

•  Develop and maintain productive relationships with customers, staff, and management through individual contacts and group meetings 
•  Promote the adoption of tools and methods by reinforcing the value proposition.
•  Tutor and coach Green Belt and team members in the work project, helping them understand and use Lean, Six Sigma for successful and timely project delivery

The vision of hiring a consultant should be long-term, as you want to transform your business model and engage process managers, functional leaders, and other stakeholders to engage all levels of the organization to drive long-term results and have long-term gains as well. Contact us to know how Arrowhead (Contact us – arrowheadco.net ) could help transform your business.