This book is intended for those who want to get started with carrying out improvement projects on the shop floor or in their own work environment. In addition, this book is intended for anyone who participates as a team member in a larger Lean or Six Sigma, Green or Black Belt project. The structure of this book is based on the ‘Continuous Improvement Maturity Model’ (CIMM). The CIMM framework connects various improvement methods such as Agile, Kaizen, Lean and Six Sigma and lists the most commonly applied techniques in the field of continuous improvement and quality management. The framework also connects the so-called hard and soft elements of the transformation process that organizations have to deal with if they want to implement continuous improvement more firmly. The CIMM framework is discussed in section. In terms of structure, this book follows the LSSA syllabus for Lean Six Sigma Orange Belt. All techniques mentioned in this syllabus are covered in this book. It is advised to also use the accompanying exercise book. Those wishing to obtain their certification are advised to read the information in Appendix A. Those who wish to apply Lean or Six Sigma at a Yellow, Green or Black Belt level are advised to read one of the other books in the series ‘Climbing the Mountain’ and use the corresponding exercise book.
