I found your question interesting. - I have understood that it is a system for training the people doing the job. Recently Xerox had cancelled such a program: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/money/business/2014/10/13/xerox-cuts-popular-lean-six-sigma-program-jobs/17203841/

5S might be useful

Hello. You can use it because you can apply the statistical approach for any type of process with quantitative variables.You will determine the variability of the process in order to apply the statistical methods to control the process variables maintaining them in control between the +/-6 sigma.

Good morning Dino;

I also agree with our colleagues, it can be used for this area of interest.  However, that being said, realize that waste management, (as I am interpreting your implication), is a broad term and will require your reviewing the process controls for each area "feeding" it.  Waste management does not produce waste, it is an accumulation of data outputs from various areas/departments.  As such you may be better served by applying the six sigma principles to the areas/departments in your Lab to reduce the waste outputs.  I would then monitor and establish your mean and SD's for the WM section.  Outliers can then be identified and explained.

Hope this helps!

Garrett, I like what you are starting to say.  The manufacture of product, is for the most part, being avoided by the waste treatment industry.  Methane and heat are two anaerobic products easily produced, if the political will and understanding were present, along with aerobic downstream products such as algae for bio fuel, feed, etc.  Here the application of refining continuous improvements becomes even more productive.  To apply 6S to the disposal process, as you point out, is a waste (no pun intended) of time.  Becoming more efficient at throwing stuff out misses the point.   Economy of scale, aimed at reduction may do some good for the planet but the absence of generating energy, food (greenhouses using the methane heat by-product) and fuel in consumer enters (cities) is a shame. We could even call it a Deming Debacle (the misapplication of continuous improvement and Kaizen) into areas of minor rather than major impact.  We could learn to improve or fiddling while Rome continues to burn.  The illusion of achieving something is lost in the scale of our failure to generate heat, food and fuel from our own waste while refusing to turn the water to agricultural purposes or return it to the underground storage chambers.  

Jon;

Now you're delving into a sustainable conversation, (pun entirely intended!).  The use of "waste" to generate the elements you discussed is certainly a corollary to this conversation, but I took what Dino was asking in its basic presentation, "can we apply statistical applications to waste management to identify opportunities for improvement, ergo, waste reduction.

Garrett,

We read from the same page. But to not discuss that which remains undiscussed is to select for our basket the lowest hanging fruit and change what we now scarcely imagine.  We seek to open the doors of opportunity and make the changes so radical it results in people abandoning the archaic thoughts of the sun revolving around the Earth. If we apply statistics to methane pretreatment what is the reduction of energy consumption to pump the water in its cycle of waste retrieval?   Is waste only measured by what we pump out the door?  Or is it all aspects of costs and consumption of resources used in the process of treatment?  The lowest hanging fruit gives us the greatest gains. All the activities will contribute and therefore move us forward (medical contaminant removal, decreasing the energy consumption of pumping and adding oxygen, transport systems for removal of waste, etc).   But how long will it take for the money to realize Pirzig's trap and decline to insert his hand into the coconut for the highly valued rice.  Six Sigma requires a champion.  However, if the champion does not understand the monkey trap; then how does the situation really change.  It does not.  We must extract ourselves from the desire that makes small improvements important while the large improvements go unattended. We need both continuous improvements and quantum leaps in redefining the function and purpose of waste treatment.   It is not waste treatment it is energy and food production.  We see ourselves in narrow rows of turnips surround by nothing by turnips.  This limited horizon serves the monkey trap and does not allow us to explore other avenues that may be more beneficial.   If we can accelerate the decline of BOD levels does it make us more efficient.  Perhaps, as long as the offset is not higher energy consumption.  A potential problem with Six Sigma, is the narrow application without the understanding of the consequence to systems outside our sphere of professional impact.  

Do we pump more water for agriculture while the aquifer shrinks, driving electrical consumption up, and risk of damaging in fracture.  Our actions are interrelated. 

 "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

― William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Hi Dino,

You may also explore other systems dynamic modelling tools such as sensitivity modelling, Vensim for developing causal loop diagrams, ithink for modelling stock and flows, Netica for scenario testing, and agent-based modelling,... Those are quite handy and generic, meaning that you can apply the software in any fields (including waste management).

Kind regards,

Tuan

Six Sigma is a methodology for troubleshooting no matter what the type of problem to be addressed, it is important to know the methodology applied step by step through each of its stages, defining the problem and the goal to achieve in your If quantify residues that are currently being generated, that is, make a diagnosis of the current state of the company in terms of waste generation, then you have to prioritize which of your processes or threads is where it is generating this problem, after that cuantifiques your problem in terms of quantity of waste (use of statistical tools) must quantify the costs and losses there can set a goal to reach with your Six Sigma project.

Then follows the step of measuring where data must be obtained to identify all the variables involved in the problem, analyze where use of statistical tools to analyze information gathered). brainstorming is done with the staff involved in the problem by defining all possible causes, identify root causes, having identified the causes improvement proposals arise and are implemented, this is the stage better. Then follows the collection of new information after the implementation stage and perform the deVerificar where you apply statistical tools by comparing the before vs after implementation, finally at the stage where we let controar writing and must continue smuggling.

Lean Six Sigma is a mind-set, methodology for process improvement and a management strategy. It is not merely a set of tools-techniques, rather has a significant strategic element to it. So, in my opinion, Lean Six Sigma is applicable everywhere and e-waste management is not an exception. Wherever a process exists, process improvement is possible, and Lean Six Sigma would be an enabler in that journey.

Yes ,of Course.Lean Six Sigma is a data-driven methodology used to eliminate/reduce the process waste/defects. To achieve Six Sigma qualities, a process must produce no more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities (dpmo level.) Researchers have used its principles for process improvement, by using various statistical methods and achieved significant financial gains.

U can see one of the paper 

Integrating Six Sigma Culture and TPM Framework to Improve Manufacturing Performance in SMEs, Quality Reliability Engineering International,  Wiley Interscience, Impact Factor 1.4 57 SCI Indexed

 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/qre.1525/abstract