When GlaxoWellcome/SmithKline Beecham merged in 2001, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) came to being. And like all mergers, the newly formed company has to deal with the different operating systems and processes.
GSK went into Lean Six Sigma as it was deemed suited to help incorporate the processes and develop a joint culture. Let me give you a shortline outline of how GSK went into its Lean Six Sigma journey.
Some of the lessons learned:
- It is important to capture and display baseline facts and data before an improvement activity.
- Sponsorship and senior management, and even middle/lower management, support throughout the organization is essential.
- Communication of the overall Lean Sigma programme is vital to obtain support.
- Lean Sigma approaches are particularly appropriate for optimization of bureaucratic activities in R&D.
- Sigma approaches can be useful in reducing the variability of inputs.
