A compressed Lean Six Sigma approach that delivers
In the world of private equity and scaling SMBs, time is the enemy.
Process improvement efforts must deliver rapid, measurable impact.
Ask an operating partner about Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and youโll likely get an eye roll. End of conversation. LSS methodologies, while effective, are often viewed as too heavy and slow for the velocity PE firms demand and what is best for agile SMBs.
Hereโs the shift: a ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ด๐บ๐ฎ approach retains the rigor but sheds the overhead. Instead of six-month DMAIC cycles and binders of documentation and process maps, think in sprints of 30 to 45 days that are targeted at cash-critical workflows.
๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐:
Quote-to-Cash
Hire-to-Onboard
Close-to-Report
Customer Onboarding-to-Billing
๐๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐:
Define & Measure in 5-7 days with SIPOC and value stream mapping
Improve in 2-4 weeks using Lean tactics directly tied to OKRs
Control through lightweight governance
Sustain results through dashboards + KPI owners (no PMO army needed)
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐๐ ๐โ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป:
Improved DSO through quoting, order entry, and fulfillment improvements
22% faster revenue cycle
30% fewer AR exceptions
Days stripped out of the monthly close process
FTEs reallocated from wasteful correction of orders and invoices
All outcomes aligned to OKRs
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐
This model isnโt about perfection. Itโs about sustainable impact and speed. Much like implementing CIS 18 controls in stages over the full NIST catalog of cybersecurity controls, compressed LSS prioritizes speed and impact without compromising effectiveness. Both approaches focus on what matters most, eliminating unnecessary overhead, and creating impactful results.
Private equity operating partners and SMB CEOs donโt have time for frameworks that don't produce results with velocity. They need sustainable and measurable impact, revenue acceleration, and margin improvements. This approach delivers all three. So instead of glorifying the process, compress it.
Strip away the overhead. Keep what drives change. Move fast.
