What aspect does Lean focus on compared to the focus of Six Sigma?

Lean primarily emphasizes waste elimination within processes. Its fundamental objective is to streamline operations by identifying and eliminating non-value-added activities, which in turn improves efficiency and creates smoother workflow. This approach is about optimizing process flow and ensuring that every step in a process adds value to the end product or service, thus reducing delays and bottlenecks.

In contrast, while Six Sigma also aims to improve processes, its main focus is on variation control. It seeks to reduce process variability and improve quality by using statistical tools and methodologies to analyze data and identify areas of improvement.

The distinction between Lean and Six Sigma lies in their core objectives—Lean pursues the removal of waste to enhance flow, whereas Six Sigma focuses on decreasing variation to enhance quality. Both methodologies can complement each other effectively, but their primary focuses are notably different, with Lean being more aligned with waste elimination.