Lean Six Sigma I

This course is THE Introduction to Lean Principles and a start in Six Sigma!

Have Fun with Nessie

This game is intentionally not from your business area, so that you can experience LSS principles 1st hand in an unbiased manner and you will get easier insight to transfer tools and methodologies to your own real-life process improvement activities.

And one thing is for sure: This LSS introduction is A LOT OF FUN!

What it is all about – and what not

This live activity course is a part of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) training, focusing on process understanding (mapping, analyzing, issue identification) and process improvement in order to maximize efficiency.

However, it is not a workforce reduction plan nor will it end in throwing more people onto a crappy process.

It also is not a dull schoolroom lecture with one person talking the audience to sleep. It's truly a workshop: You will be active all the time.

As a combination of Lean and Six Sigma principles it is a structured approach to decision making and process improvement based on data and requirements.

Why we choose Legos

We can build things without machines or tools. Just hands and bricks - no special skills required.

It's equally easy to adapt processes, parts or products; exactly what you are supposed to learn without any ineffective waiting times in between. You can focus on those things that really matter in your precious time.

Legos create a playful atmosphere of experimentation and learning from "failures" without taking them too serious. It's a risk free enviroment for creativity.

It's always fun; even if our own Lego-days are way in the past

Some Impressions

Learning objectives

With the Nessie game we exemplify this structured approach to identify, describe, analyze process issues, find opportunities for improvement, develop and implement optimizations. This game will teach you not to jump into conclusions without sufficient reflection of the problem state. The theoretical content will become live in a fun team simulation.

You will learn about powerful tools and methodologies for your own process improvement projects.

How you will achieve this

You will experience and learn about the following:

Voice of the customer and critical customer requirements (VOC, CCR)

Process mapping (Flow chart, swim lanes, Spaghetti, SIPOC)

Timetraps, bottlenecks

Waste (TIMWOODS)

Adding value (VA, NVA, BNVA)

Little‘s law, efficiency

The value of Data

One piece flow

Push/Pull systems

Line balancing

and many more...

The setting

This game is intended for groups of 4-10 players each. We can efficiently host up to 3 groups at once.

The Nessie game comprises an Introduction into the LSS basics, two to three playing rounds, data capturing and evaluation in conjunction with all the tools mentioned above. This requires a little time; typically a whole working day including lunch and coffee breaks to allow discussions and questions of the participants. Since it is a lot of fun, time will fly by and before you realized it, you will have learned and experienced powerful tools and methods of process improvement.

You are keen on playing the Nessie game?

If you're interested to experience LSS principles first hand with as little as 4 colleagues or a big group of up to 30 people - feel free to contact us. We're more than happy to talk to you.

Participant feedback on the joint Galenus and IPPD Workshop during the 2025 CRS meeting

Martin's workshop on Lean and Six Sigma principles was truly eye-opening. New to the concept of Lean and Six Sigma, I was initially skeptical of the Lego Nessie method, but I found it to be an excellent analogy for complex pharmaceutical processes. Martin's proactive approach kept us on our feet and actively engaged throughout, seamlessly integrating concepts and theory. Rather than a dry lecture, he empowered us to discover Lean and Six Sigma principles ourselves in our team. The workshop provided invaluable tools for process improvement and I now understand how to identify bottlenecks, streamline workflows, and enhance efficiency in our organization. I've gained a deep appreciation for data-driven decision-making and the workshop equipped me with practical techniques to boost productivity, reduce costs, and improve customer centricity. I'm now confident in my ability to implement Lean Six Sigma principles, fostering a culture of ongoing enhancement within my organization.

S. Teworte, InnoMedica, CH-Bern

Vielen Dank nochmal für den Workshop. Dieser war sehr lehrreich und anschaulich und definitiv eine Weiterempfehlung wert.

A. Biesel, Helmholtz-Institut, D-Saarbrücken

I met Martin at a Lean Six Sigma workshop. Like a seasoned captain, Martin guided us through the sea of new concepts, steering us through the application of various tools with a hands-on approach. Under his leadership, we charted a course toward improved performance and faster value creation in business processes, making the journey both insightful and transformative.

M. Blanco Massani, University of Innsbruck (AT)

Ich möchte mich herzlich bei Ihnen für den sehr interessanten Workshop über Lean Six Sigma auf dem CRS Local Chapter Meeting bedanken. Die Veranstaltung war kurzweilig und bot einen schönen Einblick in dieses wichtige Thema. Besonders anschaulich fand ich, dass der Produktionsprozess von „Nessie“ im Vordergrund stand und nicht eine spezifische pharmazeutische Darreichungsform.

F. Paulus, Syddansk Universitet, DK-Odense