Our methods
The right method for the problem in front of you
We bring the process improvement methods large companies pay for: Lean Six Sigma, design thinking, business analytics and other proven tools. We choose them to fit your problem, never the other way around.
Fit first
Start with the problem, then pick the tool
A slow hiring process, a confusing intake form and a board that can’t see the numbers are three different problems. They need three different tools. During Diagnose we look at what’s actually breaking, then pick the method most likely to fix it in the time you have.
Most engagements use more than one. You won’t need to learn the vocabulary. We explain each step in plain words as we go.
Waste and errors
Lean Six Sigma: take out the delays and the rework
Lean Six Sigma is a set of methods for removing waste and errors from a process. Lean finds the steps that add time without adding value, like waiting, re-entering data or chasing signatures. Six Sigma uses data to find why errors happen and stop them from coming back.
Most projects follow five stages called DMAIC: Define the problem, Measure how it runs today, Analyze the causes, Improve the process, and Control it so the gains hold.
When we use it: repeatable work with too many handoffs, long wait times or frequent mistakes. Hiring, onboarding, billing, purchasing and credential tracking are common fits.
The people you serve
Design thinking: build around the people who use it
Design thinking starts with the people on the other end of the process: the parent enrolling a child, the new hire on day one, the client waiting for service. We watch where they get stuck, sketch a better way, test it on a small scale and refine it before it goes wide.
When we use it: when the problem is the experience itself, or when no one agrees on what “better” looks like yet. Intake, enrollment and onboarding often start here.
Numbers leaders use
Business analytics: turn scattered data into decisions
Business analytics means pulling your data together from the systems it’s scattered across and shaping it into answers. That might be a dashboard your leaders check weekly, a cost-per-person-served figure or a staffing forecast for next year.
When we use it: when leaders are deciding without a clear picture, or when someone builds the board report by hand the night before. It also powers the monthly scorecard in every Sustain engagement.
The rest of the toolkit
Other proven methods we bring in
Process mapping
A picture of every step and handoff as the work runs today, so everyone sees the same thing.
Root cause analysis
Structured questioning that gets past symptoms to the reason a problem keeps returning.
Time studies
Measuring how long work really takes, with consent and aggregated results, so plans rest on facts.
Market and classification analysis
Comparing your roles and pay against peer organizations, using documents we can cite.
Change management
Planning how people learn, adopt and keep using the new way of working.
Project management
A clear plan with owners, dates and measures, so the fix finishes on time.
Every engagement
Whatever the method, you get a baseline and a result
Every engagement starts with a baseline and ends with the numbers that moved. Every method we use is explained in plain language, and every recommendation is backed by evidence you can check.
Tell us what’s breaking, and we’ll tell you which tool fits.
In 30 minutes we’ll tell you honestly whether we can help.
