Executive Overview of X-Stream LEAN 

The principals of X-Stream LEAN, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, have been at the forefront of developing World-Class Business Performance, Leadership Development, and the LEAN Six Sigma (LSS) methodology in industry and government since the late 1990s.  We have direct and extensive experience in working with commercial firms, service organizations, and government agencies that have experienced a broad range of organizational, functional, and systemic issues.  We have been able to help them determine the root cause for the challenges they face and implement effective solutions that provide increased value-add to their customers; improved their organizational effectiveness; and helped them develop additional capability, as well as achieving increased bottom line profitability.  We have been instrumental in developing and proving some of the most effective tools and techniques available to practitioners today.  For our Business Process Improvement efforts, we blend the methodologies of LEAN, Six Sigma, and Theory of Constraints in order to find a specific approach to meet the needs of each individual organization.  We strongly believe that you should not “force fit” a single approach or a “fad solution” to your unique issues and challenges. 

We worked with a manufacturing firm in the Midwest that was scheduled to close and move to China.  After working with their team, we helped them design and implement a new state-of-the art LEAN manufacturing facility that opened in their hometown with better capability and profitability than the offshore option would have generated.   We worked with the FBI the week after 9/11 to help their team find new and better ways to track and analyze financial transactions and reporting. For IT organizations, we incorporate these approaches plus AGILE Programming techniques to achieve real and demonstrable improvements.   Non-Manufacturing LEAN Six Sigma, including Software System and Information Technology, organizational restructuring, improving customer service/healthcare organizations, and Product Development Kaizens, in particular, were developed by the Principals of X-Stream LEAN and proven in a wide variety of business operations.  Both of our practicing Principals are Master Black Belt Senseis: Master Black Belts capable of training and certifying new Master Black Belts (MBBs). 

No organization should desire to be in a position to depend on “outsiders” to implement and sustain their improvement initiatives.  To this end, our ability to provide training for your organization to develop an organic ability to achieve self-sustainment for World-Class business process improvement is second to none.  Our material meets 100% of the requirements of the American Society for Quality Body of Knowledge Standards.  We exceed even those rigorous standards by providing training in team facilitation, event management, and the insight to more effectively manage change that is not found in other courses available today.  Additionally, X-Stream LEAN has done a comprehensive evaluation of the LEAN Leadership, Green Belt, and Black Belt training programs being conducted industry-wide.  In so doing, we have identified several issues that seem to be common failure modes in student learning as well as the failure of the typical training program to deliver full business value from an ROI perspective. 

J. R McGee and Sandra K. Miller have personal experience in providing training and developing materials that have resulted in more than 30,000 Green Belts; 10,000 Black Belts; and more than 50 Master Black Belts receiving certification.  We believe that this provides us with the perspective to credibly state that we are basing our Executive LEAN Leadership/LEAN Champion, Green Belt, and our Black Belt training on actual empirical data and deep practical experience with respect to what works and what does not as well as state-of-the-art, adult-based education models.  Our purpose in collecting this data was to develop Executive LEAN Leadership, Green Belt and Black Belt training programs that address these failure modes and to deliver value that is second to none in the industry.  Our ultimate goal is to eliminate the frustration of the students whose prior training did not fully prepare them to immediately begin using the LEAN Six Sigma skills or effectively facilitate events; and their management who could not see immediate return on their education/training dollar.    

X-Stream LEAN will provide senior consultants who will be responsible for coordinating with your key leadership to ensure that an effective LEAN Six Sigma Deployment Plan is developed and executed in accordance with the direction received from decisions made by your key leadership team.  Services that can be provided include, but are not limited to:  Facilitating your teams in the analysis and development of new business processes (RIE/Kaizen); Executive LEAN Leadership training; the Green Belt and Black Belt candidate selection process; Green Belt and Black Belt training and certification; provide guidance on project selection; making recommendations for effective metrics identification and development; and development of the support infrastructure required to ensure an effective LEAN Six Sigma Program is established and executed.  

X-Stream LEAN senior consultants will work with your key leadership to integrate our practitioners very tightly into your team and ensure that we work to clearly understand your organization, your mission, your requirements, and your culture in order for us to become effective change agents for your benefit.  We will provide extensive coaching and mentoring at each stage of your progression through the integration of LEAN Six Sigma into the culture of your organization.  In addition to our two Master Black Belt Senseis, every Master Black Belt working with X‑Stream LEAN has owned, operated a business, or had direct P&L responsibility for a business unit or a major government program or operation.  There are numerous consultants who have received the training, many who have worked in quality functions, and some who have driven major changes in organizations.  However, we feel that to provide true value to our customers, we aggressively select our practitioners who have actually held Senior/Key Leadership positions in major organizations in order to provide the same experience and the same perspective as the key leadership we are facilitating or coaching.  We speak the language and walk the talk when it comes to mission success, schedule, and cost!

Conclusion

Our executive team has the advantage of two highly respected individuals that were involved from the very beginning of the LSS revolution and have been responsible for developing some of the key methodologies for implementing LEAN Six Sigma in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing environments.  Office, IT, and Non-Manufacturing LEAN is the most difficult to visualize and yet is the most powerful to implement.  J.R. McGee and Sandra Miller are both Certified Master Black Belt Senseis and recognized leaders in this new business approach.

J.R. was responsible for developing and implementing the Master Black Belt Program for the world’s largest aerospace corporation.  This implementation has been recognized by industry leaders such as Toyota and GE as representing the “Best of The Best” and they are beginning to implement aspects of his program within their own eminently successful programs.

Sandra Miller was responsible for the vast majority of the Green Belt and Black Belt material development for the same corporation.  She is recognized as a highly qualified World-Class content developer both nationally and internationally.  She has received International Awards as a Keynote Speaker representing LSS to organizations both at home and abroad.  She has produced the very finest Executive LEAN Leadership, Green Belt and Black Belt training material available for you and your employees. 

Both J.R. and Sandra are also widely recognized as excellent practitioners with well over 500 events/projects completed between them.  Our broad-base of experience in a wide range of industry and government organizations has given us a unique perspective on what works in typical LSS approaches and what is lacking.  They also bring exceptional expertise in the tools and techniques required.

Why should YOU choose X-Stream LEAN? 

A.  We provide significant experience in coaching and developing business and governmental organizations with practical expertise combined with an effective method of knowledge transfer to your leadership. 

B.  We deliver much more than theoretical advice and information. We haven’t just studied the theory of leadership; we have served in leadership roles with your responsibilities.   Our experience is very often the same as those we are coaching.  This credibility is critical in establishing trust and confidence with those with whom we are working.  We establish the long-term benefit coupled with practical examples of real-world situations and scenarios.  We develop their skills and expertise through facilitated role playing and one-on-one situations, one-on-one training for specific skill set development, and we provide long-term coaching and mentoring for your leadership after completion of the course.

C.  Our courses are practical, relevant, unique, and usable the minute your leaders and employees return to their workplace.

D.  Our experience with training and developing High Performance Work Teams (such as TOP GUN, Navy Seals, Delta Force, Special Forces, Army Rangers, Green Beret, etc) allows us to energize your leadership team, motivate them to set higher standards, and provide them with the skills and knowledge required to produce world-class leadership in the workplace.

E.  The world is overrun with “managers” who are trained and expected to maintain the “Status Quo”.  This is not a bad thing - we need managers.  Yet the world is critically short of true leaders.  True leadership is not “born” or inherited, it is learned, developed, and people who are serious about becoming truly effective leaders are constantly improving their skills and abilities.  We can help you significantly increase your leadership potential and your leadership skills in influencing others.