ABSTRACT
The Value Engineering (VE) counterpart, Prioritize Issues, is more focused on potential gains and the feasibility of implementation. Lean Six Sigma (LSS) has a more detailed front-end process for data collection. When LSS establishes goals in the Define phase, customer communication tools such as Likert scales, surveys, interviews, and focus groups are used. Whereas the VE methodology simply states that the data should be collected, LSS creates and analyzes process maps, determines and prioritizes measurement systems, and establishes a formal data-collection plan. When VE finalizes the problem and facts in its Information phase, it often uses Quality Function Deployment to obtain a better understanding of the data and data sources in the context of the problem. A VE continuous process improvement project, conducted on August 3, 2009, by the Defense Supply Center Columbus, provides an example of how the more structured LSS data-collection process can help improve the VE methodology.
