Project scoping can be the most important element in Lean Six Sigma and similar initiatives. Scoping out the right amount of change can and often is challenging at first. For beginners, scoping change using the following lenses can greatlt improve the odds of success in delivering a project objectives on time.

Process Scope
Business Scope
Authority

Each of these lenses should be accounted for to assure your project isn't taking you into deep waters. In other words, boiling the ocean with a bunsen burner is not an option.

You want to assure your project ….

Is protected from competing or parallel initiatives and/or projects.
Maximizes the probability to achieve return on investment and target performance levels.
Supports strategic priorities and deadlines.
Maximizes the ability to detect cause and effect of change.
Minimizes disruption to day to day business operations inside or outside the process boundary.

Let's look at all three lenses.

1) Process Scope

The “Process” Scope or process boundary can be summarized as simply as the 1st step in your process to the last step. The process scope or process boundary anchors the team’s focus area to a range of activities that the team and stakeholders believe are key to closing process performance gaps. A SIPOC analysis can facilitate this lens.

2) Business Scope

Keep in mind that the "process" scope assigned in the first lens above may exist at multiple locations, shifts, customers, etc. So a key question - do you want to solve or improve the process for the entire organization or for a particular stratification opportunity.

The “Business” Scope helps to describe how much of the business is being targeted for change. Note - there is a direct correlation between project scope and disruption to day to day business. Stratification factors germane to the organization or business model can help you tease out how much of the business can reasonably be changed without disrupting day to day business operations.

Examples of stratification factors important in selecting the project scope include the following;

By Customer (segment or related dimensions)
By Industry (e.g. consumer, B2B, Federal, etc.)
By Process (already discussed in previous slides)
By Region or Geography
By Defect or CTQ (Critical to Quality Characteristics)
By Product or Service Category

As always, use data to help locate the stratification opportunity for a given project. In the example below, product, process, region and customer segment were used.

“This project will focus on improving retail sales for wireless handsets in the New York region for multi-cultural segment”

3) Authority "Power of Attorney"

The first two lens essentially described the "construction zone" of where the project will take place. The third lens addresses what can be changed in the construction zone. This is what is referred to as the “authority” element of the project scope. It clarifies what can be changed and what is off limits. Let's apply this to the business scoping statement above. This can easily be articulated using “Scope-In” and “Scope-Out” as shown below.

Scope – In

Corporate and indirect retail sales channels

Scope – Out

Online and media sales
No IT project support (work flow only)
Manhattan retail stores

Putting it all together

Scoping Lean Six Sigma projects especially early in a deployment can often be tricky. Make sure processes selected for improvement have strategic implications. First, isolate the process steps to be improved. Next, use data and stratification factors to carve out the right opportunity and the right amount of change your organization can handle without disrupting day to day operations. Don't worry about solving or improving everything. What's learned or gained will offer replication opportunities outside of the "construction zone".

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