An identified improvement opportunity ultimately defines a Lean Six Sigma project: what is failing, how often it fails and how it affects the customer or company. As project manager, you must ensure that the opportunity has what it takes to become a strong project. A strong project has these characteristics:

1. You can establish boundaries and measurable goals.
2. The opportunity is aligned with a critical business issue or initiative.
3. The customer will experience the improvements.

A common question is How often can I find an improvement opportunity? Opportunities fall into two categories: internal and external. Internal improvement opportunities can be identified by:

• Brainstorming with a cross-functional team
• Analyzing key business processes by mapping them or examining their historical performance, if they have been measured previously
• Performing a financial analysis of the business unit
• Reviewing recurring business activities, processes, products or services
• Identifying business goals or indicators that have not been achieved or have performed poorly.

External opportunities come from customers, auditors, creditors and users of our products or services. We can identify external project ideas through:

• Surveys
• Analysis of customer feedback
• Direct conversations with customers

You will probably find several opportunities during your search. How can you prioritize them or eliminate some? Answering the following questions can help:

1. What can you do to improve the situation?
2. How important is this issue to your customer?
3. Can the opportunity or defect be improved in a measurable way?
4. Can you obtain or generate the data easily?
5. Can the benefits be quantified?
6. Is the process stable, or at least controllable?
7. Is the scope focused enough to complete the improvement within six months?
8. Do you have a sponsor willing to provide or help obtain the necessary resources?

If a company leader approaches you with a project idea or business issue that needs attention, understand that you cannot simply accept it exactly as proposed without examining it.

A well-defined problem helps answer the question: Who cares?.

Further reading: Lean Six Sigma by Sheila Shaffie.