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10 Best Lean Six Sigma Books for 2024 [Learn Lean Six Sigma ASAP]

Today we’re looking at the best Lean Six Sigma books for this year.

🧠 Did you know? According to MakeWay Global, Lean Six Sigma has a karate belt-type experience ladder you can climb.

What is Lean Six Sigma?

Lean Six Sigma combines Lean methodologies alongside Six Sigma (techniques and tools used to improve processes). It’s a problem-solving framework focused on continuous improvement at an organization.

By systematically eliminating errors and defects, a team can increase its performance and surpass the expectations of customers.

Who uses Lean Six Sigma?

Lean Six Sigma is used worldwide in industries like:

✅ IT

✅ finance

✅ military

✅ healthcare

✅ manufacturing

And beyond.

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TLDR: Best Lean Six Sigma Books

🔥 Best Overall 🔥
The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook

💥 Best for Newbies 💥

Lean Six Sigma for Dummies

💸 Best Value 💸

Lean Six Sigma QuickStart Guide

Best Lean Six Sigma Books

Now let’s take a look at some of the best Lean Six Sigma books for this year.

All books are geared towards Lean Six Sigma beginners.

You’ll discover their:

  • features
  • core concepts
  • layout
  • comparisons

And more.

All of these books are geared primarily towards Lean Six Sigma beginners.

1. The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook

↘️ Ideal for: new and experienced Lean Six Sigma users
↘️
Topics covered:
Lean and Six Sigma tools and concepts

With The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook, you’ll find expert advice on Lean Six Sigma best practices.

Whether you’re just getting started or are experienced with Lean Six Sigma, this book has you covered.

But take note that it’s a reference guide, not a complete education on Lean Six Sigma.

Best Overall:

  • Good for beginners, Green Belts and Black Belts
  • Discover 70 Lean Six Sigma tools
  • Explore DMAIC improvement cycle

➡️ In our opinion, The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook is one of the best Lean Six Sigma books overall.

Starting with step-by-step instructions, you’ll learn which tools are best to use.

With detailed examples, this book is ideal for Green Belts and Black Belts looking to transition from the classroom to the field.

You’ll learn about 70 Lean Six Sigma tools such as:

✅ Pull

Heijunka

✅ Control charts

You’ll also learn about the DMAIC improvement cycle.

What readers are saying about The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook:

… Whether you are just learning about or [are] very seasoned with Lean Six Sigma this book will serve you well.

Brenda
Project targets in The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook

2. Lean Six Sigma for Dummies

↘️ Ideal for: Lean Six Sigma newbies
↘️
Topics covered:
best practices, implementing Six Sigma, key principles

Lean Lean Six Sigma for Dummies is similar to The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook.

But here you’ll get a more general overview of Lean Six Sigma.

Best for Newbies:

  • Learn key principles of Lean thinking
  • Get a general overview of Lean Six Sigma
  • Explore Lean Six Sigma best practices

➡️ We believe Lean Six Sigma For Dummies is one of the best Lean Six Sigma books for beginners.

It was written by two Lean Six Sigma experts, Martin Brenig-Jones and Jo Dowdall.

With this easy-to-follow guide, you’ll find the key principles of Lean thinking alongside the Six Sigma process.

Histogram example in Lean Six Sigma for Dummies

You’ll learn about:

✅ developing a culture of continuous improvement

✅ completing repetitive tasks using robotic process automation

✅ implementing Six Sigma

And learning Lean Six Sigma best practices.


3. Lean Six Sigma QuickStart Guide

↘️ Ideal for: Lean Six Sigma newbies
↘️
Topics covered:
best practices, tools

Lean Six Sigma QuickStart Guide is similar to The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook and Lean Six Sigma For Dummies.

But it’s a little easier on the wallet.

Best Value:

  • Learn Lean Six Sigma best practices
  • Explore Lean Six Sigma tools
  • Uncover common mistakes made by beginners

➡️ Lean Six Sigma QuickStart Guide is possibly one of the best Lean Six Sigma books for readers on a budget.

You’ll find that there’s not a bunch of jargon gunking up these pages. Rather, it explains Lean Six Sigma concepts in plain English.

Broken down into bite-sized chunks, you’ll find that there are tons of graphs, charts and other illustrations.

Basic levels of Lean Six Sigma in Lean Six Sigma QuickStart Guide

While learning best practices, you’ll learn how Lean Six Sigma is applied.

You’ll also explore tools like DMAIC, DMADV and beyond.

Finally, you’ll get into the nuts and bolts of Lean Six Sigma while learning about common mistakes made by beginners.

What readers are saying about Lean Six Sigma QuickStart Guide:

This is the ultimate book to learn Lean Six Sigma if you are a beginner…

S.H.

4. What is Lean Six Sigma

↘️ Ideal for: Lean Six Sigma newbies
↘️
Topics covered:
Lean Six Sigma basics

Like The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook, What is Lean Six Sigma? is written by Michael George, Dave Rowlands, et al.

But this is just a quick introduction on how to use Lean Six Sigma to improve your workplace.

➡️ What is Lean Six Sigma is arguably one of the best Lean Six Sigma books to learn the absolute basics.

You’ll find tons of diagrams and cartoons alongside real-world applications of Lean Six Sigma.

Before and after Lean Six Sigma in What is Lean Six Sigma?

This books pushes the four keys of Lean Six Sigma:

✅ impress your customers

✅ improve your processes

✅ work together

✅ base decisions on facts

You’ll see the overall picture of how your company can benefit from Lean Six Sigma.


5. Lean Six Sigma: Combining Six Sigma Quality with Lean Production Speed

↘️ Ideal for: Lean Six Sigma newbies
↘️
Topics covered:
cost, inventory and lead time reductions

Like What is Lean Six Sigma and The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook, Lean Six Sigma is another book written by Michael George.

But this step-by-step roadmap will show you how to profit from the best elements of Lean and Six Sigma.

➡️ Lean Six Sigma: Combining Six Sigma Quality with Lean Production Speed is considered by many to be one of the best Lean Six Sigma books of all time.

While focusing on the metrics of time and quality, you’ll explore how to:

✅ achieve cost and lead time reductions

✅ compress order-to-delivery cycle times

✅ battle organizational waste

And more.

In addition, you’ll learn about production efficiency and profitability.

Lean Six Sigma example in Lean Six Sigma: Combining Six Sigma Quality with Lean Speed

6. Unlocking Lean Six Sigma

↘️ Ideal for: Lean Six Sigma newbies
↘️
Topics covered:
continuous process improvement and best practices

Like The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook and Lean Six Sigma For Dummies, you’ll learn Lean Six Sigma best practices.

But you’ll also explore continuous process improvement principles.

➡️ We believe Unlocking Lean Six Sigma is one of the best Lean Six Sigma books for professional development.

It’s considered to be a how-to manual for self-paced learning or working alongside teams.

The book is packed with worksheets, illustrations and charts as well as process improvement case scenarios.

Finally, you’ll find practice questions and areas to document what you’ve learned.


7. Lean Mastery Collection: 8 Books in 1

↘️ Ideal for: Lean Six Sigma newbies
↘️
Topics covered:
8 aspects of Lean

Lean Mastery Collection is a bit different than any other book on our list.

That’s because it contains 8 books in one, each documenting a different aspect of lean.

➡️ In our opinion, Lean Mastery Collection: 8 Books in 1 is one of the best Lean Six Sigma books for tackling multiple aspects of Lean methodology.

Books in the series include:

✅ Lean Six Sigma

✅ Lean Startup

✅ Lean Enterprise

✅ Lean Analytics

✅ Agile Project Management

Kanban

Scrum

Kaizen

Sigma Scale in Lean Mastery Collection

The book Lean Six Sigma is a step-by-step guide for beginners.

It’s meant to help you apply Six Sigma methodology to enterprise and manufacturing processes.


8. Lean Six Sigma Demystified

↘️ Ideal for: Lean Six Sigma newbies
↘️
Topics covered:
Lean Six Sigma methods, tips an strategies

Lean Six Sigma Demystified is similar to Lean Six Sigma For Dummies.

But this book is a few years older.

Not that it makes the information any less relevant, it’s just a little older, that’s all.

➡️ Lean Six Sigma Demystified is perhaps one of the best Lean Six Sigma books for a basic introduction to Lean Six Sigma.

Packed with illustrations and diagrams, you’ll learn key tips and stategies for interpreting data mining and analysis.

Market leadership diagram in Lean Six Sigma Demystified

You’ll also find tons of quizzes and en exam to test your knowledge of key Lean Six Sigma methods while learning about:

✅ value stream mapping

spaghetti diagramming

✅ Excel power tools

tar pits

And using Lean Six Sigma to maximize results while minimizing costs.


9. The Lean Six Sigma Deployment Memory Jogger

↘️ Ideal for: Lean Six Sigma newbies
↘️
Topics covered:
problem solving, value, perfecting Lean Six Sigma

The Lean Six Sigma Deployment Memory Jogger is another introductory book on Lean Six Sigma.

But this book might be one of the easiest to understand.

➡️ The Lean Six Sigma Deployment Memory Jogger is another Lean Six Sigma book we think would be great for absolute beginners.

In this handy pocket-sized book, you’ll learn about core Lean principles like:

✅ problem solving

✅ defining value

✅ pursuing perfection

You’ll also learn about over 30 Lean Six Sigma tools like value streams, spaghetti diagram, Hansei and Yokoten.

Lean Six Sigma change in The Lean Six Sigma Deployment Memory Jogger

10. Lean Six Sigma Quick Study

↘️ Ideal for: new and experienced Lean Six Sigma users
↘️
Topics covered:
core Lean Six Sigma concepts

Lean Six Sigma Quick Study is different than any other Lean Six Sigma book on our list.

That’s because it’s not a book. Rather, it’s a 6-page laminated guide for some key Lean Six Sigma concepts.

Color-coded sections guide you through Lean Six Sigma concepts alongside diagrams, examples, definitions and equations.

Lean Six Sigma tools in Lean Six Sigma Quick Study

It can be used as a light introduction to Lean Six Sigma implementation.

In addition, it’s a useful training tool or reference guide for those experienced with Lean Six Sigma.


Best Lean Six Sigma Books: Conclusion

Today we looked at the best Lean Sig Sigma books including:

🔥 Best Overall 🔥
The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook

💥 Best for Newbies 💥

Lean Six Sigma For Dummies

💸 Best Value 💸

Lean Six Sigma QuickStart Guide

So whether you’re just getting started with Lean Six Sigma or need a handy reference guide, we think these are some of the best Lean Six Sigma books for this year.


Readers of Best Lean Six Sigma Books are also reading:


  1. What is Lean Six Sigma?

    Lean Six Sigma combines Lean methodologies alongside Six Sigma (techniques and tools used to improved processes). It’s a problem-solving framework focused on continuous improvement at an organization. By systematically eliminating errors and defects, a team can increase its performance and surpass the expectations of customers. Learn more about Lean Six Sigma in the books featured in today’s post.

  2. Who uses Lean Six Sigma?

    Lean Six Sigma is used worldwide in industries like IT, finance, military, healthcare, manufacturing and beyond. Learn more about the uses of Lean Six Sigma in today’s post where we’re looking at the best Lean Six Sigma books for this year.

  3. What are the best Lean Six Sigma books?

    In our opinion, there are three Lean Six Sigma books that are a cut above the rest. Overall, we like The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook. For newbies, we like Lean Six Sigma for Dummies. And for best value, we like Lean Six Sigma QuickStart Guide. Learn more about these books in today’s post where we’re looking at the best Lean Sig Sigma books for this year.

  4. Is The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook worth it?

    Yes, we think The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook is worth it. You’ll find expert advice on Lean Six Sigma best practices. Whether you’re just getting started or are experienced with Lean Six Sigma, this book has you covered. Starting with step-by-step instructions, you’ll learn which tools are best to use. With detailed examples, this book is ideal for Green Belts and Black Belts looking to transition from the classroom to the field. Learn more about The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook in today’s article.