As part of its Liftoff for Learning drive, Boeing employees donated time and money to help ensure that school children in cities across the country had enough school supplies to start the new academic year.

In Arizona, they also learned the advantage of applying Lean Six Sigma to a volunteer effort.

Adam Esposito, a Boeing procurement analyst, realized he could use his Lean Six Sigma project management skills shortly after arriving to help pack school supplies with fellow Boeing employees and members of the community in Mesa, Arizona.

Esposito said he first took the time to talk with other volunteers and find out who was doing different jobs. He then “assessed the situation to find the holes in the process,” according to a news release from Boeing. He added, “I determined the best place for me was running support — organizing, preparing bags, running quality checks. I was able to assist the primary bag packers so they could focus on completing each bag with equal quantities of supplies.”

The focus on efficiency paid off. Volunteers in Mesa filled backpacks with school supplies for 90 students. Nationwide, Boeing employees donated more than $154,000 and volunteered more than 350 hours.

The effort in Mesa also showed the effectiveness of applying Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques to volunteer efforts. It’s something that also applies to the nonprofit sector and, increasingly, social impact initiatives.

Lean Six Sigma and Nonprofits

While typically associated with private business, Lean Six Sigma can make operations more efficient in any type of operation, including nonprofit agencies and volunteer efforts. It’s especially important for nonprofits who often have fewer financial resources than for-profit organizations.

For example, the Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio provided Lean Six Sigma training and certification for employees at the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. The investment in earning a Lean Six Sigma education proved worthwhile, as they lowered the time between food donation and delivery from 92 days to just 39.

Nonprofit and volunteer organizations can benefit from having Lean Six Sigma trained people involved in the operation. The tools and techniques of the methodology can make any process more efficient. For example:

  • Updating and managing client case files
  • Caring for and feeding animals in a shelter
  • Mobilizing resources for disaster relief
  • Deploying community educational programs
  • Maintaining financial records and budgets
  • Improving customer service

Lean Six Sigma and Social Impact Initiatives

Lean Six Sigma is quickly becoming popular in the nonprofit industry, including areas where the process can make significant social impact. One of the best-known stories in this area happened in San Diego.

As reported in the San Diego Business Journal, a San Diego-area charity called Father Joe’s Villages faced a dire financial situation after Father Joe Carroll, the man who had led the organization for decades, announced his retirement. Donations immediately dropped off. A program that served 3,000 plates of food a day to the city’s homeless was in jeopardy.

The board of directors called in an expert in Lean Six Sigma who found ways to cut down the cost of food used in preparing the meals by purchasing food from local food banks. They cut the cost of food purchases by $750,000 annually and were able to maintain the free meal service.

It’s one of the clearest examples of how efficiency can have a strong social impact. The organization continues to run programs that help the homeless to this day.