Achieving aggressive goals through Lean Six Sigma: A case study to improve revenue collection

Lean Six Sigma is typically used to address tightly scoped issues through short-term projects (four–six months). Yet, many improvement efforts have aggressive goals that cannot be addressed in a short timeframe. This research provides an example regarding how to use the Lean Six Sigma methodology iteratively to address a vigorous improvement goal. Within a subsea oil and gas service provider, this approach led to changes in the billing process that reduced the time-to-invoice by approximately 50 percent. While all Lean Six Sigma tools are not used in this case study, methods tapping into expertise within the organization are demonstrated.