Lean manufacturing techniques can be employed to supply chain management as well. Before that we need to have an overall view of priority and inefficient areas. Maintaining a minimal level of inventory by cooperating with suppliers and having accurate forecasts is the key. Efficient transportation system through long term contracts and shipping agreements is needed. Keeping up-to-date with latest Warehouse Management System (WMS) software to store and evaluate data.  Picking processes constitute a major portion of overall expenses thereby optimizing it would trigger shortened lead times and improved quality. Returns need to be managed properly in the supply chain management, especially for e - retailers. Lean requires discipline, potential investment in technology, and a continued commitment to its principles and approach.Read more at: http://www.sdcexec.com/article/12336165/eight-tips-for-running-a-lean-supply-chain

This article tells us why both Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) are needed.  Please go through the link for more details: http://qfd-institute.blogspot.in/2013/03/dfss-dfls-and-qfd-why-we-need-both.html

Design for Six Sigma is a design methodology. It works if properly instituted and executed. Wrongly designing and forcefully applying can cause more harm than help. If we need to implement Design for Six Sigma we should do it at the primary levels and not during the mid or operating level. To know more about this topic, go through Alan Nicol (Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions)'s article link: http://www.manufacturing.net/articles/2012/04/wrongly-doing-design-for-six-sigma

Lean - a set of tool that improves efficiency and the most important - improves profitability. 

Nowadays, hospitals are also using lean tools. Hospitals and other healthcare institutions are required to spend considerable time with patients which keeps other patients in line waiting. To clear problems of all of them, is a stressful job for doctors who attend them. One way to solve this is to add more staff to your organization. But, this has a flip side also. It will add cost to you. So, you have to think in a different way. You have to think in such a way, so that you clear all your stresses without incurring any extra cost.

This is where the Lean comes handy. By streamlining your process, it will add efficiency to your healthcare institution. Some of the immediate outcomes include reduction of lab turnaround time, reduction of emergency department turnaround time, etc. Apart from this, with effective management, doctors, nurses and other staffs attending patients can ease their stress and also they do not keep other patients waiting. You do not have to add extra workforce. Your healthcare institution’s efficiency will improve and cost will reduce.

Located at Sioux Falls, United States, Avera Medical Group applied lean practices to improve efficiency. Read at http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/business-journal/2014/05/07/health-systems-learn-lean/8781179/  to know how the clinic did it.

In words of Mahatma Gandhi:
“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory”.

In sync with the above said words we find a case study which describes the efforts which were taken by a hospital to enhance its efficiency and productivity by using Lean & Six Sigma. Through this, management was able to reduce average door-to-physician time, outpatient length of stay and overall satisfaction level of their patients.
Please go through the link for more details: http://www.projmasters.com/project-management-consulting-services/project-management-case-studies/enhance-hospital-operation-using-lean-six-sigma/