SIC

Lean Green Belt Tool SIC

What is SIC

SIC (Short Interval Control, a.k.a. Active Supervision, Short Interval Management (SIM) or Lean Daily Management) is a system of organized periodic stand-up meetings to enable early reaction to process situations.

Why SIC

General advantages

  • Enables early reaction to situations
  • Waste reduction (Mura)

Reduces waste types

  • ☐ Conveyance
  • ☐ Inventory
  • ☐ Motion
  • ☑ Waiting
  • ☐ Overproduction
  • ☐ Overprocessing
  • ☑ Correction

When to use SIC

Essential conditions

Gemba

Best source of information

KPIs

Enables process measurement

PDCA

The essence of SIC (Short Interval Control, a.k.a. Active Supervision, Short Interval Management (SIM) or Lean Daily Management)

Visual Management

Provides process feedback

Non-essential conditions

None

N/A

How to implement and use SIC

Implementation

To start with SIC (Short Interval Control, a.k.a. Active Supervision, Short Interval Management (SIM) or Lean Daily Management), organize a series of stand-up meetings, considering:

  • Frequency -> 1-4 times a day (depends on the type of work and situation)
  • When -> At the start and/or during a day/shift of a team
  • Where -> At a fixed point at the Gemba near the visual management board(s)
  • Who -> All team members concerned

Stand-up meeting agenda:

  • Looking back (Check/Act from PDCA-cycle):
    • Did we achieve the required objectives?
    • Did we face any quality issues?
    • Did we complete all planned actions?
    • Were the actions effective or are additional actions needed?
  • Looking forward (Plan from PDCA-cycle):
    • What are the required objectives?
    • Do we have the necessary resources?
    • Who needs help to meet their objectives?
    • What specific actions do we plan to take?

Use

Before the meeting

  • Employees come prepared and arrive on time
  • The meeting is not intended for extended storytelling or detailed reviewing of activities
  • Do not wait for latecomers

During the meeting

  • It is held standing up
  • Keep it short and to the point (max 15min)
  • Focus on facts, not guesses/excuses
  • When problems occur, do not solve them immediately, but define and assign actions to do so after the meeting

Where to find it

IASSC Body of Knowledge:

Lean: 31

Yellow ➔ Understand
Green ➔ Analyze
Black ➔ Create

Lean Six Sigma: –

Yellow ➔ N/A
Green ➔ N/A
Black ➔ N/A

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About the Author

Floris Lap is an IASSC-certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and founder of Procestimal. He empowers organizations to maximize value and reduce waste through practical Lean Six Sigma solutions—contributing to a more sustainable world where businesses thrive with minimal resources. Contact us

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