Lean AI Ops is a local AI-powered Lean Six Sigma assistant for turning messy process problems into structured improvement plans, metrics, action trackers, and exportable project packages.
It helps teams move from an unclear operational problem to a structured first draft of what to measure, what may be causing the issue, what actions to take, who should own them, and how to keep the improvement under control.
The project combines two layers:
- an AI-assisted Project Wizard for Lean Six Sigma problem structuring
- an Analytics Workbench for quantitative process-improvement analysis
Lean AI Ops helps teams answer practical improvement questions:
- What exactly is the process problem?
- What should we measure?
- What are the likely root causes?
- Which actions should we try first?
- Who should own each action?
- How do we know whether the improvement worked?
- How do we explain the work clearly to a PM, manager, engineer, quality lead, or executive?
The goal is not to replace a Lean Six Sigma expert. The goal is to give teams a structured, reviewable starting point so discussions are clearer, evidence gaps are visible, and improvement work does not begin from a blank page.
Many process-improvement efforts fail early because the problem is vague, the data is incomplete, root causes are assumed too quickly, or action ownership is unclear.
Lean AI Ops supports a more disciplined improvement flow:
- clarify the problem
- separate facts from hypotheses
- identify missing evidence
- propose practical actions
- define metrics and control points
- create an exportable project package for review
The value is not just faster documentation. The value is better thinking, clearer ownership, and more consistent improvement discipline.
| User | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Program managers | Turns vague delivery problems into structured actions, owners, risks, and metrics |
| Project managers | Creates improvement plans, summaries, and trackers |
| Quality teams | Frames problems using CTQs, DMAIC, root-cause logic, and control plans |
| Operations teams | Identifies waste, bottlenecks, rework, and review cadence needs |
| Engineering teams | Translates process pain into measurable workflow improvements |
| Executives | Produces concise summaries focused on impact, risk, and decisions needed |
| Learners | Demonstrates how Lean Six Sigma methods connect to real operational problems |
The Project Wizard takes a short project description and generates a structured improvement package.
Example input:
Supplier change requests are taking too long to move from intake to decision. Teams keep asking for status updates, ownership is unclear, and requests often need rework because the right information is missing.
Example outputs:
| Output | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cleaned problem statement | A clearer, more measurable version of the problem |
| CTQs | Critical-to-Quality needs, meaning what customers or stakeholders care about |
| SIPOC | A map of Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers |
| DMAIC structure | Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control plan |
| Root-cause hypotheses | Possible causes generated through structured reasoning |
| Suggested metrics | What to track to understand and improve the process |
| Improvement actions | Specific actions with likely impact |
| Control plan | How to sustain the improvement after the first fix |
| Action tracker | Actions, owners, priorities, and status |
| Role-aware summary | A summary adapted for PMs, managers, engineers, quality leads, or executives |
Each generated item is tagged as:
- supported: grounded in the input provided
- inferred: a reasonable hypothesis that still needs validation
- missing: an evidence gap that should be investigated
These evidence labels are important because they make the output easier to review. They help separate what is known, what is assumed, and what still needs evidence.
The Analytics Workbench provides quantitative tools commonly used in process improvement and quality work.
| Tool area | What it helps with |
|---|---|
| Process Capability | Understand whether a process can meet specification limits using Cp, Cpk, Pp, Ppk, sigma level, and DPMO |
| MSA / Gauge R&R | Check whether measurement variation may be coming from the measurement system itself |
| Hypothesis Testing | Compare means, proportions, paired data, categorical data, or multiple groups |
| SPC Charts | Monitor process stability using I-MR, Xbar-R, and p-charts |
| FMEA | Prioritize risks using severity, occurrence, detection, and RPN |
| Regression | Explore relationships between process variables |
| DOE | Select an experimental-design approach for testing factors systematically |
| Benefits & COPQ | Estimate cost of poor quality, ROI, payback, NPV, and benefit timing |
These tools support analysis, but they do not replace statistical judgment. Results should be reviewed by someone who understands the process and the data.
Lean AI Ops can export project packages in multiple formats:
- Word (
.docx) - Excel (
.xlsx) - HTML
- Markdown
This makes the output easier to share in review meetings, project updates, quality reviews, and improvement workshops.
Lean AI Ops has two operating modes.
The app can use an Anthropic model to generate richer Lean Six Sigma analysis from your project description.
The app still works in deterministic fallback mode. This means you can run the demo and generate structured outputs even without a paid API key.
That fallback path makes the repo easier to test, demo, and evaluate.
Use this section if you want to try the app locally.
At a high level:
- Install Python 3.10 or newer.
- Download or clone this repository.
- Open a terminal in the project folder.
- Install the required packages.
- Run the Streamlit app.
- Open the local link that Streamlit shows in your browser.
Commands:
git clone https://github.com/simaba/lean-ai-ops.git
cd lean-ai-ops
python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
python -m streamlit run app.pyOn Windows, this may also work:
py -m pip install -r requirements.txt
py -m streamlit run app.pyWhen Streamlit starts, it will show a local URL such as http://localhost:8501. Open that link in your browser.
The repository includes a sample project input file at templates/sample_project.json.
Run:
python run_demo.py --input templates/sample_project.json --mode dmaic --audience pmThis prints a structured Markdown improvement package in the terminal.
Try different modes:
python run_demo.py --input templates/sample_project.json --mode root_cause --audience quality_lead
python run_demo.py --input templates/sample_project.json --mode process_waste --audience manager
python run_demo.py --input templates/sample_project.json --mode control_plan --audience executive| Mode | Use when |
|---|---|
| DMAIC | You want a full Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control structure |
| Kaizen | You want fast, practical, low-overhead improvements |
| Root Cause | You want deeper 5 Whys and fishbone-style analysis |
| Process Waste | You want to identify waste using TIMWOODS-style thinking |
| Control Plan | You want monitoring, ownership, cadence, and escalation triggers |
| Audience | Output emphasis |
|---|---|
| Engineer | Process mapping, measurement points, bottlenecks, and instrumentation |
| PM | Stakeholder alignment, action ownership, risks, and next steps |
| Manager | Accountability, top actions, cadence, and unblockers |
| Quality Lead | CTQs, measurement integrity, evidence gaps, and control rigor |
| Executive | Business impact, risk, decision needed, and expected outcome |
- A project manager needs to turn recurring escalation issues into a structured action plan.
- A quality lead wants to frame a process problem before a DMAIC workshop.
- A manager wants a clearer review cadence and control plan after a process fix.
- An engineering team wants to identify where delays and rework are happening.
- A student or practitioner wants to learn how Lean Six Sigma tools connect to real operational problems.
app.py Streamlit UI entry point
run_demo.py CLI demo entry point
src/
models.py Data models
engine.py Assessment orchestration
phases/ LLM and deterministic assessment logic
renderers.py Markdown and HTML renderers
analytics/ Workbench tools for capability, SPC, MSA, FMEA, etc.
storage/ Project persistence
ui/ UI components
templates/ Input templates including sample_project.json
examples/ Example projects and outputs
tests/ Analytics and smoke tests
.github/workflows/ CI configuration
The repository currently includes:
- deterministic fallback mode when no API key is available
- CI checks for Python imports, tests, and CLI smoke path
- unit tests for analytics modules
- sample project input for repeatable demos
- evidence tags to separate facts, hypotheses, and missing information
- multi-format export support
This is a working prototype, not a finished commercial product.
Known limitations:
app.pystill carries too much responsibility and should be modularized further.- Statistical outputs should be checked by a qualified person before real decisions.
- AI-generated recommendations are structured drafts, not validated findings.
- The tool does not know your organization’s real constraints unless you provide them.
- It does not replace Lean Six Sigma training, Black Belt review, or domain expertise.
The app already works, but the next quality step is to make the architecture easier to maintain and review.
Target direction:
app.py Thin Streamlit entry point
ui/
theme.py Styling and visual constants
layout.py Shared page layout
pages/
project_wizard.py Project-input and package-generation flow
analytics_workbench.py Statistical tool views
export_center.py Export controls and previews
services/
assessment_service.py Business logic orchestration
export_service.py PDF, DOCX, XLSX, HTML, Markdown export logic
analytics/
capability.py
msa.py
hypothesis_testing.py
spc.py
fmea.py
regression.py
doe.py
benefits.py
This repository is shared in a personal capacity. It is not statistical certification, process certification, legal advice, compliance certification, or official Lean Six Sigma training material.
AI-generated outputs should be treated as structured drafts and hypotheses. Validate assumptions, measurements, root causes, statistical interpretations, and improvement actions with real process data and qualified domain experts.
| Repository | Purpose |
|---|---|
| governance-playbook | End-to-end AI operating model |
| release-governance | Risk-based release gates for AI systems |
| release-checklist | CLI validator for YAML-based release readiness |
| everything-program-management | PM templates, agents, skills, and structured operating artifacts |
| ai-prism | Curated governance resources |
Shared in a personal capacity. Open to collaborations and feedback via LinkedIn or Medium.