Idea Prioritization Tools for Lean Six Sigma Projects: Turning Ideas into Impact
- sonamurgai
- Oct 29
- 3 min read
One of the biggest challenges in any Lean Six Sigma project isn’t generating ideas — it’s choosing which ones to pursue. Teams often leave brainstorming sessions with dozens of promising solutions. But in reality, resources, time, and budgets are limited.
So how do you decide which ideas will truly deliver value? That’s where idea prioritization tools come in — helping project teams evaluate, compare, and select solutions objectively rather than relying on gut feel or group opinion.
In this blog, we’ll explore the practical idea prioritization tools used in Lean Six Sigma projects — when to use them, how they work, and what makes each unique.
Why Idea Prioritization Matters
During the Improve phase of a DMAIC project, the team often generates a long list of improvement ideas using tools such as Brainstorming and Brainwriting. However, not all ideas are equal. Some may have great potential but require heavy investment, while others deliver quick wins with minimal effort.
Without structured prioritization, teams risk:
Spending resources on low-impact ideas.
Ignoring easy, high-benefit solutions.
Making subjective or politically influenced decisions.
Idea prioritization tools bring structure and data to the selection process — ensuring that chosen solutions are strategic, feasible, and aligned with business goals.
Effort–Impact Matrix (a.k.a. PICK Chart)
What It Is
The Effort–Impact Matrix (or PICK Chart) helps teams categorize ideas based on two key dimensions:
Impact: The expected benefit or value to the process.
Effort: The resources, cost, or time required to implement.
How It Works
Ideas are plotted on a 2x2 grid:
Low Effort | High Effort | |
High Impact | Quick Wins – do immediately | Major Projects – plan and schedule |
Low Impact | Low-Hanging Fruit | Will consume resources without much impact – avoid |
This simple visual helps teams see at a glance where to focus.
When to Use
Right after idea generation.
When the team needs to balance impact vs. effort quickly.
Example
In a retail process improvement project:
“Rearrange checkout counters” → High impact, low effort (Quick Win).
“Upgrade entire POS system” → High impact, high effort (Major Project).
Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
What It Is
NGT is a structured group decision-making process that blends individual idea generation with group consensus.
How It Works
Each member silently writes down ideas.
Ideas are shared round-robin style and recorded visibly.
Group discusses each idea for clarity.
Members privately vote or rank ideas.
Votes are tallied to determine top priorities.
When to Use
When the team needs to reach consensus without bias or dominance.
Especially useful in cross-functional or hierarchical groups.
Example
During an Improve phase workshop, the team lists 20 improvement ideas. After discussion and ranking, they agree on the top five to test.
Criteria-Based Matrix (a.k.a. Solution Selection Matrix)
What It Is
A Solution Selection Matrix helps teams evaluate ideas against a set of weighted criteria — such as cost, benefit, risk, and ease of implementation.
How It Works
Define evaluation criteria (e.g., impact on CTQ, cost, risk, feasibility).
Assign a weight to each criterion based on importance.
Score each idea (e.g., 1–5 scale).
Multiply weights by scores to calculate a total for each idea.
When to Use
When multiple factors influence decision-making.
Ideal for complex projects requiring analytical comparison.
Example
A manufacturing team scores improvement ideas on four criteria:
Criteria | Weight | Idea A | Idea B |
Impact | 0.4 | 4 | 5 |
Cost | 0.3 | 5 | 3 |
Risk | 0.2 | 4 | 4 |
Feasibility | 0.1 | 5 | 4 |
Total Score: Idea A = 4.4, Idea B = 4.3 → Idea A selected. |
Best Practices for Prioritization Workshops
Clarify selection criteria early. Align everyone on what “impact” or “effort” means.
Visualize everything. Use whiteboards or digital tools
Facilitate objectively. A neutral facilitator helps balance voices and prevent bias.
Document decisions. Capture why specific ideas were chosen or dropped.
Validate top ideas. Use data to confirm that the chosen improvements are realistic.
Conclusion
In Lean Six Sigma, generating ideas is just the beginning. The real magic happens when teams can objectively prioritize and act on the ideas that will make the most significant difference.
Whether you use a PICK Chart, NGT, or Solution Selection Matrix, the goal remains the same — to ensure that every improvement effort delivers maximum impact with minimum waste.
The key is not just to have ideas — but to know which ones to run with, and why.
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