Lean practitioners believe that waste comes from unnecessary steps in the production process that do not add value to the finished product, while Six Sigma proponents assert that waste results from variation within the process. Tough times typically mean LEAN times, and these are tough times economically around the world. It seems that under those conditions, it would be more appropriate to focus on the challenge at hand and use the best tool (s) for the job. In my opinion, the controversy matters little.