A comparative exploration of lean manufacturing and six sigma in terms of their critical success factors

Abstract

Lean manufacturing and six sigma methodologies have been widely used in a large number of companies worldwide. However, many companies have found it difficult to successfully implement and sustain lean manufacturing and six sigma. It is, therefore, very important for companies to identify and understand the critical success factors for successfully implementing either six sigma or lean manufacturing. A comparative examination of lean manufacturing versus six sigma was conducted, and the success factors relevant to these two methodologies were identified. It was found that the most important success factors differed in terms of their significance for six sigma and lean manufacturing. Specifically, for organizations that have successfully implemented six sigma, skills and expertise ranked highest in importance. In contrast, for organizations that have successfully implemented lean manufacturing, employee involvement and culture change ranked highest. This study builds on current knowledge and fills a gap in the literature by providing more insight into the most critical success factors within companies that have already successfully implemented these methodologies. The results of the study will help organizations to make more mature and careful decisions regarding the critical success factors of each method. Therefore, in the pre-implementation stage, organizations can identify how their capabilities and resources can be utilized to accomplish the critical success factors for the implementation of lean manufacturing and six sigma, either simultaneously or sequentially. This is the first study that has conducted an examination to compare lean manufacturing and six sigma in terms of the importance of the same specific critical success factors.