An outline of the “Control Phase” for implementing Lean Six Sigma

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a guideline of the control procedure and tools depending on dominance pattern. In Lean Six Sigma (LSS) implementation, the control phase plays a vital role in sustaining the gains achieved from the improvement phase. The process control schemes should be developed by studying the process dominance pattern as suggested by Juran. Design/methodology/approach – Discussion has been made on identification of various methods with the help of a few real life examples for effective LSS implementation. Findings – The dominance pattern helps in identifying the control mechanism. However, with the advent of new business processes, the dominance pattern needs a little bit of modification. Research limitations/implications – The case studies mainly are from the manufacturing sector and one from the service sector, where authors have studied the control mechanism. There exists scope of future research in service sector for adequate representation. Originality/value – The treatise provides a road map to the practitioners for an effective implementation of the control phase in LSS. It is also expected to provide the scope of future work in this direction for both researchers and practitioners.