Six Sigma and SMEs: a critical review of literature

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to capture the evolution and status of utilization of the Six Sigma philosophy in the development of small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as to document prominent development of practices through a systematic literature review.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology adopted for this study used the principles of content analysis and deductive reasoning vis‐à‐vis various sub domains of Six Sigma methodology pertaining to industries in general and SMEs in particular.FindingsThe literature revealed that: Management's commitment is most important in SME Six sigma implementation. Benefits of Six Sigma have been enjoyed largely by the bigger industrial units and to a relatively lesser extent by the smaller units, i.e. SMEs. Quality management culture has largely been ignored or given less importance in the SME sector, which is evident from the meagre literature. There is a dearth of clear and SME‐specific methodologies (for Six Sigma approach) for quality improvement and there are far fewer models for quality improvement in the SME sector.Originality/valueIt has been found, on the basis of a systematic literature review approach (used in this paper), that quality management and development in SMEs needs to be done in a planned manner using Six Sigma roadmap.