Lean Six Sigma Implementation Research Articles

Perceptions of Lean Six Sigma: A Multiple Case Study in the Financial Services Industry

From 2001 onward, books and papers about the application of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in service industries describe typical LSS deployment characteristics, such as the human element. The objective of this paper is to identify which LSS attributes affect employee and management attitudes and how the contextual frame affects this relation during the LSS change initiative. This study was conducted in the financial services industry. The research examines how the attributes of LSS affect attitude in terms of acceptance, contribution, or rejection of the LSS change initiative by managers and employees. A thorough qualitative multiple case study comprising five companies and 25 interviewees is seeking to answer how the attitudes toward the LSS change initiative differ per case. After exhaustive within-and cross-case analysis, theoretical and practitioner conclusions are drawn and the three main findings are discussed: 1) of all aspects of LSS, cost saving is the likely candidate to receive long-lasting attention; 2) the tendency to simplify the accounts of the LSS change initiative forms a fertile basis for misconceptions and extreme interpretations; and 3) the drive required to keep the LSS initiative going comes from a gradual and incremental implementation of LSS. The implications for LSS practitioners and managers implementing a LSS change initiative are discussed.

Manager's Perception towards Critical Failure Factors of Lean Six Sigma in Manufacturing Industries using TOPSIS Approach

For any organizations achieving state of the art quality is important to become competitor in their field. Lean Six Sigma (LSS) helps organizations to get there. But, in some cases LSS implementation fails. Keeping that in mind this paper focused on the identification of critical failure factors for the LSS projects. Initially, we found out the failure factors through literature review which led to 44 factors. Then, a structured questionnaire was used to collect expert opinion on these factors for the manufacturing industry. Their response where checked for reliability and validity. Using, their response we ranked the 44 factors using topsis approach. From, the above study 16 critical failure factors were identified. This study may bring out the importance of the consideration of critical failure factors while implementing the LSS projects. In the conclusion section, future opportunities for research are identified.

Lean Six Sigma implementation in East Africa: findings from a pilot study

Purpose – This paper reports the results of a pilot study on the implementation of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in East African service and manufacturing organizations. The purpose of this paper is to determine the critical success factors for implementation of such a strategy as well as any barriers. A further aim was to determine the knowledge, usage and usefulness of LSS tools and techniques within those organizations. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative approach was taken utilizing a survey questionnaire which was sent to a sample of organization employees who had attended Yellow, Green or Black Belt LSS training courses organized by the Kenya Institute of Management in Nairobi. Employees attending such courses came from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. Findings – Results indicate that the most useful tools are most of the original seven tools of quality improvement proposed by Ishikawa over 50 years ago and the most important factor for successful implementation of LSS is management involvement and participation. Research limitations/implications – The main limitation is that this is a pilot study so to confirm the findings a full survey of East African organization needs to be undertaken. Practical implications – The findings have implications for trainers, consultants and practitioners with regards to the implementation of LSS within organizations as well as the focus of the content of LSS training courses. Originality/value – This paper reports the first study on the implementation of LSS in East Africa and will be of value to practitioners, trainers, consultants and researchers of LSS in East Africa and beyond.

The implementation of Lean Six Sigma concept at national bank of Kenya-operation division

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the level of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) implementation at National bank Operations Division by utilizing the five stages of progress identified by Gygi et al. (2005), namely, initialize, deploy, implement, expand and sustain. A further aim was to determine the impact of implementation so far on various operations within the division. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted within the head office. Data were gathered through a questionnaire distributed to all employees working in the operations division via e-mail. Responses were analyzed using SPSS v20. Findings – The results obtained indicated that 99 percent of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the bank has past stages 1 and 2 and are now implementing stage 3. The finding also showed that there was a significant impact on a number of operations including reductions in average process cycle times, reductions in costs, reductions in turnaround times and reductions in error rates. Research limitations/implications – The research findings are limited to National Bank of Kenya Ltd and may not be generalized to other organizations. Further research will have to be carried out to cover other types of organizations to establish general impact. Practical implications – The findings of the study provide evidence of the practical benefits of LSS as well as justification for the adoption and implementation of LSS principles and techniques in the National Bank of Kenya with possible similar benefits for other financial services organizations. Originality/value – This study is the first to report on the implementation of LSS in a Kenya bank.

Critical success factors of Lean Six Sigma deployment: a current review

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review and gather the latest critical success factors (CSF) of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) deployment and implementation into a comprehensive list of factors. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken by authors in this study was to analyze the latest literature review starting 2010 onwards and focus on CSFs of LSS (not dedicated as Lean or Six Sigma) by excluding other improvement methodologies or initiatives, e.g. Lean, Six Sigma, TQM, TRIZ etc. Findings – Five significant CSFs were identified (initially 97 CSFs listed from 13 papers) out of nine groups/headers listed in clustering analysis using Affinity Diagram tool and new headers mapping. Practical implications – Most of the organisations were aware of the success story on LSS, but did not scrutinize or consider its CSFs. By knowing the outcome of this paper, it can help open eyes regarding readiness before implementing LSS. Originality/value – At the end of this paper, the authors tried to cluster the CSFs similarities that could intentionally provide the guidelines and references to industries/companies for successful deployment and implementation of LSS in future endeavours.

A Lean Six Sigma program in higher education

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the body of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) knowledge within the field of higher education institutions. The paper will review the initial phase of an implementation and highlight future challenges of applying the LSS method in a complex transactional environment. Design/methodology/approach – The observations presented in this paper originate from rolling out a large LSS implementation at a recently established university. The paper is supported with secondary data from literature. Findings – The implementation of LSS methodology at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology has resulted in improvements in business processes and efficiency. This has been achieved through project execution and training programs. Approximately 350 staff members have completed awareness training, 50 yellow belts and 150 green belts have been trained, and the first round of seven black belts have completed training of which two have completed certification. Research limitations/implications – This paper is based on an empirical study of a single instance and the authors’ experiences as practitioners. Originality/value – This paper is the first description of what is believed to be one of the largest implementations of LSS in higher education.

Challenges in the deployment of LSS in the higher education sector

Purpose – Although Lean Six Sigma (LSS) has been widely accepted today by more than 70 per cent Fortune 500 companies, its applications in the public sector are not widely observed and reported due to a number of challenges. The purpose of this paper is to present some of the fundamental challenges in the deployment of LSS within the higher education (HE) context. Design/methodology/approach – The author uses primary data in the form of opinions or viewpoints from leading academics and parishioners around the world. The viewpoints were collected carefully to have a good balance between the leading academics and the LSS practitioners. Findings – The challenges of LSS implementation in HE can be classified into three categories: organisational, technical and individual challenges. Lack of visionary leadership for LSS journey from top management team in the HE sector makes the deployment a total failure. The difficulty of defining and measuring quality in a HE setting along with collecting relevant and accurate data can be an immense technical challenge in any university sector. Moreover the lack of staff engagement, full academic freedom and autonomy will be a personal challenge for those who are involved in the business process improvement initiative such as LSS. Research limitations/implications – Due to limited time constraints, the number of people participated in the study was relatively small. However, the author argues that this study can provide a good foundation to various researchers and practitioners in further exploring the challenges in the implementation and deployment of LSS in any HE setting. Practical implications – The findings of the study can be very useful to those who get involved in the application of LSS principles for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of HE processes. Originality/value – This paper makes an attempt to reveal some of the rudimentary challenges in the deployment of LSS within the HE setting. These challenges should be taken into account when any HE sector embarks on the LSS initiative.

A systematic review of Lean Six Sigma for the manufacturing industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the most common themes within Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in the manufacturing sector, and to identify any gaps in those themes that may be preventing users from getting the most benefit from their LSS strategy. This paper also identifies the gaps in current literature and develops an agenda for future research into LSS themes. Design/methodology/approach – The following research is based on a review of 37 papers that were published on LSS in the top journals in the field and other specialist journals, from 2000 to 2013. Findings – Many issues have emerged in this paper and important themes have cited which are: benefits, motivation factors, limitations and impeding factors. The analysis of 19 case studies in the manufacturing sector has resulted in significant benefits cited in this paper. However, many gaps and limitations need to be explored in future research as there have been little written on LSS as a holistic strategy for business improvement. Practical implications – It is important for practitioners to be aware of LSS benefits, limitations and impeding factors before starting the LSS implementation process. Hence, this paper could provide valuable insights to practitioners. Originality/value – This paper is based on a comprehensive literature review which gives an opportunity to LSS researchers to understand some common themes within LSS in depth. In addition, highlighting many gaps in the current literature and developing an agenda for future research, will save time and effort for readers looking to research topics within LSS.

Origin, principles and applications of Lean Six Sigma concept: extractions from literature arena

In this paper, a literature review conducted for the purpose of tracing the origin of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) concept and examining its principles and applications are reported. This literature review was begun by gathering research papers reporting review on LSS. On reviewing these papers, it was found that, these papers deal with as many as seven issues concerning the LSS. Maximum numbers of papers were found to deal with the areas and sectors of implementing LSS are minimum in number. The review of these papers has indicated that LSS encompasses the principles, tools and techniques of Lean and Six Sigma concepts. Because of the integration of these two concepts, the number of tools and techniques used while implementing LSS is very high. Hence, tactical selection of a set of tools plays a vital role in successfully implementing LSS in organisation. This observation implies that several frameworks are necessary for successfully implementing LSS in several sectors. Although LSS has found wide applications, it is yet to find applications in certain sectors. In the context of these observations, this paper is concluded by appraising the future researchers to conduct case studies in organisations and sectors which are slow in implementing LSS implementation and to evolve sector-specific LSS implementation models.

Implementation of continuous improvement based on Lean Six Sigma in small- and medium-sized enterprises

Research has highlighted a need for a specific and practical implementation framework for deploying Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The success of LSS implementation in SMEs is highly dependent on the extent to which an LSS deployment programme addresses the specific properties of SMEs. In this study we have evaluated an existing framework for Six Sigma implementation for SMEs [Kumar, M., Antony, J., & Tiwari, M. K. (2011). Six Sigma implementation framework for SMEs – a roadmap to manage and sustain the change. International Journal of Production Research, 49(18), 5449–5467] using a multi-method triangulation approach. The objectives of this study were firstly to strengthen the foundations of the existing framework by uncovering evidence for some of its elements and, secondly, to identify the proposed revisions to the framework, especially focussed on its application in manufacturing SMEs. The results of our study are a collection of confirmations and revision proposals for the framework, leading to a revised conceptual framework.

An empirical analysis of Lean Six Sigma implementation in SMEs – a migratory perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the migratory nature of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) implementation and adoption in manufacturing-based SMEs in the UK. The companies were surveyed at two points over a five-year period. These periods were before and after the 2008 recession point. This being done in order to identify the level of LSS adoption as a result of the tougher economic climate that has prevailed since 2008. Design/methodology/approach – Analysis is carried out on a sample of 96 manufacturing SMEs from a range of manufacturing sectors in the UK. Data were gathered from company CEOs via a triangulated method of questionnaire, direct observation and interviews. Findings – The paper provides research information into the characterisation, compatibility and innovativeness of SMEs towards LSS implementation and goes on to provide an implementation classification system and characterises the dynamical nature of LSS development in manufacturing SMEs. Research limitations/implications – The findings analyse the dynamic nature of LSS implementation in SMEs. Further work will include extending the LSS categorisation system to provide a wider category set that further defines the dynamical nature of LSS implementation. Also, more focused studies in to specific manufacturing sectors will yield greater understanding of the effects of LSS on those sectors. Practical implications – The paper provides practical research information into the characterisation, compatibility and innovativeness of SMEs towards LSS implementation. It will be of use to practitioners seeking to implement or develop LSS further in their organisations. Originality/value – This study compares at depth the LSS implementation issues within SMEs. It not only analyses the survey data but characterises their attitudes towards implementing LSS and as such this work makes a contribution to this under researched area.

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

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.

The implementation of Lean Six Sigma methodology in a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic for gastrointestinal cancer.

659 Background: In order to reduce long waiting times, a one-stop fast-track multidisciplinary outpatient clinic for gastrointestinal malignancies was initiated. Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a combination of Lean-management and the Six Sigma methodology. LSS incorporates means to systematically identify and address suboptimal performance of a process. Lean and Six Sigma have their origin in the manufacturing industry, like the Toyota car factory, with largely homogenous products. In contrast, a complex high care oncology facility deals with heterogeneous patients. Our aim is to use the tools and strategies of LSS to increase the number of patients with an admission time (AT) of five days or less to ≥ 85% and to ensure that ≥ 90% of referring physicians receive the decisions formulated at the Multidisciplinary Team Meeting (MDTM) within one day. Methods: We have applied the DMAIC-cycle (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control) to our processes. The DMAIC-cycle is the management cycle of Lean Six Sigma. Results were measured before implementation of LSS and after for at least one month. Results: After implementing LSS causes for lags in AT, as well as for sending the documented decisions were identified. The lags in AT included patient delay, incomplete referral, official holidays and absences due to medical conferences. After the obstacles were successfully addressed we increased the percentage of patients with an AT ≤ 5 days from 48% to 70%, a 45% improvement. Causes for lags in sending the decisions, included verifying and signing the missive. Currently 99% of referring physicians receive the decision formulated by the MDT in ≤ 1 day. This is a substantial improvement from 2% to 99%. Conclusions: Lean Six Sigma is applicable in a multidisciplinary high care medical facility. Obstacles in the logistics of a complex medical facility can be identified and greatly improved.

Readiness factors for the Lean Six Sigma journey in the higher education sector

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to reveal the readiness factors (RFs) which are required for the successful introduction and development of a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) initiative within the context of higher education (HE) sector. These RFs are a pre-requisite for the successful implementation, deployment and sustainability of LSS in higher education institutions (HEIs).Design/methodology/approach– The author uses secondary data from literature to justify the need for RFs before any HEI invests on continuous improvement (CI) methodologies such as LSS. The author would argue that these RFs must be assessed properly to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the HEI.Findings– The paper presents the RFs which are essential for the implementation and sustainability of LSS. It is important to note that RFs are prior to embarking on a CI initiative whereas success factors are determined once the senior management team decides to invest on a specific CI initiative (Lean, LSS, etc.)Research limitations/implications– This is a very theoretical paper based on the existing literature and authors’ experiences in the HE sector. The next stage of the research is to carry out empirical studies in a number of HEIs to determine the RFs for LSS as a business process improvement methodology.Originality/value– This paper makes an attempt to derive the RFs for the successful development of LSS in the HE sector from the current literature. The RFs would assist any HE sector who would like to launch a LSS journey for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of business processes across the business.

Application of Lean Six Sigma methodology to reduce the cycle time of out-patient department service in a rural hospital

This article discusses the implementation of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology in decreasing cycle time of out-patient department service of a rural hospital. The lean principles and Six Sigma define, measure, analyse, improve, and control process (DMAIC) approaches have been used to achieve this result. This article explains the step-by-step approach of LSS implementation in a rural Indian hospital for quality improvement and timely service to the community. This resulted in decreased cycle time of the process from 4.27 minutes to 1.5 minutes. Owing to the project a 97% reduction in average waiting time in the system and 91% decreases in queue length were reported. During this study, data was collected on all possible causes. Statistical techniques and GEMBA were used to analyse the data. Based on analysis conclusions were made. Lean tools such as kanban, 5S, ergonomic design of work place, etc., were effectively used to improve process and sustain the process.

Lean Six Sigma in SMEs: an exploration through literature review

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the researches reported in literature on Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and determine the avenues by which lean anchorage can be improved in LSS implementation. Design/methodology/approach – The literature on lean manufacturing, Six Sigma and LSS was reviewed. The literature has been reviewed from four major perspectives. The findings of this review were used to find the methods for the improvement of lean anchorage. The proposed model is explained with a hypothetical case study. Findings – The major finding of the exploration reported in this article is that the lean anchorage in LSS process is found to be weak and it has to be enhanced for improving the effectiveness of LSS approach. The results derived from the hypothetical case study have been presented. Research limitations/implications – The researches on LSS from the perspective of implementation in small- and medium-sized enterprises have been explored. But the lean anchorage method proposed could be extended to other organizations also. Practical implications – The findings of this literature exploration pinpoint the need for enhancing the efficacy of LSS approach. Originality/value – This article has identified and presented systematically four major perspectives of LSS. The deficiency has been identified and the improvement methods have been proposed. Hence, the contributions of this article are original and valuable.

Critical success factors of Lean Six Sigma for the Malaysian automotive industry

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to explore the critical success factors (CSFs) for Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in the Malaysian automotive industry.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the model drawing on a sample of 252 Malaysian automotive organisations. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and reliability analysis empirically verified and validated the underlying items of CSFs of LSS.FindingsThe results of EFA, CFA, and reliability analysis show that two items for supplier relationship are recommended to be excluded from the analysis. The result indicates that LSS has identified 40 items as compared to the original questionnaire which had 42 items. Based on the survey of empirical data, the two factors of leadership and customer focus have been shown to be the extremely important factors for LSS implementation in the Malaysian automotive industry.Research limitations/implicationsFirstly, this survey is based only on the automotive industry in Malaysia, and therefore it is not generalisable to other industries. Secondly, there may be other CSFs for LSS such as culture change, project management skill, and employee involvement, which were not included in this study. Finally, for future research agenda, the authors are looking at the structural relationship between LSS practices and organizational performance in the Malaysian automotive industry.Originality/valueThe developed and tested content of this study fills the research gap by providing reliable and useful reference material on the CSFs of LSS. On top of that, the contribution for academic researchers and practitioners is to provide important guidelines for automotive and related companies to implement LSS strategic practices to improve organizational performance.

Lean Six Sigma for higher education institutions (HEIs)

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate whether Lean Six Sigma (LSS) can be a powerful business improvement methodology for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of higher education institutions (HEIs). The paper will also explore the fundamental challenges, barriers and critical success factors for the introduction and development of LSS in the HE context. The last part of the paper is to understand the role of tools and techniques for the sustainability of this initiative for making the HEIs more efficient and effective.Design/methodology/approachThe paper discusses whether LSS can be a useful and systematic approach to tackle operational and strategic issues within the HE industry. The authors use secondary data from literature to justify the need for this powerful approach and the benefits of adopting this business process improvement strategy within the HEIs.FindingsThe paper presents the challenges and barriers to be encountered during the introduction of LSS in the higher education sector, most useful tools and techniques for process improvement problems, success factors which are essential for the implementation and sustainability of LSS.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a very theoretical paper based on the existing literature and authors’ experiences in the HE sector. The next stage of the research is to carry out empirical studies in a number of HEIs and develop a practical and useful roadmap for the implementation and sustainability of LSS as a business process improvement methodology.Originality/valueThis paper makes an attempt to remove the myth that LSS is confined to manufacturing. It also demonstrates, through relevant existing literature and authors’ experiences, that LSS is equally applicable to public sector organisations and in particular HEIs. Although lean has been adopted by a few HEIs in the UK and abroad, very few HEIs have adopted the integrated LSS approach for waste reduction and variability reduction, which leads to superior performance and enhanced student satisfaction.

The perceptions and perspectives of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) practitioners

PurposeThe electronic manufacturing service (EMS) industry recognizes Lean Six Sigma (LSS) as an effective business strategy to strive for cost reduction and improve the profitability and growth of a company. There are many factors affecting the success of an LSS program to meet desired profitability and growth. The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) in successful LSS programs and to evaluate the CSFs’ impact on company performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study is carried out using the quantitative survey method containing structured questionnaires. The study population comprises the six multinational EMS industries in Malaysia that have successfully implemented LSS programs. The LSS practitioners, namely the holders of the Master Black Belt (MBB), the Black Belt (BB) and the LSS champions of the various international manufacturing sites of the six multinational EMS in Malaysia form the respondents.FindingsThe significance of this research is the identification of CFSs for the successful implementation of LSS within the EMS industry. It has identified management engagement and commitment as the most critical to the success of implementing the companies’ LSS programs. Moreover, an effective LSS training, an established LSS dashboard, a frequent communication among all value streams of organizations and a supportive organizational culture are also found to be essential ingredients for the implementation of LSS.Practical implicationsThe paper advises of the nurturing of appropriate CSFs for successful implementation of LSS in the EMS industry and to evaluate its impact on the company performance.Originality/valueThis research adds a new body of knowledge containing factors in the implementation of LSS that are significant in their relationships with operational and organizational performances in the EMS industry, using primary data. The results would provide the EMS industry and other Malaysian SME companies with guidelines for the successful implementation of Lean Six Sigma with the intention to remain competitive.

Implementation of Lean Six Sigma in small- and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in the Netherlands

In this paper we provide an exploration and analysis of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) implementation in Dutch manufacturing/engineering small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Critical success factors (CSFs) and impeding factors are identified and analysed. Exploratory empirical evidence about LSS implementation in Dutch SMEs was collected from a survey study on Dutch SMEs. Statistical testing was applied to validate the ranking of the CSFs. To deepen insight in how organizations translate CSFs into practice and cope with impeding factors, additional in-depth qualitative information was gathered from six case studies. Linking to customer, vision and plan statement, communication and management involvement and participation are the highest ranked CSFs. Internal resistance, the availability of resources, changing business focus and lack of leadership are the strongest impeding factors. The case studies confirmed the importance of the CSFs and revealed three new CSFs: personal LSS-experience of Top management, development of the project leader's soft skills and supply chain focus. SMEs in the Netherlands make no distinct separation between lean manufacturing and Six Sigma, but rather apply both approaches intertwined.