Lean Six Sigma

About: Lean Six Sigma is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1919 publications have been published within this topic receiving 29142 citations.

Relationship between lean six sigma, environmental management systems, and organizational performance in the malaysian automotive industry

Abstract: In the globalization era, lean initiatives and environmental management systems are increasingly implemented in the automotive industry. The aim of this report is to investigate and perform structural analysis of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and Organizational Performance (OP). Data were obtained from 252 top management leaders in the Malaysian automotive industry. This report presents the results of the Exploratory Factor Analyses (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and reliability analysis, which are empirically verified and validated. A set of assessment measurements of LSS and OP is expected to be suitable for their characteristics and improve their competitiveness. Thus, the main objective of the analysis was to provide additional insight into the relationship between LSS and OP by examining the effects of ISO 14001 certification as a moderator. The results indicate that ISO 14001 certification does not significantly moderate the relationship between LSS and OP in the Malaysian automotive industry. However, the OP values for ISO 14001 certified companies are higher than those without ISO 14001 certification.

Improving performances of the knee replacement surgery process by applying DMAIC principles

Abstract: Rationale, Aims, and Objectives The work is a part of a project about the application of the Lean Six Sigma to improve health care processes. A previously published work regarding the hip replacement surgery has shown promising results. Here, we propose an application of the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, and Control) cycle to improve quality and reduce costs related to the prosthetic knee replacement surgery by decreasing patients' length of hospital stay (LOS) Methods The DMAIC cycle has been adopted to decrease the patients' LOS. The University Hospital “Federico II” of Naples, one of the most important university hospitals in Southern Italy, participated in this study. Data on 148 patients who underwent prosthetic knee replacement between 2010 and 2013 were used. Process mapping, statistical measures, brainstorming activities, and comparative analysis were performed to identify factors influencing LOS and improvement strategies. Results The study allowed the identification of variables influencing the prolongation of the LOS and the implementation of corrective actions to improve the process of care. The adopted actions reduced the LOS by 42%, from a mean value of 14.2 to 8.3 days (standard deviation also decreased from 5.2 to 2.3 days). Conclusions The DMAIC approach has proven to be a helpful strategy ensuring a significant decreasing of the LOS. Furthermore, through its implementation, a significant reduction of the average costs of hospital stay can be achieved. Such a versatile approach could be applied to improve a wide range of health care processes.

Lean, six sigma and lean six sigma in the food industry: A systematic literature review

Abstract: The food industry is an important sector of the world economy, that faces many challenges providing a wide range of products with short delivery times and at low-cost. Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives could assist this industry manage its challenges as the global market endures economic and political crises. Lean and Six Sigma are two widely used and recognized CI initiatives and are often hybridized as Lean Six Sigma. However, it is not clear how appropriate these strategies are for the food industry.A systematic literature review was performed to identify the appropriateness of Lean, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma initiatives (L&SSi) for improvement in the food industry. The aim is to consolidate the existing knowledge about the application of L&SSi in the food industry, analyze the L&SSi evolution within the sector and identify the relevant aspects of implementation such as drivers of adoption, critical success factors, tools and methods applied, barriers faced and benefits obtained.The review suggests that L&SSi are effective in the food industry context. Their implementation in the sector is still growing. Their use was found to reduce costs and increase productivity. Human factors and the food industry characteristics were identified as the main barriers to implementing these initiatives. Future research to investigate the degree that L&SSi practices were adopted in the food industry and to identify the best practices to implement these initiatives is suggested.

Prioritising solutions for Lean Six Sigma adoption barriers through fuzzy AHP-modified TOPSIS framework

Abstract: This paper aims to guide about prioritisation and ranking of the solutions and overcoming barriers to facilitate the adoption of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) by using a hybrid framework.,It identifies LSS barriers and solutions to facilitate LSS adoption through literature review and by involving subject experts. The study makes use of fuzzy set theory and proposes a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP)-modified TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) framework. It uses sensitivity analysis to establish framework robustness.,The key findings of this techno-managerial study are identification and prioritisation of 27 LSS barriers and 22 solutions to overcome adoption challenges, proposition and usage of fuzzy AHP-modified TOPSIS framework, guidance regarding where to focus for facilitating LSS adoption and ensuring robustness using sensitivity analysis, which establishes insignificant deviation in rankings when criteria weights are altered.,Some biasness and subjectivity may exist during pairwise comparisons as human judgements are involved.,Handling a hybrid solution like LSS is never easy. It is expected that the study will help industry professionals to plan their LSS adoption attempts effectively. Guidance regarding LSS barriers will assist in observing necessary precautions to avoid failures. It will open up new research fronts for researchers also.,Literature is full of studies regarding LSS barriers and its rankings. It is very rare to witness a study like ours, which discusses the barriers and links with solutions and its prioritisation. Proposed hybrid framework for a hybrid techno-managerial approach such as LSS is unique and acts as the roadmap for smooth implementation.

Lean Six Sigma methodology and application

Abstract: For last 15 years, Six Sigma that many leader companies have put into practice, help companies to increase their profit and develop by making their process more effective. Six Sigma focuses on quality more than speed. Lean Management removes weakness of Six Sigma on speeding process. In this study, the Lean Six Sigma methodology developed by using these two techniques together is presented. The goal of application is making process lean and increasing the level of sigma. The necessary preventions and recommendations for decreasing defects are presented in this study performed in one of the leading white goods company.