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.

The application of Lean Six Sigma in alleviating water shortage in limpopo rural area to avoid societal disaster

Abstract: This paper aims to illustrate the implementation of lean six sigma principles in a water management system. It draws on process information and primary data from real water shortage situations which affect the lives of rural people. Lean Six Sigma are business management strategies commonly used in production industries to improve process efficiency and quality. During the past decade, these process improvement techniques have increasingly been applied outside of the manufacturing sector, for example, in water management systems. This article presents a description of the main principles, practices, and methodologies used in Lean Six Sigma. It is based on a case study conducted in the province of Limpopo in South Africa to illustrate the application of Lean Six Sigma tools. Furthermore, literature is reviewed involving applications of Lean and Six Sigma to manufacturing together with other production related environment research. As a result, specific issues concerning the use of these techniques in different phases are identified. Assessments of the monitoring program were identified which indicated that significant savings could be achieved in water shortages whilst still meeting all operational, regulatory and other requirements to supply water to rural areas.

An Intuitionistic Fuzzy Cognitive Map Approach to Evaluate Success Factors of Lean Six Sigma Project Management Methodology

Abstract: Lean project management is to integrate the principles of lean manufacturing into the project management processes. Besides, six sigma methodology aims to solve different business issues by constructing disciplined and structured procedures. Lean six sigma is considered as a business improvement tool that integrates two distinctive disciplines named as lean and six sigma complementing each other for improving business processes of organizations. Lean six sigma project management methodology refers to the combination of the waste reduction principles of lean and quality improvement objectives of six sigma. This work introduces an intuitionistic fuzzy cognitive map (IFCM) technique to assess the importance degrees of success factors of leans six sigma project management. The presence of causal links among evaluation criteria; uncertainty, vagueness, and hesitation in data lead to employ an intuitionistic decision aid approach to evaluate the success factors of lean six sigma project management. The application is illustrated via a case study which is conducted in a bank that performs in Turkish banking sector.

Process mining and lean six sigma: a novel approach to analyze the supply chain quality of a hospital

Abstract: PurposeThis paper aims to depict the practical execution of the problem-solving structure provided by the define, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC) framework in combination with the analytical power provided by process mining capabilities, to improve the supply chain quality of a health-care provider. Design/methodology/approachPrior to the study, a literature review was conducted to identify existing frameworks combining six sigma with process mining. The authors use a descriptive case study approach to explain how the two methodologies blend across the different phases of DMAIC in a health-care setting. FindingsThis case study describes how analyzing data extracted from core information systems has significant value to improvement initiatives when complemented by traditional quality methods. By intersecting process mining techniques with lean six sigma tools, the researchers found 65% of orders not complying with the target ordering time and 200 redundant purchases with high operational costs. Research limitations/implicationsBy depicting how the two methodologies can be intertwined, this paper complements existing research by presenting it as a viable quality improvement approach. Practical implicationsThis paper provides insights for six sigma and process mining practitioners on the benefits of combining both methodologies within the DMAIC structure. Implementing this blended approach can bring visibility to operations and accelerate process improvement initiatives. Originality/valueThe prime value of this paper lies in the integration of traditional six sigma methods with process mining as a technological approach in a health-care context, going beyond existing research, which, to the best of the knowledge, lacks descriptive case studies.