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.

A framework incorporating lean six sigma and life-cycle assessment in sustainable manufacturing

Abstract: Manufacturing companies must consider the environmental and social aspects of their business in order to meet the requirements of sustainable manufacturing (SM). In this context, traditional manufacturing management techniques are being challenged because they do not address environmental concerns. Therefore, to meet the commitment to sustainability, a new manufacturing paradigm is needed to improve these techniques in order to assist practitioners and researchers in overcoming this new challenge. This study addresses Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as important live manufacturing improvement techniques that are currently handled independently, but there could be value in bringing them together. Researching the integration of LSS and LCA is expected to reveal improvement opportunities that would enhance the financial and environmental performance of SM. The main objective of this research has been therefore to design a framework to integrate LSS and LCA so as to yield an outcome better than that obtained if the two methods are applied in isolation. The thesis explores SM through an extensive literature review and then proceeds with data collection using a mixed-methods approach. Analysis of the knowledge and data acquired reveals that communication, environmental strategy and the market are important factors in integrating LSS and LCA. The data is also used to examine the current state of sustainability in a sample of companies by examining the recommendations put forward by other researchers for the transition to SM. The results show that most companies struggle in SM because these recommendations are not adopted. The findings of the study lead to the development of a framework that can be used to support decision making in sustainable manufacturing and to guide environmental improvement projects. The framework illustrates how conducting a LCA study provides the information to formulate an environmental strategy, and how to undertake a LSS project to make improvements. The framework highlights the importance of upgrading standard LSS tools to include environmental measures. Finally, thought experiments are conducted to demonstrate the usefulness of the framework.

Integrating Lean Six Sigma and discrete-event simulation for shortening the appointment lead-time in gynecobstetrics departments: a case study

Abstract: Long waiting time to appointment may be a worry for pregnant women, particularly those who need perinatology consultation since it could increase anxiety and, in a worst case scenario, lead to an increase in fetal, infant, and maternal mortality. Treatment costs may also increase since pregnant women with diverse pathologies can develop more severe complications. As a step towards improving this process, we propose a methodological approach to reduce the appointment lead-time in outpatient gynecobstetrics departments. This framework involves combining the Six Sigma method to identify defects in the appointment scheduling process with a discrete-event simulation (DES) to evaluate the potential success of removing such defects in simulation before we resort to changing the real-world healthcare system. To do these, we initially characterize the gynecobstetrics department using a SIPOC diagram. Then, six sigma performance metrics are calculated to evaluate how well the department meets the government target in relation to the appointment lead-time. Afterwards, a cause-and-effect analysis is undertaken to identify potential causes of appointment lead-time variation. These causes are later validated through ANOVA, regression analysis, and DES. Improvement scenarios are next designed and pretested through computer simulation models. Finally, control plans are deployed to maintain the results achieved through the implementation of the DES-Six sigma approach. The aforementioned framework was validated in a public gynecobstetrics outpatient department. The results revealed that mean waiting time decreased from 6.9 days to 4.1 days while variance passed from 2.46 days2 to 1.53 days2.

Six Sigma: Literature Review and Methodologies to Improve Implementation

Abstract: There were plethora of research done and journal papers published in relate to Six Sigma. Ironically, there are few research and papers were published on reviewing the literature on Six Sigma in all the sectors like Engineering, Healthcare, IT Industry, education etc. Six Sigma is not only about the statistics but also it is a process of defect reduction, improvement and customer satisfaction. The goal of this study is to look at prosperity of improving methodologies and deepen the knowledge of various research and coclude the process Six Sigma. In this paper, a survey of Six Sigma literatures is presented through various research papers to illustrate the broad scope of the application of Six Sigma. Lean Six sigma can also be implemented in the financial services and the with significant results and improvements which was shown with the help of case study.

Literature Survey on TQM Practices and Its Feasibility in Higher Education Sector in India

Abstract: In our Everyday life we are exposed to quality in a variety of forms, from product advertising with slogans like “ Quality is our job” (Motorola ) to everyday phrases such as “quality of life” and “quality time”. Quality can be defined in many ways depending on who is defining it and to what product or service it is related. In India, lots more is needed to be done to improve the quality of education. This paper tries to explore the different TQM practices. Review of literature is also done so that research gap can be identified and further research can be done to develop model to achieve excellence in the education sector in India. Key Words; TQM, Education Sector, Six sigma, Lean, Lean six sigma, improvement Introduction Total Quality management To make sure that products and services have the quality that they have been designed for, a commitment to quality throughout the organization is required. This approach to the management of quality throughout the entire organization has evolved into Total quality management. Conventional Quality management focuses on ensuring that the customers get a defect free product or service. Based on the product specifications based on customers needs, the approach becomes product oriented and the quality control department will be responsible for product quality and attending to customer complaints in a company. TQM approach focuses on the quality and appropriateness of the processes that are carried out in the organization for producing and delivering the goods or services to the customer to their satisfaction. Thus, approach to conventional quality management is product or service orientation whereas approach to Total Quality Management is product process, people and customer orientation. Tools and techniques in TQM Practice A company’s competitive standing is strengthened by its ability to provide goods and services that are preferred by customers and rated as superior to others. Therefore for launching superior products in the market and ensuring a system for improvement and value addition, TQM practice has to adopt a number of strategic tools as aids to the planning and improvement processes. Some such tools are Tools for quality planning  Quality function Deployment  Concurrent Engineering  Decision Tree  Matrix Diagram  Fault tree Analysis Tools for continuous improvement