How Project Management Overlaps with Lean Six Sigma

Author(s):  
Brian J. Galli

This article seeks to discuss how project management can help the Lean Six Sigma methodology impact project outcomes. It is found that projects managers play a vital role in the successful implementation of the LSS tools and on meeting customer requirements. This article analyzes and identifies the factors and constraints that projects face with the implementation of Lean Six Sigma methodology within the project management perspective. Further, this study provides a comparative analysis of different studies based on LSS tools and analyzes their applicability in different industries. This study found that there is a strong need for project management concepts and tools in the LSS methodology and vice versa. The article also identifies specific concepts and tools of project management that can help to improve the likelihood of success of LSS projects and initiatives. This article discusses how these project specific concepts and tools can be effectively used in LSS environments.

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hadijah Iberahim ◽  
Izmahariz Azman ◽  
Mohd Haniff Shahri ◽  
Nur Fara Ellyanie Abdul Hamid

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a method that helps an organization to maximize profit and minimize cost. One of the essential factors for a successful LSS project is the availability of employees who are willing to engage. Employee engagement brings about a strong sense of belonging and high productivity. Consequently, engaged employees will work harder to achieve the mission of the organization. This paper discusses a case of LSS project with a low level of employee engagement. As a result, LSS was less likely helpful in sustaining company’s performance. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that contribute to employee engagement in LSS practices. Review of the relevant literature suggests four variables, which include goal clarity, management support and trust, knowledge sharing and transfer, and teamwork. The questionnaire survey applied census in collecting feedback from 80 respondents. Statistical analysis results indicate that goal clarity, management support, and trust are significant to employee engagement. However, knowledge sharing and transfer as well as teamwork are not substantial. It is recommended for the organization to give attention to all the four factors. This paper extended understandings on critical inputs to a successful implementation of LSS for sustainable company’s performance and growth. Keywords: Lean Six Sigma, Employee Engagement, Goal Clarity, Management Support and Trust, Teamwork, Knowledge Sharing.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Alnadi ◽  
Patrick McLaughlin

Purpose This paper aims to provide a synthesis of the results of the previous literature on leadership behaviours that enable successful Lean Six Sigma implementation. Design/methodology/approach The published literature that relates to leadership and Lean Six Sigma has been included. A thematic analysis was conducted on the previous literature which helped in identifying the relevant aspects and associating the behaviours with specific aspects. Findings After analysing the literature, seven key aspects have emerged: communication, culture of continuous improvement, coaching and developing employees, creating vision and aligning goals, employee motivation, employee empowerment and leadership commitment and support. The main leadership behaviours that facilitate and support Lean Six Sigma implementation have been summarised. Originality/value Thematic analysis in this field is scarce, so identifying the leadership behaviours’ themes can help researchers in developing a framework of leadership behaviours. Organisations and practitioners of Lean Six Sigma can take into consideration these behaviours as a key to the successful implementation of Lean Six Sigma. They can adjust their behaviours and know the behaviours that need to be developed amongst leaders. This would facilitate the Lean Six Sigma journey by overcoming the challenges that face practitioners during Lean Six Sigma implementation.


Author(s):  
Vishwas Yadav ◽  
Pardeep Gahlot ◽  
Mahender Singh Kaswan ◽  
Rajeev Rathi ◽  
Mahipal Singh

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Vaishnavi ◽  
M. Suresh

Purpose This paper aims to identify, analyze and categorize the major readiness factors for implementing Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in health-care organizations using total interpretive structural modelling technique. The readiness factors are identified would help the managers to recognize the areas that lack and provide importance to the successful implementation of LSS in those areas. The paper further intends to understand the hierarchical interrelationships among the readiness factors identified using dependence and driving power. Design/methodology/approach In total, 16 readiness factors are identified from the literature review and expert opinions are collected from hospitals. The scheduled interview is conducted based on a questionnaire survey in hospitals in the Indian context to identify the relevance of the relations among the readiness factors. The expert opinions are used in the initial reachability matrix and interpretative interaction matrix. Matrix impact cross multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis uses dependence and driving power to understand the hierarchical relationship among the readiness factors identified. Findings The result indicates that customer-oriented and goal management cultures are the key readiness factors for LSS. The execution technique and training are given according to the current demand of customers and goal change of organization. The manager needs to concentrate more on readiness factors to formulate the execution process of LSS for continuous improvement of the health-care organization. The readiness level helps the manager to identify the target area for LSS execution. Research limitations/implications This research focuses mainly on readiness factors for the implementation of LSS in the health-care industry. Practical implications This study would be useful for researchers and practitioners to understand the readiness factors before starting the implementation process of LSS. Originality/value Many research studies are being done on the success and failure rate of implementation of factors. The present study identifies the readiness factors related to LSS, especially for the health-care industry.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 673-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahipal Singh ◽  
Pankaj Kumar ◽  
Rajeev Rathi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the barriers of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and develop the interrelationship among them using interpretive structural modelling (ISM) and Matriced Impact Croises Multiplication Appliquee a un Classement (MICMAC). Design/methodology/approach Using systematic literature review and expert’s opinions, 26 LSS barriers have been extracted and finalized through statistical analysis, that is importance-index analysis and corrected item minus total correlation methods. The statistical analysis of purified 22 LSS barriers has been carried out and consistency of finalized barriers has been checked through reliability statistical test in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Finally, the contextual relationship among finalized LSS barriers is developed using ISM and MICMAC approach. Findings The ISM model indicates that insufficient management commitment and involvement, lack of resources, lack of training and education, lack of strategic thinking, lack of training funds are strategic factors; improper project selection, poor selection of employee for belt training, lack of total employee involvement, lack of awareness of about LSS are prudent factors; unclear vision, high implementation cost, resistance to culture change, weak supplier linkage, poor alignment between company’s goal and customer demand are burst factors. Furthermore, MICMAC analysis is splitting the LSSBs in four clusters according to their driving power and dependency. These results provide a clear mind-set to engineering manager for focusing more on LSS barriers according to their driving power and dependency. Research limitations/implications There may be biasness in making pairwise comparison matrix of barriers due to involvement of expert’s opinion as human error. Practical implications The outcome of this paper provides robust practical implication for LSS researchers and practitioners. The researcher and practitioners must consciously concentrate on the identified LSSBs more conventionally during LSS implementation, and they need to plan strategically to avoid any implementation failure. Originality/value For successful implementation of LSS in any organization, it is necessary and permeable to make strategy for controlling LSS barriers at initial stage. So this paper is a leading attempt to highlight main LSS barriers and interrelate them using ISM and MICMAC approach. It provides a clear path for tackling LSS barriers to engineering managers, researchers and consultants.


2012 ◽  
Vol 488-489 ◽  
pp. 1082-1086 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pregiwati Pusporini ◽  
Kazem Abhary ◽  
Lee H.S. Luong

Lean six-sigma methodology focuses on continuous improvement approach with an emphasis on improving the product quality and reducing waste. Recent studies of lean six-sigma methodology indicated that this methodology commonly focus on four areas of performance namely quality, cost time and service. In this paper, an environmental performance is proposed into lean six-sigma methodology. An environmental performance needs to be integrated into lean six-sigma as a new paradigm of lean six-sigma methodology to achieve overall competitiveness of product.


2018 ◽  
Vol 183 (9-10) ◽  
pp. e405-e410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle M Valdez ◽  
Maureen Liwanag ◽  
Charles Mount ◽  
Rechell Rodriguez ◽  
Elisea Avalos-Reyes ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document