Title: Analysis of competitiveness level in an industrial company using a continuous improvement-based approach

Authors: Hichem Aouag; Abdessamad Kobi; Athmane Mechenene

Addresses: Productic and Automation Laboratory, Batna University, Université de Batna 1, Rue Chahid Boukhlouf Med El Hadi, 05000 Batna, Algeria ' LARIS Laboratory, Angers University, 62 Av Notre Dame du Lac, 49000 Angers, France ' Productic and Automation Laboratory, Batna University, Université de Batna 1, Rue Chahid Boukhlouf Med El Hadi, 05000 Batna, Algeria

Abstract: In recent years, companies have emerged in an advanced competitive environment. To meet the requirements of cost reduction, customer demand, minimising delays, quality and variety improvement, companies must improve their performance to remain competitive, survive and expand. To achieve this goal, several models are used such as total quality management, Kaizen, just in time, enterprise resource planning, business process reengineering and Six Sigma, etc. In this work, we look for an effective model (drawn from Six Sigma approach) used mainly to warrant the competitiveness of a company denoted as the weighted defects per million opportunities model. The aim of this paper is to apply this model to measure process levels (weights) and assess the company competitiveness. The results of this model are applied in a real manufacturing system which produces gas bottles.

Keywords: continuous improvement; six sigma; DPMO; defects per million opportunities; competitiveness levels; manufacturing industry; gas bottles; gas bottle manufacture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSCA.2015.074958

International Journal of Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, 2015 Vol.9 No.2/3/4, pp.87 - 108

Received: 31 Jul 2014
Accepted: 28 Apr 2015
Published online: 27 Feb 2016 *

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