Title: Lean Six Sigma deployments in agile industrial environment: the key factors

Authors: Ifechukwude K. Dibia; Spencer Onuh

Addresses: School of Engineering, University of Portsmouth, Anglesea Building, Anglesea Road, Portsmouth PO1 3DJ, UK. ' Centre for Satellite Technology Development, National Space Research and Development Agency, PMB 593, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract: Successful deployment of Lean Six Sigma entails making a committed and coordinated effort to achieve better, easier, quicker and safer output for customers and all other stakeholders at a competitive lower cost. Thus enabling the organisation to strategically simplify its processes, optimise its resources, and improve its quality thereby creating real value for its customers and stakeholders. This paper introduces the Lean leadership, people, process and outcome (LPPO) model for Lean Six Sigma deployment and carries out a comparative study of the deployment of Lean Six Sigma in two companies using the soft systems methodology. The findings underscores the importance of visible leadership commitment, right people, right organisational structure, right project and the right supporting structures in the successful deployment of Lean Six Sigma.

Keywords: lean six sigma; continuous improvement; leadership commitment; people; processes; outcomes; soft systems methodology; organisational structure; six sigma deployment; agile systems; agility.

DOI: 10.1504/IJASM.2012.050154

International Journal of Agile Systems and Management, 2012 Vol.5 No.4, pp.330 - 349

Received: 01 Jul 2011
Accepted: 16 Mar 2012
Published online: 31 Jul 2014 *

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