Adoption of Lean Production System and Six Sigma Quality Management System - Dissertation Example

Download file to see previous pages Lean production emphasizes awareness of organizational culture, an organized workplace, standardization of work, flexibility in operations, empowerment of employees, control of materials, level production, and error proofing. Six Sigma also involves project definition, collecting measurements, analyzing process, correcting, designing, documenting, and training, as well as controlling and verifying final outputs. The incorporation of both systems will allow a firm to achieve better outcomes than what either approach may not obtain. The combination of these two approaches can provide more favorable results compared to methods as it can incorporate both the human aspects (e.g. leadership, change in culture, customer focus) and process components (e.g. statistical thinking, process management), hence the need to examine the implementation of both systems.

From the perspective of an operations manager in a large manufacturing firm, present a case to the board of directors for the adoption of Lean Production Systems and 6 Sigma Quality Management System.

As such, the current study aims to address the following objectives:
1. Discuss the lean production system and Six Sigma quality system, and identify their effects on the organization;
2. Present case studies to examine and analyze the implementation of lean production and Six Sigma, highlighting their benefits; and
3. Develop a conclusion as well as recommendations based on the analysis and discussion of relevant data.


In an environment that is intensely competitive, the long-term success and survival of various organizations can depend on their ability to enhance quality and reduce costs in a continual manner (Montes, Moreno, and Molina 2003). Consequently, a higher level of productivity accomplished with fewer expenses has become an important component to become market leaders and sustain competitive advantage. For a number of successful manufacturers, integrating change into their production methods, such as the use of a leaner operation along with low inventory has been recognized as a fundamental practice, compared to traditional mass production that made use of a high inventory (Bai and Lee 2003). This suggests a clear message to employees- that goods should be produced with no defects in a timely manner and at an appropriate price.
A shift towards lean production, however, can cause conflict that can hamper the implementation of approaches for enhancing productivity and quality. Programs for continuous improvement can be used as a means of maintaining high levels of employment and economic activity and over the years, many countries have been implementing the practices and principles of lean manufacturing with the main goal of attaining competitive advantage. While few organizations were able to accomplish their goal, many did not. Although the principles of lean production have been undertaken in a wide range of sectors, the manufacturing industry has made use of this approach more than the others (Sreedharan and Liou 2007). Nonetheless, previous studies have examined the implementation of lean manufacturing elements, such as the mining environment. ...Download file to see next pages Read More