Lean Production and Six-Sigma - Dissertation Example

Download file to see previous pages The robustness of the global market has challenged organizations to come up with initiatives that will help them survive in the highly competitive global market. From the perspective of an operations manager in a large manufacturing firm, present a case to the board of directors for Lean Production Systems and Six Sigma Management System. In order to carry out the aims of the report, the following are its objectives
1. To carry out an investigation into the areas of Lean Production Systems and Six-Sigma Management Systems
2. To critically analyze the challenges in implementing Lean and Six-Sigma
3. To present the potential benefits from adopting Lean and Six-Sigma
4. To propose a set of recommendations for adopting Lean and Six Sigma

Literature Review
Lean production and Six-Sigma are positive responses to challenges for improvement in the business sector. Although the two systems may have developed in different times and places, both nonetheless, show the ingenuity of human persons and organizations in the face of adversity and difficulties. Lean Production System has been developed in response to the problem of shortage of raw materials, finances, and human resources by the automotive industry of Japan after World War II (Ohno, 1997). Meanwhile, Motorola, recognizing the urgency to improve the quality of their pocket pagers during the1980s due to steep competition brought by foreign products, developed an initiative known as the Six-Sigma management system.

Lean production is considered as a multi-dimensional approach that involves several managerial approaches and practices that is geared towards achieving a seamless production that develops products at high quality, which are at pace with the demands of the customers and produced with minimal or no waste at all (Fled, 2000; Hine, Rich & Easein, 2000; White et al., 1997). On the other hand, Six-Sigma Management System is a systematic investigation of various approaches and opportunities utilizing statistical research and research methodologies to arrive at tools and prospects that ensures quality improvement, costs reduction, and efficiency improvement (De Mast, 2006; Harry, 1997; Pyzdek, 2001).
In this scenario, the present issues pertinent to the failures of Toyota brakes are both a challenge and an opportunity to find initiatives that will develop a more robust management system and improved production tools in large organizations. As such the report is essential as it provides an opportunity to analyzed and evaluate the lean production system and six- sigma in light of the current challenge brought about by the Toyota fiasco. Moreover, the report is important because as shown by the Toyota experience, large organizations should always be on guard and should never let their vigilance down with the use of any systems, even though the system has proven itself as effective for several decades. Since, the looming possibility of failure, even if it is infinitesimally small, is always at the offing. ...Download file to see next pages Read More