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Article
Publication date: 23 March 2021

Jiju Antony, Olivia McDermott, Michael Sony, Elizabeth A. Cudney, Ronald D. Snee and Roger W. Hoerl

This paper aims to present and summarise the arguments for and against the ISO 18404 standard and the perceived advantages and disadvantages of implementing it.

499

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present and summarise the arguments for and against the ISO 18404 standard and the perceived advantages and disadvantages of implementing it.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative interview approach was utilised by interviewing a panel of leading academics and practitioners familiar with Lean Six Sigma.

Findings

The results indicate that Lean Six Sigma professionals have conflicting opinions on ISO 18404. An overwhelming majority of the panel questioned the “quality” of the standard and whether it is “fit for purpose”, while others see the advantages of a common standard in helping continuous improvement deployment.

Research limitations/implications

As the standard has not been widely adopted, there were limited examples on ISO 18404 discussion in the literature. Much of the current literature focuses on the theoretical application of the standard, with sparse practical examples providing case study deployment. Also, the interviews were short and at a high level. There is an opportunity for further study and analysis. It was difficult to find qualified interviewees who were familiar with the standard. A very real constraint when conducting research into ISO 18404 is to obtain a balanced view of the standard from those who have a vested interest in its continuation and evolution, or not.

Originality/value

The paper provides a resource for people to obtain insight into the value or non-value add of a standard in Lean Six Sigma and the appropriate details of such a standard. These results can form the basis of a case for the implementation of the standard for those organisations currently trying to decide whether to implement it or not.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 33 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

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Article
Publication date: 26 March 2010

Roger W. Hoerl and Martha M. Gardner

Creativity and innovation have recently emerged as the latest focus of the popular business media, replacing established approaches, such as Lean Six Sigma (LSS). Some have gone…

4248

Abstract

Purpose

Creativity and innovation have recently emerged as the latest focus of the popular business media, replacing established approaches, such as Lean Six Sigma (LSS). Some have gone so far as to suggest that LSS inhibits organizations from being creative and innovating. This paper aims to dig beneath the surface of the media reports to examine what creativity and innovation actually are, and how they relate to LSS.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews current literature on creativity and innovation, and based on extensive experience implementing LSS, compare and contrast the approaches, searching for common ground.

Findings

Not surprisingly, the paper finds that the terms creativity and innovation are typically not well defined in the media, and are used more as “buzzwords.” In reality, it argues, LSS clearly stimulates creativity. However, it is not the best method for identifying ideas for breakthrough innovation. Therefore, to have a holistic improvement system, organizations must combine LSS with other methods and approaches that are better suited to breakthrough innovation. It suggests one such approach: via a practical healthcare example, it contrasts this approach with a singular focus on disruptive innovation, which is too often recommended as a panacea in the media.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that organizations should develop holistic improvement approaches that are not based on one methodology, no matter how good that methodology is. The paper provides practical guidance as to how such a holistic approach should be constructed, and identify the critical role that LSS plays in this approach. LSS will clearly still be needed.

Originality/value

The paper provides a balanced viewpoint on continuous improvement and innovation, avoiding a position of advocacy of one versus the other. This proper context should help organizations properly integrate both into a broader improvement system.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

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Article
Publication date: 26 March 2010

Ronald D. Snee

The purpose of this paper is to assess Lean Six Sigma to identify important advances over the last ten to 15 years and discuss emerging trends that suggest how the methodology…

17713

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess Lean Six Sigma to identify important advances over the last ten to 15 years and discuss emerging trends that suggest how the methodology needs to evolve. The goal is to aid those who want to use the method to improve performance as well as assist those developing improvement methodologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The use and development of Lean Six Sigma is reviewed including the origins of the method, the what, why and benefits of the method, how the approach is different, the integration of Lean and Six Sigma, implementation mistakes made, lessons learned and developments needed in the future.

Findings

It is found that organizations have many different improvement needs that require the objectives and methods contained in the lean and Six Sigma methodologies. It is also found that deployment and sustaining improvements are major issues that can be overcome by building a sustaining infrastructure and making improvement a business process. Critical issues include using Lean Six Sigma to generate cash in difficult economic times, development of data‐based process management systems and the use of working on improvement as a leadership development tool.

Practical implications

These findings suggest that improvement is most effective when approached in an holistic manner addressing improvement in all parts of the organization using a holistic improvement methodology such as Lean Six Sigma. Improvement must address the flow of information and materials thorough processes as well as the enhancement of value‐adding process steps that create the product for the customer. This leads naturally to making improvement a business process that is planned for, operated and reviewed as any other important business process is.

Originality/value

The roadmaps, guiding principles, and deployment pitfalls identified will be of value to those initiating and operating improvement processes in their organizations enabling them to rapidly create useful and sustainable improvements. The discussion of needed enhancements will be of value to those who are working to improve the effectiveness of the approach.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Available. Content available
Article
Publication date: 26 March 2010

Jiju Antony

649

Abstract

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

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Article
Publication date: 7 August 2017

Jiju Antony, Ronald Snee and Roger Hoerl

The purpose of this paper is to share the experiences and perspectives of three practitioners from two continents on the subject of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) from both academic and…

8487

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to share the experiences and perspectives of three practitioners from two continents on the subject of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) from both academic and industrial viewpoints. The authors of the paper have each been working on the topic of LSS over the past 15 years and have contributed over 150 journal and conference papers to the topics of lean and Six Sigma.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is to synthesize the practical experiences and research conducted by three authorities on the topic of LSS. In addition, relevant secondary data have also been used in the sections where and when appropriate.

Findings

The authors initially present the history of LSS emphasizing the importance of integration of the two most effective process excellence methodologies over the past 30 years. The authors also report the current trends of LSS in organizations as well as the emerging future trends. They argue that LSS will continue to grow and evolve across the globe for several years.

Practical implications

The paper is intended to be equally useful to both academics and practitioners who are interested on the topic of LSS. From a pure practical standpoint, the paper provides an overview of the past, present and future trends of LSS as a powerful business strategy and problem-solving methodology for all industrial sectors, irrespective of their size and nature. The documentation of the history and recent developments in LSS should be useful to researchers in academia.

Originality/value

In authors’ best knowledge, there are no recent journal articles which cover all the three of these aspects; the past, the present and the future of LSS. This paper presents the above three aspects in a unique manner and addresses the gap between the current state and future directions of LSS.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 34 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

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Book part
Publication date: 30 November 2020

Jiju Antony, Roger Hoerl and Ronald Snee

Abstract

Details

Lean Six Sigma in Higher Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78769-929-8

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Article
Publication date: 26 December 2024

Mariam Bader, Raja Jayaraman, Jiju Antony, Ravindra S. Goonetilleke, Kevin Linderman and Roger Hoerl

Despite technological advancements within process improvement (PI) projects, two out of three PI projects failed. This paper aims to identify the critical failure factors (CFFs…

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Abstract

Purpose

Despite technological advancements within process improvement (PI) projects, two out of three PI projects failed. This paper aims to identify the critical failure factors (CFFs) linked to PI projects and propose suitable mitigation strategies. It also examines how PI practitioners can leverage unsuccessful projects to stimulate learning from failure, turning them into opportunities for development and growth.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach involving semi-structured interviews with 21 PI professionals was utilized to capture the CFFs and their corresponding mitigation best practices.

Findings

The study reveals 14 CFFs spanning from issues at the top-level management, down to challenges at the project level and shortcomings at the individual level. We uncover new evolving factors related to “big data analysis and technology implementations”, “project scope complexity”, “unrealistic goal setting”, “frequent shifts in management priorities”, “unclear problem definition” and “prolonged execution duration”. Moreover, results emphasize the significance of fostering a “culture of learning from failure” and “transparency in failure acknowledgment” to avert failures.

Originality/value

This study is the first to provide real-world solutions and guidelines to proactively mitigate PI failures. It offers insights for PI practitioners and broadens their view on emerging factors to implement preventive strategies, building on learning from failures and those of others.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

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Article
Publication date: 24 December 2021

Jiju Antony, Olivia McDermott, Michael Sony, Daryl Powell, Ronald Snee and Roger Wesley Hoerl

The paper aims to investigate the pros and cons of having a standard for lean six sigma developed in 2015. The study follows up on a previous study by Antony et al. (2021) in more…

500

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to investigate the pros and cons of having a standard for lean six sigma developed in 2015. The study follows up on a previous study by Antony et al. (2021) in more depth and aims to provide a more detailed investigation of various aspects of the standard.

Design/methodology/approach

A sequential mixed methodology was utilised by interviewing a panel of leading academics and practitioners familiar with lean six sigma followed by distributing a survey questionnaire to continuous improvement and operational excellence (OPEX) personnel.

Findings

The findings indicate that continuous improvement and OPEX professionals have conflicting views of International Standards Organisation (ISO) 18404. A majority of the participants of the qualitative study suggested, whilst supporting the requirement for a lean sigma standard, voiced concerns about the auditability of the standard and whether it is currently “fit for purpose” and proposed that it needs to be revised. Within the quantitative survey, 42% had never heard of the standard, and of the 58% who had heard of it, 90% had read it. Just 10% stated that they had or would apply the standard within their organisations. Just fewer than 50% felt that the standard was fit for purpose which suggests for further refinements of the standard in the future. Finally, 85% of respondents of the quantitative survey suggested for the revision of the standard whilst just 15% felt it should be removed.

Research limitations/implications

Other than a previous study by Antony et al. (2021), implementation of ISO 18404 in organisations and its benefits as well as empirical study looking into the impact of the standard on corporate performance in the literature were limited. An opportunity to review lessons learnt from a case study on the ISO 18404 standard implementation within an organisation would further enhance the research.

Originality/value

The paper provides a valuable resource for organisations to obtain insight into a standard in lean six sigma and whether to implement it or not. Furthermore, the results can form the basis of a case for the future revision of the standard by consolidating and strengthening the findings from the first study with more detailed quantitative and qualitative study.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 40 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

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Article
Publication date: 1 January 1986

ROGER N. CONWAY and RON C. MITTELHAMMER

In the last two decades there has been considerable progress made in the development of alternative estimation techniques to ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The search…

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Abstract

In the last two decades there has been considerable progress made in the development of alternative estimation techniques to ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The search for alternative estimators has no doubt been motivated by the observance of erratic OLS estimator behavior in cases where there are too few observations, multicollinearity problems, or simply “information‐poor” data sets. Imprecise and unreliable OLS coefficient estimates have been the result.

Details

Studies in Economics and Finance, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1086-7376

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Article
Publication date: 6 January 2012

Roger John Hilton and Amrik Sohal

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the successful deployment of Lean Six Sigma and a number of key explanatory variables that essentially comprise…

8784

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the successful deployment of Lean Six Sigma and a number of key explanatory variables that essentially comprise the competence of the organization, the competence of the deployment facilitator and the competence of the project leaders.

Design/methodology/approach

The preliminary fieldwork involved interviews with two senior Master Black Belts; then, combined with the results of a literature review, the authors develop a conceptual model. A number of hypotheses are developed and the procedures involved in empirically testing these hypotheses are briefly explained.

Findings

Technical and interpersonal attributes of Black Belts and Master Black Belts are identified as well as the factors for success in deploying Lean Six Sigma. These factors relate to: leadership, communication, behavior and awareness of Six Sigma; policies, culture and organizational support and strategy; education, training and competency of the Six Sigma experts; project improvement teams and project management; and performance evaluations based on quality criteria, information systems, data and measurement.

Originality/value

The paper produces a predictive model for the successful deployment of a continuous improvement program such as Lean Six Sigma.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 29 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

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