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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS VOL 3, NO 10

Lean Six Sigma: A Literature Review

Qun Zhang (Corresponding Author), Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Aamir Obaid Khattak,
Xiaoning Zhu
Dongling School of Economics Management, University of Sciences & Technology- Beijing, China
Mahmood Hassan
University of Southern Queensland- Sydney, Australia

Abstract
This paper reviews the published literature related to lean six sigma from start to date. The methodology
involves is the review study of 116 papers related to Lean six sigma from well known database searches
including Science Direct, EBSCO host, Emerald and Google Scholars. The paper includes the results from
different perspectives such as implementation of Lean six sigma, Focus Area, Focus Industry, Focus
Country, Year Wise Publications and Year Wise Focus Area and Focus Industry. The review of literature
found that Lean Six Sigma is mostly implemented in the Health industry. Research on LSS is on
elementary stage. Lean Six sigma framework in SME organizations is needed.
Key Words: Lean Six Sigma

1-Introduction

Lean Six sigma is a combination of well known waste elimination and process improvement techniques
Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma. Spector R. (2006) concludes that LSS is most effective in process
improvement it is widely implemented in the top performing organizations. It came from manufacturing
environment and found its way to services. Ronald D. Snee (2010) describes Lean six sigma as a well
structured theory based methodology to improve performances, develop effective leadership, customer
satisfaction and bottom line results. Together lean manufacturing and six sigma become more powerful and
eliminates the cons of each approach. It applies the tools and techniques of both Lean manufacturing and
six sigma. DMAIC and DMADV are applied with lean environment to achieve bottom line results. It is
implemented project by project (3-6 month) as Juran (1989) signifies that improvement is achieved only
through projects. LSS is implemented through Champions, Master Black Belts, Black Belts, and Green
Belts same like six sigma.
2- Methodology
A structured approach was adopted to search the published literature regarding lean six sigma. It involved
searches from the well known research databases like EBSCO host, Emerald, Google scholar, Science
direct. The literature search is limited to the English language only. I found total 116 articles highly related
to lean six sigma. The criteria of selection of the papers includes that the publication must have LSS or
Lean and six sigma combined applied either as a case study or described as theory. The search years
included are from 2000 to December 2011 because there were no research article related to Lean Six sigma
found before 2003 using the searching databases. The search results were sorted out as case study or
theories, Industry focused, area focused, year wise publications, year wise focus area and industry, country
wise research on lean six sigma. The data collected, analyzed and the results are presented in graphical.
3- Results
Out of total 116 Lean Six Sigma relevant found research publications there are 66(53%) papers are case
study based while 50 (47) % papers are theory based. Figure 1 shows the focus area of implementation of
LSS mainly has been Process improvement. The organization adopted LSS either to improve their
processes or modify them to increase efficiency and productivity. Miscellaneous category includes different
areas in publication frequency of one like E transition Emotional Intelligence, HRM, BPO, Marketing,
Services, Web Technology, Security Assistance, Suppliers, Product Life Cycle, TRIZ Methodology, Cross
Doc, Investigation, Methodology and TURA. Tools and techniques are focused considerably. It helped out

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to evolve the literature regarding implementation of LSS. But there is still need to explore the tools and
techniques of LSS making it complete fit in service or manufacturing organizations. Publication frequency
on the integration of Lean and six sigma is still needed to be explored in a scientific and systematic way.
There must be research on building up a complete picture of integration of these two methodologies. It is
considered that LSS is hurdle in the way of innovation Roger W. Hoerl, Martha M. Gardner (2010). Some
papers have directly focused on the quality of the product using the LSS methodologies. There is less focus
on implementation of LSS as compared to process improvement, tools and techniques. The need is to build
up some implementation models individually for service, manufacturing, large and small scale
organizations. Research and development has been focused of LSS implementation especially in
pharmaceutical sciences. Literature shows that LSS has not always benefited the organizations but there are
some failure cases. Causes of failure has been identified but in limited perspectives. Culture wise
investigations of failure causes are still needed.ERP, Data Mining, Simulations, risk management and
project management has been explored in both in theories and case studies.

Figure 2 shows that LSS research is indifference to developed and developing countries. USA is leader in
LSS related research following is the UK. Miscellaneous category in the fig. includes different other
countries with comparatively less research on Lean Six Sigma.
Figure 3 shows that the research and implementation on Lean Six Sigma in publication started at 2003.
Afterward research is continuously increasing as organization know better about the successful stories of
world top performing organization using Lean six sigma. Much research has been done in 2011 nearly 33
publications.

Figure 4 shows that the lean six sigma is mainly implemented in the Health sector where the defects are
less tolerable. Health sector basically includes pharmaceutical, clinical and drug discovery research
practices.LSS has been implemented in military which includes Deployed Warrior Medical management,
Armored Equipment Maintenance, Nuclear facility, Navy security Assistance etc.SME includes
manufacturing concern. LSS has been proved quite effective in SME organization. But there is need to
explore more this sector for theory evolution regarding the implementation of LSS in SME organization.
Government organization besides military used LSS for process improvement. They focused more on tools
in employed in different nature of governmental organizations. Financial Services includes mainly banks.
In the information technology and related industries like telecommunication and computer manufacturing,
Lean six sigma was used frequently.

Figure 1:

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Figure 2:

Figure 3:

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Figure 4:

Table 1 Industry Wise Focus Area

Industry Focus Area

Health Process Improvement, Process Innovation, Continuous Improvement,

Innovation, Quality, Tools, R&D, Methodology, Integration,
Implementation, Simulation

Manufacturing General Process Improvement, Tools, Implementation, Integration, ERP, Suppliers,

Continuous Improvement, Data Mining, Innovation

Military Process Improvement, Failure Causes, Security Assistant, Tools, Investigation

Government Tools
Financial Services Processes Improvement, Implementation, TRIZ methodology

IT and computer E transition, Web Technology, Process Improvement, Product Life Cycle
Manufacturing
Outsourcing Process Improvement, BPO
Printing and Publishing Project Management, Process Improvement

Service General HRM, Process Improvement

Cup Mfg. Tools

Tire Mfg. Tools

Call Centre Process Improvement

Cross dock Cross Doc

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Education Process Improvement

Food Process Improvement
Motor Data Mining

Wood products Quality

Consulting Process Improvement

Table 2 Country wise Focus Industry and Focus Area

Country Focus Industry Focus Area

USA E transition, tools, integration, simulation, Computer Manufacturing,

Quality, Services, Critical Success Factors, Manufacturing, Service, Information
Process Improvement, Web Technology, Technology, Health, Financial Services
Innovation, Product Life cycle, Emotional
Intelligence
UK Process Improvement, Risk Health, Manufacturing
Management, Integration,
Innovation, R&D, Continuous
Improvement

India ERP, BPO, Quality Manufacturing, Outsourcing,

Health

Netherland Quality Health

China Integration -

Taiwan Data Mining, Project Management, Financial Services, Food, Printing, Motor
TRIZ Methodology, Process
Improvement

Canada Integration

Mexico Tools, Process Improvement Health

Australia Marketing Outsourcing

Brazil Implementation

Indonesia Process Improvement Telecommunication

Israel Failure Causes -

Italy Critical Success Factors

Malaysia Critical Success Factors Electronic Industry

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Singapore Integration

South Africa Process Improvement Education

Turkey Data Mining Manufacturing

Japan Quality -

France, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland has worked on theory perspectives of Lean Six
sigma without focusing on any particular industry.
4- Conclusions
The research on lean six sigma is on initial stage. Lean Six Sigma has been equally
beneficial both for manufacturing or service concerns and Large or small scale
organizations. It is quite beneficial for different industries with little modifications as per
industry requirement. It is suggested to research on SME sector for implementation of
Lean Six Sigma where the financial capability is a hurdle.

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References
Juran, J. M. (1989), Leadership for Quality: An Executive Handbook, the Free Press,
New York, NY.
Ronald D. Snee, (2010) "Lean Six Sigma – getting better all the time", International
Journal of Lean Six Sigma, Vol. 1 Iss: 1, pp.9 – 29
Roger W. Hoerl, Martha M. Gardner (2010) “Lean Six Sigma, creativity, and
innovation”, International Journal of Lean Six Sigma , Volume: 1 Issue: 1
Spector, R. (2006), “How constraints management enhances lean and six sigma”, Supply
Chain Management Review, Vol.10 No.1, pp.42-7.

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