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Analysing the Implementation of lean six sigma in a
manufacturing company

By
Xihlovo Baloyi

A dissertation submitted in fulfilment for the Degree

Of
Masters in Technology (MTech)

In

Operations Management

Department of Quality and Operations Management

Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment

The University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Supervisor: Dr E I EDOUN
Co-Supervisor: Anup Pradhan

October 2022
THE UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG

In presenting this report in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a degree at the
University of Johannesburg, I agree that permission for extensive copying of this report
for scholarly purposes maybe granted by the head of my department or by his or her
representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this report for financial
gain shall not be allowed without my written permission.

Department of Quality and Operations Management

University of Johannesburg
Bunting Road Campus
Auckland Park 2006
P.O.Box524
Johannesburg
South Africa

Signature………B.X………………….
DECLARATION

I, Xihlovo Baloyi , Student No: 201585625 am a registered student for the degree of
Master of Technology in Operations Management in the academic year 2020- 2022

I hereby declare the following:

• I am aware that plagiarism (the use of someone else’s work without their
permission and /or without acknowledging the original source) is wrong

• I confirm that the work submitted for the assessment of the above degree is my
own unaided work except where I have explicitly indicated otherwise

• I have followed the required conventions in referencing the thoughts and ideas
of others

• I understand that the University of Johannesburg may take disciplinary action

against me if there is a belief that this is not my own unaided work or that I have failed
to acknowledge the source of the ideas or words in my writing

Date: 2022/09/26

Signature: B.X

i
Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge and thank the following people for immensely contributing
to the success of this thesis

• I would like to thank the Lord almighty for having granted me the grace to conduct
and complete this research project

• I acknowledge and thank my research supervisor Dr Emmanuel Innocents Edoun for

his outstanding guidance, contribution, and support throughout the journey of this
research

• I would like to recognise my academic friends namely Livhuwani caliphornia

nesengani and matimba Davis who have been an encouragement to me even before
the start of this project till end

• I would like to thank and appreciate my family’s support in their various ways

• I would like to thank the professionals from different manufacturing firms who
participated in the study. Their in-depth knowledge of their field is highly valued and
recognised

ii
DEDICATION

This Dissertation is dedicated to the people in a manufacturing company and my

supervisor Dr EI Edoun thank you for pushing me to complete my Master’s Degree
and your support throughout this journey does not go unnoticed. I am very much aware
of my capabilities because of your support.

iii
ABSTRACT
This study looks on the integration of lean six sigma in a manufacturing company and
how the whole sector of manufacturing implement the methodology of lean six sigma
.the cross functional relationship between total quality management ,product quality
and kaizen on how does lean six sigma integrate the relationship that exist between
these methodologies .hence the need to look on the phases that needs to be followed
in order to implement lean six sigma in a manufacturing company and detailed
discussion of the lean six sigma techniques that are applied in manufacturing with the
benefits of this techniques that are frequently applied are discussed in this study .This
research report performs a qualitative study where interviews were conducted in a
manufacturing company and descriptive questionnaires were sent to individuals within
the manufacturing sector while using quantitative data to substantiate findings .

According to the findings from the conducted interviews, it was discovered that most
of the participants are aware of the lean six sigma methodology and have experience
in the methodology while the minority of the participants have little nor no knowledge
of the methodology .a conclusion on the review of literature was identified that most
manufacturing companies do apply lean six sigma and reviewed the techniques that
are frequently used by this sector and a recommendation of closed-loop supply chain
was made to the manufacturing company with the conceptual framework and the
guideline on implementation of the recommended methodology in order to solve the
research problem of improving the process performance by applying this lean six
sigma technique in the manufacturing company .

Keywords: lean manufacturing, six sigma, Total quality Management ,Material

Requirements Planning ,kaizen(continuous improvement),manufacturing

iv
CONTENTS

DECLARATION ............................................................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. ii
DEDICATION ................................................................................................................. iii
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... iv

LIST OF ABREVIATIONS……………………………………………………………...ix
1. Chapter one: Introduction and Background
1.1. Introduction.………………………………………………………………………...1
1.2. Background. ………………………………………………………………………..3
1.3. Problem statement. ………………………………………………………………..5
1.4. Research aim and purpose …………………………………………………........5
1.5. Research Objectives ……………………………………………………………...6
1.6. Research questions…………………………………………………………………6
1.7. Rationale of the study ……………………………………………………….........7
1.8 Chapters Outline…………………………………………………………………….8
2. Chapter Two: Literature Review
2.1 Lean six sigma in manufacturing?…………………………………………….........9
2.2 Lean six sigma in manufacturing motivation………………………………… ….10
2.3 What Lean Six Sigma Preform……………………………………………….......12
2.4 Lean Six Sigma principles ……………………………………………………….14
2.5 Lean Six Sigma in manufacturing ………………………………………….........15
2.6 what is lean six sigma and why ?………………………………………………. ...18
2.7 Phases to be followed during the implementation of Lean Six Sigma………..23
2.7 .1Phases to be followed during the implementation of Lean Six Sigma……..24
2.8 Success factors for lean implementation……………………………………... ..27
2.9 six sigma advantages ……………………………………………………………. 28

2. 10.Kaizen in manufacturing………………………………………………………. 29
2.11 What is lean manufacturing? ........................................................................32
v
2.12Total Quality Management (TQM) in manufacturing………………………... . 41
2.13 Material Requirements Planning in
operations………………………………...43
2.14 application of lean six sigma in manufacturing
………………………………..46
3. Chapter Three: Research Methodology
3.1 Research Design…………………………………………………………………...51
3.2 Research Approach……………………………………………………………….52
3.3 Reliability and Validity……………………………………………………………...53

3. 4.Data
Collection……………………………………………………………………..54
3.4 .1 Instrumentation…………………………………………………………………55
3.5.Data Analysis………………………………………………………………………55
3.5.1 Coding of Themes………………………………………………………………56
4. Chapter Four: Analysis and Discussion

4.1 Study themes…………………………..…………………………………………...60

4.2 Interview Questions and answers………………………………………………..65

4.3 Questionnaire survey questions …………………………………………………76

4.4 Discussions…………………………………………………………………………80
5. Chapter Five: Summary, Recommendations and Conclusion
5.1 Summary….. ……..………………………………………………………………..81
5.2Recommendatios …………………………………………………………………..84
5.2.1 Benefits of Closed-loop supplychain……………………………………….85

5.3 conclusions ……………………………………………………………………….88

6. References………………………………………………………………………….89

vi
List of tables

Table one : lean and six sigma cycle…………………………………………………… 25

Table two :a comparison table of lean and six sigma ……………………………….. 48
Table three: coding table………………………………………………………………… 64
Table four : research themes and subthemes from the interview……………………74
Table five : summary of questions sent on questionnaire survey …………………...76
Table six :a conceptual framework guideline for the proposed methodology ……. 87

vii
List of Figures
Figure one :Total Quality Management relationship between the lean manufacturing
,six sigma and kaizen …………………………………………………………………… 10
Figure two: General lean six sigma framework ………………………………………...22
Figure three: The material requirement planning system ……………………………..45
Figure four : Tools for Total Quality Management …………………………………….43
Figure five : Proposed conceptual framework for closed-loop supply chain……….. 86

viii
List of abbreviations
Abbreviation Explanation
SS Six sigma
LM Lean Manufacturing
LSS Lean Six Sigma
MRP Material Requirement Planning
CLSCM Closed loop supply chain management
CI Continuous improvement

ix
Chapter one: Introduction and Background

in this chapter the introduction of lean six sigma is discussed into detail looking into
the background of how the study of lean six sigma started while introducing the
concepts that are part of the study with the intention to collaborate with the topic ,the
problem statement, research questions, aim and purpose of the study is discussed
which helps with identifying the rationale of the study.

1.1 Introduction

Diego(2018)referred to lean six sigma as an approach that is dependent of the team

effort collaboration to improve the performance of the process by eliminating wastes
using a particular system and reducing any differences that exist within the
organisation .the improvement technique known as lean six sigma has been
developed to improve the performance of the process and has been proven to be the
most reliable methods over the recent decades as to the reason why the
manufacturing sector has been implementing it continuously .

Diego(2018) argues that lean six sigma is a method that intend to increase the
organisations profits by applying quality standards ,speed up of the production rate
and effectively utilizing the costs associated with production so as to improve the
productivity of the process ,multiple organisations have been copying this strategy of
lean six sigma with the objective to achieve the same results that have been achieved
by the well-known organisations such as (GE & Motorola) because they have
implemented the lean six sigma methodology successfully so therefore other
businesses hope to achieve the same.

Guiterezz and L de Leeuw (2016 : 324) infers that lean six sigma is a methodology
that combine lean manufacturing and six sigma which are approaches that have
benefits of their own individually and therefore they are combined in order to achieve
the objective of process improvement together ,organisations that implement lean six
sigma can improve their profits as they will be able to remove waste from their process

1
and uses six sigma to solve the problems that will be identified from the implementation
of lean manufacturing .

Dubees (2017) argues that the benefits of implementing lean six sigma are as fellows
:

1. Guaranteeing that the products will conform to the customer’s needs

(understanding voice of the customers ).
2. Removing procedure steps that are not adding value to the output being
produced .
3. Reducing costs that are added to the activities that are producing low quality.
4. Reducing the rate of the damaged products from the process .
5. Minimising the duration of the operation of producing the products .

Douglas (2015) states that the critical success factor of the implementation of lean
six sigma has been identified in the manufacturing sector utilising mostly the Total
Quality Management(TQM) approach which are the practices that are designed to
continually improve the performance of organisations processes so this approach
utilises multiple techniques of lean and six sigma in order to improve the performance
of the organisations processes .

Smith (2011) argues that, In order for Lean six sigma to be applied as a technique to
improve processes in manufacturing the organisation can implement the concept of
Material Requirements Planning (MRP) which is the method of determining what to
buy and when to buy in terms of inventory looking into the products that are produced
within the operation of the organisation this concept determine the materials that are
implemented within the production line and the organisations can implement the Bill
Of Material (BOM) in order to determine the structure of the material to know the items
needed for sub-assembling the materials that depend on one another to assemble the
final output of the production.

According to Carol Ptak (2012:117), when looking into lean six sigma effectively
implementing the MRP can help improve the performance of the organisations
processes because once MRP is utilized effectively the organisation will be able to
identify the materials that are not adding value to the production and identify areas of
the materials that can be used continuously in order to improve the performance of the
organisations .”

2
1.2 Background

Diego (2018) infers that lean six sigma was introduced for the first time in the united
states at the year 1986 with the objective of performing better than kaizen which is a
Japanese term that means continuous improvement which is the approach whereby
the company is consistently coming up with methodologies to improve their own
performance using their own employees and was first presented in the manufacturing
industry by 1995 with the intention of planning to implement it within the industry so
around 2005 the concept of lean six sigma was then known in the industry as the
introduction of this concept has been fully introduced so therefore by 2005 it was
implemented by several companies .

Nussey(2018) infers that lean six sigma is the joint of two strategies which is lean
manufacturing and six sigma methodology whereby lean is known as what is called
the 8 wastes which is defects ,waiting ,overproduction, transport ,extra processing,
motion ,inventory and non-utilised potential while six sigma is the methodology of
naturally implementing the process of removing the causes of deformities within the
production and looking into the root causes ensuring that it is being eliminated so it
does not occur within the process at any stage of production using the six sigma
techniques that have been implemented before .

Chavez (2019) discussed that Lean was discussed about by portage yet this was initial
a thought this standards had been utilized by Eli Whitney to assembling black powder
guns toward the end of the 18th century and passage carried this concept throughout
the world war 2. They needed to construct aircraft at the portage willow run plant and
being from the sakichi Toyota designed a weaving loom that could stop when it
recognized a broken string. This has drained a solitary worker to have the capacity to
screen a few machines as the administrator just needed to mediate on a special case
premise this was a beginning of robotization or jidoka with a human touch as it was
not full implementation of robotisation the humans were still included in the new
strategy that was then introduced.

3
Gauss (2010:101) argues that, one of the essential part of the Toyota development
framework is consequently lean manufacturing .the basic principle of six sigma as an
estimation criterion goes back to Karl Fedrick Gauss who was the first person to
introduce the general idea of bending ,six sigma is an estimate of product variety and
can be traced back to the 1920’s .

The average of this three sigma’s that Walter schewewand needed to modify therefore
six sigma returned to the design of Motorola which was named charge units back in
mid-1980s as the steering wheel of the whole approach as it was the leading concept
,the engineers at Motorola also identified that the usual quality standards that Motorola
has created with different standards represent the philosophy of the time and the
associated social changes which have made the achievement of an additional 16
billion dollars as a result of six sigma efforts in addition many organisations have
adopted six sigma as a collaborative approach .

In conclusion of the chapter lean six sigma will be further discussed on what are the
steps that needs to be followed in order for it to be implemented successfully in the
manufacturing company ,lean six sigma is not only improving the process of the
organisation but it also look into the improvement of the products quality produced by
that particular process and it also help the organisation to identify defects that that
exists within their organisation by also considering the six sigma requirement and how
much of defects is therefore allowed within the manufacturing industry according to
the standard deviation of the six sigma .lean six sigma is therefore an improvement
methodology which combines the concepts of six sigma and lean manufacturing .

4
 1.3 Problem Statement

Lean six sigma is the practice that uses the technique for lean and six sigma to improve
the performance of an organization, as well as the application of quality on how an
organization can remove the root causes of poor performance and how they can
improve from that. In looking at a manufacturing company, the implementation of lean
six sigma becomes a priority. Therefore, it rises numerous challenges whereby delays
exist caused by the inaccuracies within the manufacturing industry. The study we
explore different techniques and practices that will assist in terms of these challenges
as meeting customer’s expectations and creating attractive products is what a
manufacturing industry stand for then errors, delays, non-productivity then causes the
implementation of lean six sigma in manufacturing industry not to be sophisticated
hence, employees tend not to be confident in applying the method .

1.4 Research Aim and Purpose

The primary aim of this study is to examine the current and past status of lean sixsigma
adoption and application in the manufacturing company. To meet the overall aim of
the research primary and secondary objectives were formulated. General character of
the research: is lean six sigma, dmaic, kaizen, service industry, manufacturing sector,
lean, material requirement planning ,closed-loop supply chain and six sigma.

5
 1.5.Research Objectives

1.5.1 Primary objectives

1. To analyse the implementation of lean six sigma in a manufacturing company .

2. To Identify how Total Quality Management is a common denominator of the product
quality and it’s relations between kaizen, lean and six sigma.
3. Identify and analyse the lean six sigma techniques applied in a manufacturing
company.
4. Determining the quality regulatory Requirements that are adhered to and cannot be
ignored in applying lean six sigma in the manufacturing company.

1.5.2 Secondary Objectives

1. To examine the extent in which lean six-sigma utilized in manufacturing.

2. To identify the popularity of lean six sigma in manufacturing organisation and other
improvement initiatives such as TQM (Total quality management).

3. To determine the critical success factors for lean six-sigma implementation and
challenges that come with the implementation of lean six sigma.

1.6 Research Questions

1. How is lean six sigma implemented in a manufacturing company?

2. Which Total Quality Management Techniques are applied in the
manufacturing company in order to reduce wastes?
3.Which regulatory requirements are not to be neglected in a production
line?
4. What is the relationship between kaizen and lean six sigma and how
does it relate to Total Quality Management?

6
 1.7Rationale of the Study

Edward (2012) Lean six sigma is combination methodologies that are an improvement
methodology, which have Total Quality Management (TQM) working as a denominator
between lean six sigma, kaizen and its relation to product quality. It is important in
terms of problem solving as lean manufacturing identifies and removes wastes from
production and use six sigma to solve problems from the bottleneck operations. Where
the non-conformities are removed from the production so therefore six sigma
techniques improve the quality of the product which then lead to determining the
techniques that are implemented to meet or aim to exceed customer’s expectations in
overall lean six sigma improves the effectiveness of the manufacturing industry.

Sallis (2013) The importance of Lean Six-Sigma includes improvement of quality

products by removing errors (non-conformities) from the system, and looking into
products and processes, which lead to achieving customers values as this, will lead to
achieving customer’s satisfaction. Reduction of waste as measured by eliminating
unnecessary inventory and defects.

Therefore, the implementation of lean six sigma involves knowing the techniques that
are frequently used and success factors of the techniques in manufacturing so that the
objective is to improve the product quality in manufacturing. The relationship between
lean six sigma and kaizen from Total Quality Management is analysed on how all of
this contribute to product quality.

7
 1.8. Chapters Outline
1.8.1 Chapter 1 : Introduction and Background

In this chapter the research study is introduced and determine the background of the
study on where the topic comes from, it also outlines the research problem, purpose
and aim ,objectives and rationale of the research.

1.8.2 Chapter 2 : Review of Literature

The literature in relation to the content is reviewed on how lean six sigma is
implemented in a manufacturing company and on the knowledge that existed in the
study before by critically reviewing the content in relation to the study .

1.8.3 Chapter 3 : Research Methodology

This chapter identifies the research approach that is used when conducting the
research. This include the population sampling, instruments used to measure the
study ,the techniques that will be used to collect data , the validity and the reliably of
the data with the approved ethical clearance from the institution.

1.8.4 Chapter 4 : Data Analysis and Discussion

This chapter includes the analysis the findings in the implementation of lean six sigma
in a manufacturing company. Analysis are displayed in tables, charts and quotation
statements from the conducted interviews , supported by existing literature of the
study and also discusses findings and comparisons with the literature.

1.8.5 Chapter 5 : Conclusion and Recommendations

This chapter provides significant conclusions based on the findings obtained on the
study and recommendations that can be contribution to the study.

Based on what is outlined above which discusses the structure and brief discussion of
what each chapter entails which then leads to the literature of lean six sigma being
reviewed as to how does a manufacturing company implement the methodology within
their manufacturing company which then lead to discussing what is lean manufacturing
and definition of lean manufacturing which assist in answering the research questions
that are provided in this study .

8
Chapter 2: Literature Review

Literature examines the concept of lean six sigma, practices applied in lean six sigma,
techniques/methods in lean six sigma and benefits of lean six sigma in manufacturing.
The keys to achievement of lean six sigma is also reviewed on the literature by looking
onto techniques in lean six sigma that contributed to the study.

2.1 what is lean six sigma in manufacturing ?

Rahayo and Santoso (2021) sigma is a symbol from Greece that represent deviation
in the world of statistics and the term six stand for a number of deviations above the
specific mean .the concept of putting six and sigma together have become a strategy
in most industries around the world in order for them to be able to reduce any errors
that may exist within their production processes.

Kruger (2017) the combination of lean and six sigma is from making lean
manufacturing and six sigma one concept which implements the practice of removing
defects from the process in order to improve the performance of the production this
combination therefore eliminates the eight wastes from lean manufacturing which are
the defects on the products, over production which is producing excess of products
from the production line, delays ,non-utilised skills ,motion ,ineffective stockpile
methods ,overproduction and waiting all of these are considered as wastes when it
comes to lean six sigma methodology and the approach is applied for continuous
improvement for the manufacturing company to contribute to the change of its culture.

According to Rahayo and Santoso (2021) the competition that exist within the
manufacturing sector will need the organisations to be able to have competitive
advantage by ensuring that that their end goal is met which is to achieve customer
satisfaction by offering their customers products that conform to the standards of good
quality while minimising cost within their production.

Salah (2012)The main aim of lean six sigma is to improve the processes that exist
within the manufacturing company so it entails that the analyses of the techniques that
are applied within the company which lead to the improvement the quality of product
using the quality improvement techniques ,this study is looking into the relationship
that exist between lean manufacturing, six sigma, kaizen and how Total Quality

9
Management plays as a denominator with its contribution to the product quality .the
argument can be is there a relationship between lean manufacturing , six sigma and
kaizen on how Total Quality Management (TQM) becomes the mediator between the
three techniques and how this contribute to product quality. The diagram below on the
argument stated above on how the relationship illustrated below contribute to product
quality.

SIX SIGMA

KAIZEN

LEAN
MANUFACTURING

Figure one: TQM relationship six sigma, Kaizen and Lean manufacturing

2.2 lean six sigma in manufacturing motivation

Agustiandi et al (2021) six sigma is looked at as the better methodology than other
methods like Total Quality Management (TQM) methods ,TQM is a methodology of
applying and managing all the activities of quality that exist within the organisation.

Rakish (2019)Lean six sigma is best implemented as the analysis tool of the
processes and is implemented effectively on the process that design the product of
the manufacturing process rather than focusing on the product itself because the
process then produce the final output of the process so in order to improve the product
quality effectively the process that produces it then need to be looked into in order to

10
achieve an increased product quality .one of the challenges that continuous
improvement and problem solving initiatives have had over the years is a difficulty
accepting the reality of the current situation that there is poor performance of the
process.

Rahayu and Santoso( 2021) according to most research papers in the space of lean
six sigma it has been in the clear that six sigma alone is good enough to eliminate
analytical problems in the manufacturing companies without combining with any other
methodology for improving the performance of the process when the problems that
exist within the quality of the product can be solved by applying the seven basic tools
of quality however lean six sigma does more than identifying a problem and come up
with solution to improve it .

The final phase of lean six sigma is the control phase. Even though, Mohan ,et ,al
(2021) there is a natural resistance to change in manufacturing for many people and
systems as change is hard, habits must be broken, new methods learned, and new
information is required.

Agustiandi, et al, (2021) during the stage called control phase in the lean six sigma
methodology a strategy to eliminate the constraints within the organisation is then
implemented that is when the organisation will begin to use it when this is happening
within the organisation the project team ensures that all the system that will serve as
support to this project is updated in instances whereby the would have been any
changes that would have occurred and all the operators and managers of the
manufacturing company are offered training on the methodology that is proposed to
solve the non-complexities this is dependent on the control system which is used to
review the processes that in place in order to determine if the process decides to go
back to the way it was performing before,

the project team does not take it as if they have succeeded in performing their
strategies with the factor that they have succeeded in one area but they will be required
to remain consistent with the methodology through a statistically significant number
of occurrences and this will be able to prove that the method has worked while the
operators get to benefit problem solving skills and are able to successfully manage the
improved process .

11
Agustiandi, et al, (2021) wanted to know why lean six sigma. However, there are many
reasons why a manufacturing company should implement lean six sigma but, in this
study, only two reasons are discussed

(1)this methodology increases customer satisfaction by conforming to the quality

perceived by the customer through the provision of product features (2)it improves the
productivity of the company through the improved processes while achieving
employee morale because the employees are given responsibility and ownership of
their tasks so therefore increase in job content of the employees is also achieved which
will also lead to an organisation having reliable employees as they will feel valuable to
the organisation.

Michael (2020) contends that, for a manufacturing company to successfully apply lean
six sigma and achieve its objectives within their organisation the following factors need
to be considered:

1.the must be reason why the organisation would want to implement this method and
the employees and management should be fully involved in the whole procedure.

2. for the improvement method of kaizen the employees need to have capabilities
to work together with their co-workers and be able to handle the responsibility of
improving their own performance of where it has been identified that they are
performing poorly .

3. for the improvement method called kaizen the manufacturing company need to
have enough resources and materials utilise which is conforming to the quality
standards that exist with the type of materials that is utilised within the process.

2.3 What Lean Six Sigma Preform

George (2018) argues that, it was about time for needs were set for the process
looking into the increasing the performance of the process which will increase the
impact it will have on the production .when there has been an opportunity for
improvement offered by the manufacturing company, there are belts that exist within
the methodology of lean six sigma therefore the black belt which works in eliminating
ineffective procedures performed within the production line in order to improve the
process as whole so this belt specialises in eliminating the procedures that contribute
12
to the non-complexities that exist within the process which uses the strategy called
DMAIC procedure which is the problem-solving approach that drives lean six sigma
it’s a five phase method which stands for -Define ,Measure ,Analyse ,Improve and
Control -for improving existing process problems with unknown causes .DMAIC is
based on the scientific method and pronounced as “dum-may-ik” whereas some
individuals may be satisfied with the fact that lean six sigma methods can be applied
in both manufacturing plant and in the service industry operations .

Rowland (2017) explains that, Likewise it is impressive that the service sector has the
capabilities to employ the lean six sigma procedure like it is with the manufacturing
company so therefore it is also easy for the service to implement the procedure to their
manufacturing company while in consideration of the customers satisfaction with the
service rendered to them as much as an effective production planning would perform
when it is being effective .without looking at the terms on whether the service render
is the buyer of Lexus or it is responsible of the biggest annuity -which entails that the
method of lean six sigma does not leave the non-complexities not being removed from
the system without coming up with the strategies to solve the bottlenecks that have
been discovered within the production line therefore there is no area within the
production that lean six sigma cannot be able to reach with the quality features that it
entails .

According to George (2017) it is useful for the methodology to be able to conform to

the objective of the method in order to meet the greater scope of the proposed method
for the performance improvement – everything from spending less to the tangible
products produced within the manufacturing to elevating the available inventory to
better performance for the effectiveness of the operation which contributes to
employment of people as they are needed to work on the whole process and making
it easy to restocking for the inventory that is be needed for the manufacturing process
in which we can make the conclusion that lean six sigma methodology is able to
reshape the entire service sector compared to how it works in the manufacturing
company .

13
2.4. Lean Six Sigma principles

Gavrilo ( 2017) contends that, lean and six sigma are the methodologies that are
frequently used in the business environment in order to improve the company’s
product quality ,the efficiency of the operation which occurs within the manufacturing
company ,in the previous years the lean six sigma approach has proven to be
dominating in the service sector like looking at the healthcare in order for them to
increase customer satisfaction for their patients and any other clients of which they are
rendering the service to which becomes their primary focus .

Harper(2011) argues that, the approach lean manufacturing entails that it removes the
steps that contribute to the non-complexities within the system and develop continuous
improvement by ensuring that the employees working within then project are able to
work in team in applying the kaizen(continuous improvement ) meanwhile six sigma
looks into the concept of problem solving strategies ,removing the inefficiencies that
exist within the operation together with the rationalisation of the strategy being
proposed .

Mohan (2021) argues that, the principle of lean six sigma is to reduce the various forms
of waste throughout the value chain of supplying or production process and in the
process decreasing the unpredictability of the process. Lean ideas identifies the
wasted progress and Six Sigma ideas recognize variety inside the procedure and by
applying them together to improve the process as whole for the manufacturing
company .when looking at the health care sector it is evident that they have adjusted
to new way of doing things in order for them to be able to successfully implement the
lean six sigma methodology .

Mohan (2021) posits that, lean and six sigma requirements for the analysed qualities
with the approach of advancing the improvement strategies currently exist within the
organisation in order to quantify the consistency of the developed framework by
changing the current culture of the organisation which incorporates the issues that
comes with quality within the production , One technique for looking into the factor of
address tolerant issue and limit times to hold up the process being run is through the
Lean Six Sigma approach of level-stacking as it called.

14
Rahil (2016) contends that, the strength of lean six sigma comes from having to make
the term lean manufacturing and six sigma methodology as one concept as both the
concepts help in adding into the operations of the organisation having to makes these
quality techniques as one approach which is lean six sigma that lead to an organisation
removing the non-complexities within the manufacturing process and the tasks that
are being but do not add value into the process the reason why the concept will be
able perform effectively is because lean is able to remove the wastes while six sigma
can reduce the amount of defects found within the produced products while being able
to give good quality of improved performance to the products as well as the service
that is being offered to the customers .
These makes the combination ideal for any industry for continues improvement.
Mohan, (2021) Furthermore argues that, Six Sigma consists DMAIC (Define, Measure,
Analyse, Improve and Control) which decreases variation and SPC (Statically Process
Control) which is a statically approaches with DOE design of experiment histogram
along with Pareto chart.

2.5. Lean Six Sigma in manufacturing

Fu-kung (2017) posits that, historically the standards of six sigma and the lean
manufacturing have been appearing to be like the joint-scheme than co-schemers the
ongoing lean six sigma approach by and large diagram is ground-breaking activity plan
for significantly enhancing quality, increasing speed of performance and reducing
waste within the system.

Arnteiter and Maylette (2011) suggested that, a lean six-sigma approach would
benefit by qualities of lean six sigma technique integration into the organisation they
also state that waste is an opponent of mandatory procedures that should be
eliminated from the process while decreasing over using of any timing on the
availability of the strategy which entails that both Total Quality and JIT (Just in Time)
reviews the procedure and is an essential concept in Japanese joining together
application that contributes to poor performance steps such as sit idle, cash, material,
over exertion ,and client altruism, integrating procedures with the purpose to eliminate
for improvement include the idea of lean manufacturing motivation ,

15
Evans (2017) argues that, lean manufacturing is consistently utilised to determines
approaches that was first developed by the Toyota company that strains on the
removal of wastes that is able to stand on its own including absconds that requires
revamp , non-value added planning procedures ,artificial development of materials ,
putting the time on hold , excessive inventory with no use and overproduction on the
operation that does not include complicated method for characterizing lean
manufacturing it is achieving all the more less, it includes differentiating the
complexities to the non-complexities and complete removal of non-complexities
which will commence from the daily tasks that will be performed by employees
working within the production through the application of all of these it will lead to quality
standards application being successfully implemented whereby the product quality of
the products being produced which is based on the quality as perceived by the
customers ensuring that is being met which will lead to customer satisfaction and
improved performance of the production of the manufacturing company .

Fu-kung(2017) argues that, as particular associations developed the capacity of six

sigma to deal with issues that are related to adhering to the set requirements they then
began to realise that most of the important issues that were identified now align along
the issues of productivity which lead to using the six sigma belts to be able to deal with
the issues and other group of improvement methods .eventually six sigma then started
to apply the lean manufacturing techniques that comes with the belts in order to
remove the wastes and non-complexities that are caused by actions performed from
daily tasks of the employees working within the manufacturing which end up not adding
value to the overall production of the organisation ,this how the concept of lean six
sigma then began to be implemented by combing the two techniques using both their
benefits in order to improve performance of the operation while dealing with the loss
that organisations might have experienced in terms of their production.

Raveen (2018) states that lean six sigma is categorized as the incorporated method
that is set to be able to apply the methods to reduce inventory ,enhancement of the
method within the operations which happens to be performed by the employees trying
to identify their job tasks on how they get to contribute to the poor performance of the
whole organisation and reducing the amount of imperfections that exist within the
manufacturing while reducing the differences that exist within the produced output for
16
both lean manufacturing and six sigma techniques which is said to be driven by what
the prerequisites that were coming from the customers and all of this need to be
clustered around the investments that have been made for the organisations which will
lead to having enough budget made for the project to be performed .

Fu-kung (2017) contends that, the duration of the process reduction may include
certain parts of both Lean techniques and six sigma strategies that is connected to
the concern around the streamline process that have been developed . This
application prompts conclusion that constant revision of the process happens due to
wrong locations, the number of customers or having to send charges and which
results in high variety of time for planning , six sigma techniques may then be applied
to reduce down to the principal driver of the existing issues and be able to develop a
strategy to bring solution to the identified problem from the organisation , from the
investigation on the topic it has been discovered that most organizations are looking
for better strategies that employ a blend of both lean and six sigma strategies ,
notwithstanding for many organizations that might not have all the required standards
of the raw materials and resources to be utilised for the manufacturing process when
the organisation plans to use the approach of lean six sigma within their own company
.

Raveen(2018) states that all the belts in lean and six sigma are manufactured in the
assembling department and easily connect to different regions of which are adding
value ,regulatory and performance based is primarily driven by the four key metrics of
execution which are described as follows :

1.are accurate budget figures, date fulfilment or accuracy estimated from the possibility
of information errors

2.cycle time or time required to accomplish something e.g. time to complete an order

3. costs these are intensive process performance ( roughly speaking and the cost
is generally determined by the accuracy of the procedure or duration of the process
will be more time consumption ,more turmoil needs to be clarified with greater effort )

4. customer loyalty in other words meaning an essential part of the service reason
its not hard to realise lean six sigma can be able to make difference.

17
Raveen(2018) continues to states that as it may be that characteristics of
administration tend to make it difficult to differentiate openings and characterize
extensions for example the executive way of life with the ultimate goal which is that
top management they usually do not think about the procedures, evaluations and
information ; forms are regularly undetectable, complex and not all around
characterized ; benefit work normally requires significant intervention of human labour
; and comparable administration activities are frequently done in several ways.
Luckily, important similarities exist among assembling and non - fabricating forms. To
start with the two kinds of procedures have been produced in processing plants, which
are places where items that are not adequate are then sent and must be improved or
rejected it does not meet the requirements . identify the affected production line and
determine the room for improvement for the manufacturing process.

2.6 Lean six sigma -what and why?

Ramphal (2016) posits that, Lean six sigma is a process improvement methodology
that is applied in the business world in order to achieve customer satisfaction and
increase productivity for the organisation, lean six sigma is being utilised frequently in
the manufacturing company so the sector is aware of the existence of the method and
has been proven to be an effective strategy to be applied within the organisations .

Welch (2015)states that “ the biggest but least known advantage of six sigma is the
ability to build executive leaders who are good leaders .”the leaders that exist within
the organisations have the abilities to move organisations from one point to another
and also improving the paths of the companies into a better place than it was so with
all of these being performed within the organisation good changes that will benefit the
business tends to occur continuously , lean six sigma uses variety of approaches for
improving the existing processes within the organisation and it educates the top
managers of the organisation on what role are they going to play in terms of improving
the performance of the process and informing on the importance of their role so they
get to be able to improve continuously and utilises it effectively as it is proven that
most processes deteriorates over a period of time if no changes have been
implemented on it this is based on the second law of thermodynamics .

18
Rampal (2016) posits that, a systematic approach is required for any organisation in
order to improve the performance of the process in the organisation in which the
measurement of it will be coming from the factors such the cost ,customer satisfaction
,quality ,delivery and customers’ needs which are constantly changing as the time
passes through with the possibility of increasement on those factors .for an
organisation to maintain its cashflow effectively it is very crucial in order to be able to
see the profits that are being within the organisation which will lead to development of
the business when there is good flow because finances are the main principles for one
organisation to be able to operate so all of these strategies should be able to achieve
the objectives of an organisation in terms of finance so in that instance the company
will be able to grow while bringing innovation to the workplace .

Maritz N(2015) infers that, lean six sigma is considered a better approach than others
that have been applied in terms of process performance improvement because it uses
both the systems that will need humans in order to operate effectively so therefore six
sigma has the main focus on getting to the root causes of the defects that exist on the
process and being able to identify the impact that the methodology have on the
organisation it is very important so they get have valid reason on why they should
implement it if this is not done then the improvement methodology cannot be
implemented as the expert of quality has once stated that the language that should be
recognised is money .

Welch (2015) contends that, although not entirely new, no improvement approach has
been shown to be as successful in improving processes as the five-phase DMAIC
process, which defines, measures, analyses, improves, and controls sequences and
connections in an usable way. these three characteristics: When combined with other
elements of lean six sigma, the integration of human and process improvement
elements, a clear focus on achieving bottom-line results, and a method that sequences
and links improvement tools into an overall approach, produce a deployment approach
used by other improvement initiatives.

Evans (2017) argues that, Lean Six Sigma is becoming more popular as the go-to
improvement technique across a variety of business sectors. LSS has traditionally
been used in manufacturing and production improvement settings, according to
models and applications with an emphasis on LSS and its use in manufacturing and

19
production environments, the majority of LSS implementation projects have
concentrated on the systematic and meticulous application of the Six Sigma-oriented
DMAIC approach to characterize processes and specify solutions that are delivered
through the effective use of a number of lean and Six Sigma tools like DOE, VSM,
SIPOC, and 5S.

Seth and Rastogi(2014) contends that, although the use of LSS in manufacturing
contexts is widespread, its specialized application in fields like supply chain operations
and maintenance, overhaul, and repair (MRO) tasks is less developed. There is a
substantial body of academic research on the use of particular Lean implementations
in MRO functions. Similarly, the use of Six Sigma at MRO facilities has drawn
considerable attention, particularly as a result of Jack Welch's efforts to advance Six
Sigma as the primary business improvement strategy while at General Electric.

Hendry and Nonthaleerak (2006) The development and deployment of Lean Six Sigma
in businesses was the subject of the authors' thorough assessment of academic
material. More than 200 journal papers were found during a search of academic
databases. Following an examination of these articles, a number of crucial texts that
directly addressed the adoption of Lean Six Sigma were highlighted for additional
investigation. Figure 1 presents a literature review of significant academic case studies
that concentrate on LSS applications across many different industries. Numerous
important difficulties are noted by the analysis. First off, there are very few unique LSS
applications for MRO operations that have been referenced in academic papers.

Thomas, et al., (2015) uses a standard Six Sigma methodology to apply Monte Carlo
analysis to the failure of aircraft Display Units (DU), provides a predictive cost model
for DU 6, and makes suggestions about how various maintenance approaches might
be used at various stages of the DUs' lives through the model.

Hwang (2009), contends that, the implementation of six sigma projects in aerospace
firms was the focus of the study, which found that among other problems, human error
and inadequate data were the main reasons for six sigma project failures in aerospace
applications.

In order to manage human errors that have an impact on quality and safety and worsen
business performance and Price (2010) implemented a combined Lean/TQM

20
methodology into aircraft operations. Mostafa, et al., (2015) developed a theoretical
framework around integrating Lean thinking into maintenance systems.

Karunakaran (2016) is one of the few academics who uses the traditional Lean Six
Sigma approach to shorten airplane maintenance cycle durations by modelling the
new "future state" and to increase performance using the approach with the supporters
of combining Lean and Six Sigma into a single strategy may be found in the academic
literature.

For instance, agile Six Sigma is mentioned by Christopher and Rutherford (2004) as a
potential improvement to supply chain resilience. Through their efforts, they have
discovered the necessity of combining the Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to
create a unified strategy for enhancing supply chain performance.

Lean and Six Sigma both can lower supply chain inventories and enhance overall
supply chain performance and throughput, according to the work of Arnheiter and
Maleyeff (2005), neither author who advocates integration offers a practical method
for combining Lean and Six Sigma.

Thomas, et al.,( 2015) uses a matrix approach to the concurrent application of Lean
and DMAIC in an airplane manufacturing setting to use an integrated Lean Six Sigma
framework. This method offered a helpful road map for implementing LSS successfully
in an aerospace setting. Therefore, the integrated LSS Frameworks must clearly
define their mode of operation and be perceived as operating effectively so that such
companies are given confidence before embarking on a new business improvement
strategy only then will MRO companies be able to fully understand the benefits of a
dual and integrated LSS approach.

In order for the organization to concurrently address the "waste reduction" part and the
Critical to Quality element of the business, the focus of the development of an
integrated LSS framework is on assuring the simultaneous development of the Lean
and Six Sigma phases. According to George (2002), the relationship between Six
Sigma and Lean is linear in its application, with Six Sigma coming first and Lean
following after the process variation has been reduced and secured through the Six
Sigma phase. An alternative viewpoint is provided by the work of Shah et al. (2008),

21
who contend that incorporating Lean principles and techniques will significantly
improve the effectiveness of Six Sigma initiatives.

According to Hines, et al. (2004), Six Sigma's function is to contribute to and assist the
higher level strategic Lean implementation process. This would imply that Six Sigma
is a component of a smaller group of operational techniques that are compatible with
higher level lean thinking.

The general Lean Six Sigma Framework is shown in Figure 2. (George, 2021)

22
2.7 Phases must be followed when putting Lean Six Sigma into practice.

The LSSF served as the kick-off for the implementation phase and was composed of
a number of awareness-raising sessions where the implementation process was
described and where all staff members had the chance to participate, discuss the
direction of travel, and, most importantly, get ready for Lean Six Sigma implementation
Mostafa et al., (2013) The importance of education, articulating a vision for change,
and the basic values of individuals have all been cited as crucial elements in creating
high-performing LSS programs .

Mostafa (2013) posits that, staff members received additional and more specialized
training in order to become proficient in LSS implementation. The project team also
provided academic staff members who would be responsible for the majority of the
development work with practitioner level training. The end of Stage (0) meeting
highlighted the duties and responsibilities of the staff, outlined the timelines and project
plans for the implementation of the LSSF, and most importantly, provided awareness
training for company management.

Spina et al.,(2017) summarise that, at this time, preliminary study was also done to
determine the typical tools and approaches that will be used in the project. As a result,
the project team identified the tools and techniques needed for each phase of the LSS
cycle. The main concern in this situation was to reduce the overuse of tools and
concentrate on a core collection of essential toolkits for implementation. The company
is briefly introduced in the following portion of this document before going on to
describe the LSSF's remaining stages.

23
2.7 Phases to be followed during the implementation of Lean Six Sigma

2.7.1 LSS Phase 1 – specify value by defining the CTQ issue

A workshop was arranged where managers, engineers, and several important

corporate employees who dealt with customers concentrated on identifying the Critical
to Quality (CTQ) challenges that the company was experiencing. The company was
able to recognize that the 62 day OTR was not being fulfilled and that this was mostly
due to deviations being found around Stage 1 material ordering after thoroughly
evaluating each CTQ and establishing the severity of each. The project team required
to make sure that no late calls were received after 10 days from Stage 1 in order to
minimize (and eventually eliminate) late component requests (i.e. Stage 1 closure
point – Table 3).

Schroeder (2018) argues that, this also hinged on making sure that the work completed
on Stage 0, which had a time envelope of no more than three days, was correctly
carried out and that all documents was processed and inputted. All engine components
are inspected during stage one in order to determine whether they: (a) still have some
useful life left and can therefore be reinstalled into the engine after cleaning and minor
maintenance; (b) have no useful life left and must be scrapped; or (c) have no useful
life left but can still be repaired or serviced for reinstallation into the engine in the future.
The engine mechanic must now determine which category each engine part belongs
to.

24
Table one: Six Sigma Cycle and lean cycle

2.7.2 Align internal operations by measuring the severity of the issue in LSS
Phase 2
To determine the full impact of Stage 1 late calls, the LSS team concentrated on lining
up the internal Value Stream. The objective of the LSS team's observing activities and
VSM exercises in this case was to give participants a thorough grasp of the various
elements that go into the MRO production cycle.

2.7.3 In LSS Phase 3, identify system restrictions to create flow.

The LSS team concentrated on the problem of establishing part flow through the
engine MRO cycle. The team concentrated on methodically removing the inefficiencies
that hindered .

25
2.7.4 LSS Phase 4: Improve processes to promote flow.
All phases of the build operations had been unstable due to the addition of new workers
to the JET B plant. The main problems, however, had been brought on by the effect of
new and inexperienced staff at the Stage 1 gate. A thorough "three-pronged"
improvement approach was created to address the issue of missed inspections. This
strategy included the following steps: (1) A series of training sessions and technical
updates for the technician workforce; (2) A change in the makeup of the maintenance
teams to create a more cohesive and encouraging learning environment; and (3) A
change in the supervisory arrangements, particularly when new and inexperienced
employees are present within the maintenance teams.

A brand-new training program was created and implemented at the institution. This
included completely redesigning the training programs already in place and holding
technical upskilling sessions. To guarantee that all workers were properly prepared
and supported during the switch between engine types, updated basic training as well
as refresher courses were offered. To make sure fundamental competencies were
attained, then tracked for each staff member and consistent flow of parts through the
facility, new competency-based measurements were developed.

2.7.5 LSS Phase 5: Continuous Process Improvement and Control

After Stage 1 conclusion, the LSS project's inaugural phase set zero late component
calls as the goal for improvement. To keep the process focused on operating
procedures and best practices for quality, the operations management team now has
weekly feedback sessions to make sure that late calls are removed. The procurement
materials team committed to examining stockroom material usage patterns once a
month in order to handle any new demand spikes associated with late call activity. To
discuss any logged late call behaviour and address potential root causes, the
procurement, engineering, and operations teams decided to meet every two weeks
still viewed as work, the control process.

26
2.8 Success factors for lean implementation

The research of Zatzick (2013) reveals the following success criteria. (1) Every task
must be viewed as essential to the success of the organization, and employees must
be encouraged to think leanly. Waste needs to be eliminated by original thought.

(2) Implementing the 5s technique is the first step in improvement. This establishes
the framework for the rest of the lean production implementation.

(3) Each employee of an organization is accountable for the implementation and

application of SOP.

(4) The implementation of a lean manufacturing system is doomed to failure without

the cooperation of senior management. The "how" of implementing lean
production can be created by empowering middle management. The program
needs to be a component of the organization's overall vision and mission.

(5) The effective adoption of a lean manufacturing system depends on the

participation of employees at all levels of the organization. This objective can be
accomplished by having a shared understanding of what is needed for a specific
organization.

(6) Identify any faulty processes. Fix these flaws first, then standardize the processes
that are working well. As a last option, an entirely new procedure must be
developed.

(7) Training is vital but train the supervisor and team leaders first. These workers will
eventually become the experts in lean production.

(8) It is not advisable to believe historical data. Employee information that is

presented as common or accepted practice cannot be believed. Typically, this
kind of information is unreliable.

(9) The total product cycle time is the only metric used to gauge the effectiveness of
the lean system. The implementation was successful if this time was reduced.

(10) A crucial tool in the deployment of a lean system is value stream mapping. This
method identifies the areas where improvement efforts are required.

(11) Cellular manufacturing increases the likelihood that a lean system will be
implemented successfully.

27
(12) Using visual controls while implementing changes.

2.9 Six Sigma's advantages

Kramer (2016) Increase customer loyalty by improving product quality and cut
production costs by reducing costs associated with bad quality

(1) Lead to continuous process and quality improvement.

(2) Increased efficiency, generation cap, and unwavering quality.

Important elements that are thought to be essential for convincing execution

(1) Senior administrative accountability.

(2) Integrating Six Sigma with Clients and Business Systems.

(3) Knowledge of organizational structure and project management skills.

(4) Coordination of six sigma with financial accountability, company-wide

responsibility, and social change management.

(5) Recognizing the six-sigma process, planning and training, prioritizing and choosing
projects, monitoring and surveying projects, employing force programs, and
integrating six sigma with suppliers and employees.

Snee (2014) argues that, the industrial engineer in manufacturing stated that on one
of his initial projects teams were tasked with resolving a product issue that created
significant amounts of rework in their operation and was the cause of numerous
customer complaints. He claimed that manufacturing frequently denies the issues they
encounter. Numerous times, the problem had been "solved" by tightening control over
the problematic process step, but when they actually measured what was happening
in each step, they discovered that the issue was caused by a number of different
factors. They then identified the source of the issue and implemented a successful
solution.

28
2.10 Kaizen in manufacturing

Peccei (2017) strongly argus that, Kaizen denotes improvement, sustained

improvement that involves everyone in the group. starting with the best management,
moving on through administrators, directors, and workers. In Japan, the two directors
and laborers' conceptions of Kaizen are so deeply ingrained that they usually fail to
recognize that they are conceptualizing it as a client-driven strategy for growth. This
reasoning presupposes that Imai will agree that "our way of life, whether it be our work,
our public participation, or our personal life, has the right to be always propelled
ahead." The definition of Kaizen is a subject of great debate in both academia and
business.

Nielsen (2013) infers that, Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy for process improvement
that is based on the significance of the words "Kai" and "Zen," which are commonly
translated as "to break apart and examine" and "to enhance the current circumstance,"
respectively. According to the Kaizen Foundation, the Japanese word for continual
improvement is kaizen. It employs sound judgment, a methodical, measurable quality
control system, as well as a flexible hierarchy of values and beliefs that keeps
employees and management focused on achieving zero defects. It is logical to not be
content with accomplishments from a week or a year ago.

Raveen(2018) posits that, the core tenet of Kaizen is that those who carry out a
particular work are the most knowledgeable about it; as a result, by including them and
showing confidence in their talents, ownership of the system is increased to its highest
level. Additionally, by including all levels of employees, the non-existent hierarchical
divisions evaporate to make way for beneficial improvements and Collaboration also
energizes development and transformation.

Everyone in the association receives the message, and as a result, everyone benefits.
In this way, Kaizen may be a way of thinking for everyone to continually improve.

29
2.10.1 Philosophies of kaizen (fundamentals of continuous improvement)

Pawson (2013) posits that, Kaizen, which stands for continuous improvement, is a
component of the lean six sigma study. As a result, the following philosophies are the
core functions of kaizen, upon which kaizen is primarily built. Without these disciplines,
it will be challenging to implement lean six sigma effectively and efficiently.

• Improvement
• teams across functional lines
• 5S,
• process orientation,
• leadership

One of the essential elements of Japanese aggressive achievement has long been
recognized as the use of kaizen criteria. At that period, Kaizen gained popularity in the
United States as a philosophy that encourages astronomical increases in profitability
by uniting organizations. Process quality improvement calls for the presentation of
specific tools and systems as well as the readiness of administrators.

Arcidiacono and Pieroni (2018) argue that, in Kaizen, the notion, practice, or tool of
visual administration is expanded through individuals or groups to help people identify
problems or promote strengthening. Visual controls make it simple for everyone to
recognize the condition of an ordinary or strange condition, giving administrators and
administration deceitfulness into execution. Visual controls training includes the
reasonable showcase of substantial articles (gambits), diagrams, records, and records
of execution, so both administration and workers are persistently helped to remember
all the components that make the methodology.

Following execution, visual controls should detect group effort rather than individual
effort. Visual controls typically result in visual management, which can be especially
effective if it is used extensively to replace the bureaucratic checking frameworks that
many firms use to maintain control and try to prevent anything from going wrong.

(2018) Raveen states that Visual controls must be usable, clear to the general public
performing the estimated task, and should highlight proactive rather than accusatory
behaviour in order for the visual work environment to

1) Strengthen security

30
(2) Make basic data accessible at first

(3) Increase immediately measurable effects, such as reduced floor space, shortened
process times, and decreased machine downtime

(4) Keep everyone updated on creation plans, participation levels on a daily basis, and
stock levels.

Consequently, the following will happen: (1) Look time will be reduced by up to 50%;
(2) Stock will be reduced by up to 10% to 30%; (3) Encourage optimism and prompt
transportation (4) Implement systems that will enable considerable lead time
reductions (10–25%), (5) Establish connections between motions, job areas,
association levels, and (6) Improve

Pawson (2013) argues that, Kaizen is also important because it is a continuous

process of improvement. It isn't overly difficult, making it tough to introduce something
new into a relationship, as the pursuer may undoubtedly know. The difficult part is
figuring out how to support it and maintain the momentum after it has been introduced.
Many organizations have made an effort to promote initiatives like lean generation,
reengineering, and quality circles. While some of them have been successful, the most
have failed to make this work a continuing business. For instance, many Western
businesses offered quality circles that included representatives, but most businesses
have essentially given up on the notion of value hover exercises at this point as a way
to improve quality, reduce costs, and increase speed.

Manzano (2012) infers that, the idea behind Kaizen is that no day should go by in the
company without some form of improvement being made to one of the organization's
processes. Kaizen is an activity that involves everyone; it calls for contemporary critical
thinking skills, as well as expertise in structuring learning, and it involves people from
diverse offices working together in groups to solve problems.

Manzano (2012) continues to state that the goal of Kaizen thinking is to eliminate the
seven types of waste (or "seven deadly squanders") brought on by excessive
production, pauses in transportation, unnecessary stock, excessive handling,
movement, and deficient parts. The Muda (Wastes) that are discovered during this
assessment are examined as part of the search. muddiness in handling. There are

31
several different preparation-related ways that Muda might happen. For instance,
inconsistency in synchronizing processes and bottlenecks.

Letchumanan (2020) Yield includes things like goods, services, yield, and included
value. Reduce the amount of people whose fates are on the line; the fewer line
workers, the better. Less workers will result in fewer potential errors, which will lead to
fewer quality problems. This does not mean that we must fire our employees. There
are many ways to involve former line workers in Kaizen exercises, often known as
value-adding activities. When productivity increases, costs will also decrease.

A longer generation line in fabrication necessitates more laborers, more work-

inprocess, and a longer lead time (Rahayu & Santoso ,2021). Additionally, having
more experts means that mistakes are more likely to be made, which affects quality.
Task costs will also increase because of hiring more professionals and giving them
more time, machines that break down and disrupt production.

Ipsen and others (2015) infers that, temperament ARY equipment necessitates greater
development, more work-in-process, more stock, and more repair efforts. Thus, a
recently engaged representative without proper training to handle the equipment can
postpone activities, which could be just as expensive as if the equipment were broken.
Quality will ultimately prevail, and each of these factors can raise activity costs. Muda
of supporting. Muda of holding up occurs when an administrator's hands are immobile,
when their job is put on hold due to line irregularities, a lack of parts, or machine
downtime, or when they are simply watching a machine as it performs esteemincluding
tasks. while keeping an eye on the machine and waiting for parts too.

2.11 What is lean manufacturing?

Indrawati (2015) Lean manufacturing is a methodical approach to process
improvement and waste reduction. By identifying waste and decreasing it through
continuous improvement, this is accomplished. Lean manufacturing aims to improve
value-added goods for consumers while achieving a production flow along the value
stream. Shigeo Shingo identified seven wastes, including excess production, defects,

32
needless inventory, incorrect processing, excessive transportation, waiting or
idleness, and wasteful motion.

Lean manufacturing methodology has an impact on every aspect of the organization,

therefore implementing it has an impact on both the primary and secondary processes.
To stay competitive, all processes must be rigorously examined to see if they are
operating at their peak efficiency. When lean methodology is used, the manufacturing
sector will experience a permanent change. Arcidiacono and Pieroni (2018) account
that, the ability to combine mass production with craft is the biggest benefit that can
be gained. A better selection of products from which clients can choose is another
benefit .The nature of how work is done in an organization is another benefit.
Efficiency, quality, and meeting customer requests are increased through lean areas.

Valles ,et al, (2009) in implementing lean manufacturing has a variety of benefits. The
involvement of employees in the continuous improvement endeavour is the first
positive. The second advantage is that staff members will be eager to be involved in
problem-solving. Improvements will be made through cross-training and employment
expansion. Since the term "lean" was first used, the technique has evolved, giving rise
to the modern, recognized approach that helps manufacturing become more
competitive. Although most organizational leaders view the lean manufacturing
technique as a near-instantaneous solution to every issue the organization has, it is
still questionable if senior management is aware of all that goes into attempting to
achieve lean manufacturing status.

2.11.1 Lean manufacturing objectives

According to Hasle et al. (2013), the sustainability of the profit over the long term will
be used to determine whether the profitability target was successful. The organization
will remain active for a long time if this goal is accomplished. To maintain constant
profitability over an extended period of time, the following factors are crucial:

• The cost of making these products must be competitive with the competition;
otherwise, customers will purchase the product from the competition. • The quality of
the product must be of an extremely high standard, and buyers must see these
products as the best in their category.

33
• Regardless of the manufacturing a company engages in, there will always be some
service involved.

• The product mix needs to be competitive.

Valles ,et al, (2009) contends that, a good lean manufacturing system will save costs
and ensure that the company can maintain its competitiveness and meet its profitability
goals. Customers will be able to choose the items they want and the quantity they
need thanks to lean production. It is not anticipated that the client will be required to
pay for the small lot sizes in which the products are manufactured just because they
wanted variety.

Womack (2017) posits that, another advantage of lean manufacturing is that it allows
the organization to adapt to the changing needs of the client. As a result, the company
will be able to make the adjustments the consumer requests in a relatively short period
of time. Small batch size production might result in quick cycle times. As more
competitors enter the market, lean technique becomes more crucial. Therefore, there
must be constant cost reductions. Prior to the emergence of fierce competition, prices
were established by multiplying the cost of the good by the necessary profit. Recent
years have seen a sharp rise in competition, where the customer now sets the
standards for product quality as a result, the profit calculation methodology had to.
Price minus cost is the currently employed formula. Lean manufacturing deployment
is beneficial for achieving competitiveness. Value definition, waste minimization, and
employee support are the three core principles of lean.

2.11.2 Lean techniques /tools in manufacturing

According to Pettersen (2019), a lean program can be implemented using lean
principles to decrease or eliminate the expenses and wastes. Few of these strategies
have a significant impact when employed alone, despite the fact that the majority of
them may be implemented as standalone programs. The next paragraphs outline the
more popular methods. Kaizen identifies the precise issues that need to be resolved,
the precise group that will implement the approaches, and the precise deadline for
completing the tasks.

McCann(2013) argues that by educating team leaders and problem solvers on lean
tools and applying them to actual day-to-day problems, organizations can better
34
understand what they are and how to use them, which will make them more likely to
do so in the future. This environment is conducive to dealing with critical problems. A
kaizen event should last for no less than three days or more than five days. typical
kaizen 5-day plan is as follows:

Figure three: Kaizen typical 5 day schedule

DAY ONE DAY TWO DAY THREE DAY FOUR DAY FIVE

• Schedule an orientation for
every team member.
• Take a look at the goals that
have been defined for the
kaizen event.
• What is to be anticipated
following the kaizen event
• Stress and go over the use of
lean strategies.
• The group will evaluate the
procedure that needs to be
improved.
• Compile thorough records of • The new procedure needs •A management review
the procedure that needs to to be thoroughly briefing must be prepared by
be improved now. documented. the kaizen event facilitator.
• Come up with reformrelated
• Authenticate the process ideas; give everyone a fair • The kaizen team must • To guarantee the ongoing
map after finishing the chance to speak up dedicate themselves totally success of the kaizen event,
process mapping. to the new procedure. follow-up action plans must
• For easy reference during the be created.
• Describe the lean method event, compile all pertinent • verify results on a regular
that will be used. ideas that have been basis. • Senior management must be
• The group needs to create recognized and annotate • Examine the outcomes to informed of the findings and
the event's metrics. them on flip charts. make sure the initial recommendations by the
• Put short-term improvement prediction was met. kaizen team.
strategies into action:
• Short-term plans are those
that can be put into action
right away or within a week
after the event's conclusion.
• Define long-term plans as
those that will take more
time to implement than
short-term ones.
• Validate the plans using
upto-date information.
• This step will determine
whether the improvements
made are effective.
•.

Parker (2013) insists that, the participation of every employee in the process is crucial
to the success of kaizen. The dread of change that invariably follows the conclusion of
the kaizen event is the main factor in failure.

As kaizen is known as a continuous improvement methodology or technique on its

own, it also has methodologies and techniques that can improve the manufacturing
processes. Below, I'll go over the methodologies and techniques that can be used for
quality improvement, which is a key component of lean six sigma.

2.11.3 Benchmarking
Kruger (2013) argues that, the benchmark itself serves as a reference point in the
process of comparing key performance measurements to those of best performers and
consequently identifying areas for development. Becoming more competitive,

35
establishing industry best practices, defining customer requirements, creating practical
goals and objectives, and identifying accurate productivity measurements are just a
few of the motives for benchmarking. The four benchmarking categories are as follows:

The following comparisons are possible:

• Internal: managers look for practices within the organization to compare them and
to compare current practices over time

• Functional: managers look for the best functional practices outside the industry

• Generic: managers compare outstanding processes regardless of industry or

function

• Competitive: managers must compare competitors, which is just comparisons

between competitors.

Additionally, Kruger (2013) outlines the following five benchmarking processes in his
study:

• Step one is to choose the aspect of the organization that will be the focus of the
benchmarking exercise.
• Step two is to decide what to measure.
• Step three is to choose a benchmarking partner.
• Step four is to research and compare the measures and performance activities of
the benchmarking partner and find areas for performance improvement.
• Step five : Enhance and solidify the performance

The following is another definition of benchmarking provided by Kruger (2013):

• Changing top executives' mindsets to bring about change throughout the

organization; • comparing existing practices to those that are regarded as the
best; • challenging current practices and processes; • fostering progress within
the organization or business.

2.11.4 Six Sigma

Stankalla (2018) explains that Motorola created and popularized the six sigma
technique in the 1980s with the intention of lowering the cost of quality. By eliminating
variability within a process, six sigma is a business performance improvement method
that attempts to minimize the number of errors or defects to as few as 3,4 occurrences

36
per million opportunities. Basically, variance within the process must be detected,
quantified, decreased, and prevented in order to improve quality. Top-down and
extremely rigorous, six sigma is an approach that typically involves the four stages of
define, measure, analyse, improve, and control. Additionally, it is a data-driven
strategy that makes assiduous use of statistical decision-making tools.

Among the advantages are:

• shorter time to market for new or updated products; a better understanding

of customer expectations; fewer design changes; improved quality and
dependability.
• lower warranty costs.
• higher employee satisfaction; shorter cycle times and variation.
• improved process capability and yield; improved measuring accuracy.
• victory over rivals.

Callinane et al, (2014) explains that, the following are the specifications for six-sigma
projects:

• After the project is implemented, there must be predetermined financial

savings;
• the project must be organized around a set of processes;
• these processes must include customer-important outcomes
• these outcomes must be measurable and produce quantitative data
• the quantitative data must be analysed using statistical tools
• improvements must be suggested to lessen process variation.

Joseph et al,(2020) contends that, depending on their level of experience and

involvement in the project, the team of process improvement experts managing
each project is designated as a master black belt, black belt, or green belt. A
six sigma project typically comprises five phases, each of which is broken down
into smaller parts as illustrated in the more detailed description and description
below.

37
In the define phase of the six sigma process, a specific problem must be
accurately identified and defined.
• Measure phase: The problem is defined in terms of significant qualities and
particular metrics, such as rand per tonne, days lost, and kilogram of waste,
during this phase.
The measurements' specifications and acceptable goals are chosen. During
this phase, the validation required to calculate the metric is also carried out.
• Analyse: Data reflecting the current problem are gathered during this step,
and the problem is established in mathematical terms. At this point, the
process is also statistically evaluated to see whether it can be improved or
if a new process has to be implemented. Moreover, the major process inputs
and key process outputs are identified.
• Improve phase: During this phase, probable reasons are discovered,
modifications to the key input variables that must be made to positively affect
the key output variables are determined, and an implementation strategy is
then developed.
• Control phase: Implementation, verification, and control of the plan.

Thomas (2021) infers that, the success of six sigma depends significantly on
the effective usage and application of the technique, expertise, and knowledge
of the improvement team experts due to its reliance on accurate data and
proper statistical analysis. These are some of the issues with this methodology:

• Inadequate information; incorrect project selection

• Development of ‘solution-caused' issues

• Wrong cause being fixed

• Wrong implementation
• Failure to take into account the human aspect of the change.

Thomas (2021) therefore summarize the methodology discussed above in

simple terms as follows: during the define phase, we define the project area

38
and prepare for project execution; during the measure phase, you choose
critical characteristics, establish targets and specifications, and validate
measurement system; during the analyse phase, we establish the baseline,
choose improvement objectives, and research process inputs; during the
improve phase, you quantify key input settings, create an implementation plan;
and finally, during the final phase, we evaluate the results.
Taylor (2020) infers that, the Plan, Do, Study, and Act (PDSA) cycle, commonly
known as the Deming cycle, is a methodology that is founded on the idea that
improvement occurs when knowledge is applied to make processes simpler,
more accurate, quicker, less expensive, safer, and more effective for
consumers. When using this process, the following four fundamental questions
must be addressed:
• What do you hope to accomplish?
• What adjustments must be made in order to see improvements?
• How will we know that a change has taken place once it has been
implemented?
And How is change maintained?

Reed (2020) The Deming cycle has four phases, as was briefly mentioned
above.
• Plan phase: this stage involves analysing the current condition, collecting
information, and making improvement plans.
• Do phase: this stage entails putting the improvement plan into practice on
a trial basis and in limited quantities, whether in a lab, a pilot plant, or with a
select group of clients.
• Study phase: during this stage, the trial plan's effectiveness is evaluated,
and any necessary modifications or additions to the improvement plan are
made.

• Act phase: this stage involves ensuring that the improvements can be
standardized and applied constantly in the actual world or throughout the
entire market sector. This stage is followed by the plan stage of the following
level. A technique to error-proofing a process is presented by Zhang (2014).
Basically, it involves the use of technology to reduce human mistake. The

39
 key to a certain lock is one illustration. To unlock that lock, the precise key
would be required. In other words, using the incorrect key will not allow the
door to open, eliminating any possibility of human error. Hospitals utilize
trays with labels on them for each surgical equipment. After a surgery, the
nurse must check that all the instruments are in their proper trays and that
the surgeon did not drop any or, worse yet, leave any within the patient.
Zhang (2014) explains that, Poka Yoke concentrates on the following two tasks:
-When an error is about to be made, a warning can be given to prevent it.
- When the problem has already been made, it can be discovered and fixed.
The following are the five error-proofing guidelines:
• Elimination: removing all potential points of error is the goal.
The ideal approach is to redesign the operations to get rid of the error-prone
procedures.
• Substitution: The goal here is to replace less dependable procedures with
trustworthy processes, such as employing computers to calculate data instead
of handheld calculators.
• Facilitation: This goal is to make work simpler and easier, for as by
colorcoding a machine's parts to prevent mistakes during the assembling
process.
• Detection: The goal here is to catch the mistake before moving on to any
other steps. One illustration is to have a bell sound when the level of liquid in
a liquid filling process is off.
• Mitigation: Here, the goal is to lessen the impact of the fault, like with the
usage of fuses in circuits that are overloaded.

2.11.6 The 5S model

According to Pauilise (2018), 5S is utilized to raise housekeeping standards. The
advantages of good housekeeping include the elimination of flaws, accidents, and
wasted time spent seeking for paperwork and parts.
40
The following are the five S's meanings:

-Sorting involves getting rid of and clearing out all unnecessary items.

-Setting involves organizing things so they are simple to find and retrieve.

-Shining involves always keeping the work area clean by sweeping, washing, and
polishing.

-Standardizing involves making good housekeeping habits.

-Sustaining involves setting up the conditions, such as offering rewards and other
forms of recognition.

2.12 Total Quality Management (TQM) in manufacturing

Nitin (2015) posits that Total Quality Management is a continuous process that seeks
to make all parties engaged in the production process accountable for the entire quality
of the finished product. It also streamlines supply chain management, improves
customer experience, and ensures that staff are trained. Although TQM and the six
sigma improvement process have many similarities, they are not the same.

Dimanche (2014) argues that, while six sigma aims to decrease wastes, TQM
concentrates on making sure that internal guidelines and process standards reduce
errors. The focus is to improve the quality of an organization's outputs, including
goods, through ongoing internal practices. It aims to hold all parties accountable for
the overall quality of the final product. It is an ongoing process of detecting and
reducing or eliminating wastes. It is used to streamline supply chain management, to
improve customer service, and to ensure that employees are trained.

The focus of TQM, according to Corredor and Goni (2011), is to improve the quality of
the organization's output. As a result, it originated in the manufacturing sector, though
its principles can be applied in a variety of industries with an emphasis on long-term
change as opposed to short-term change. TQM is responsible for supervising all tasks
and activities required to maintain a desired degree of excellence inside a business
and its operations, including developing and putting into practice quality control and
improvement initiatives. Examples of TQM techniques include Kanban, which uses a
physical signal to start a series of events that leads to a certain activity, and just-intime

41
inventory. It is a method of organizing that constantly raises the standard of all
organizational functions, products, and services. Similar to TQM, customer support is
provided continuously to increase customer satisfaction. Additionally, it is a technique
for obtaining high-quality products through ongoing development (kaizen).

2.12.1 Features of Total Quality Management in manufacturing

The following are the characteristics of total quality management in the manufacturing
sector as described by Zatzick (2013).

• The concerned organization's top management is steadfastly committed to upholding

the necessary level of quality in the commodities it produces and processes.

• Quality is given a significant place in the industrial organization's strategic plan.

• Continuous quality management practice has been adopted

• TQM focuses on the whole development of the organization. • Quality is increased

by making efficient and optimal use of resources, as well as by using improved
materials.

• TQM uses the participatory principle and measures current quality to continuously
improve.

• The cornerstone of TQM is the highest level of customer satisfaction.

• The quality management and marketing processes use contemporary

communication and information technology in addition to new technologies.

• The method and procedure of production will change.

2.12.2 Elements of total quality management (TQM)

According to Barouch et al,(2016), the following should take into consideration :

42
• System approach: it identifies, comprehends, and manages systems of

interconnected processes for any objectives that will increase an organization's

effectiveness. This position is crucial to any process of continuous improvement and

is very advantageous to a company.

• Reliable measurement

• A focus on the customer

• Employee engagement

• Management commitment

2.12.3 Techniques for Total Quality Management (TQM)

Figure four: Tools for TQM

control
charts
check- pareto
sheets charts

Tools for
cause-and- TQM
effect histograms
diagrams

Trend- scatter
analysis diagrams

According to Jaafreh and Lakhal (2016) the following techniques for lean six sigma are
outlined.

• Right the First Time: Workers guarantee excellence while they are at work.
They act correctly the first time. they aim towards zero defect

43
• Benchmarking is the process of studying best practices from other projects
that deliver superior performance and produce incredibly high-quality results.

• Outsourcing is the practice of subcontracting services and operations to

external businesses that can complete them more affordably and effectively.

• ISO 9000: international organizations for standardization developed this set of

quality standards (ISO). Organisations can receive ISO certifications for their policies
and procedures for product testing, personnel training, record keeping, supplier
relations, and repairs.

• Statistical Quality Control: This technique is based on sampling and consists

of a number of particular statistical tools that can be used to monitor quality.

2.13. Material Requirement Planning in manufacturing

Arrianna (2012) Production orders and resource capacity can be matched using long-
and medium-term planning techniques, which can also serve as a benchmark for
material acquisition. However, a suitable material requirement planning process may
be difficult to provide and may impair the viability of the production plan itself if there
is no detailed schedule for the manufacturing processes.

Dehal Nishad (2013) Getting the appropriate supplies at the appropriate location at the
appropriate time is the central idea of Material Requirements Planning (MRP). If the
business wishes to compete and increase corporate earnings, it must implement the
factors. Additionally, the business needs to exercise caution because a decline in
these variables could result in the deployment of Material Requirements Planning
(MRP), which would be detrimental to the business.

44
Figure 3: the material requirement planning(MRP) system

As stated by Orickly (2014) "A set of data notes, relevant tools and techniques,
reasonable procedures, and decisions relating to the explanation of the Master
Production planning and there schedule of the finished product make up Material
Requirements Planning (MRP). To carry out the Master Production Schedule, the
subassemblies or final item in the net requirements and the quantity of needs that must
be ordered from each of the components are required. Gaspers’ understanding of
MRP (2013) "The planning and management of orders and inventories for dependent
demand items is known as material requirements planning (MRP). where the following
data is inputted into the MRP: (a) Product Structure File

(b) Master Production Schedule

(C) Inventory Master File

(d) Manufacturing Orders

(e) Purchase Orders and (f) Various Reports.

45
2.13.1 application of Material Requirement Planning (MRP) in lean manufacturing

Aleksander (2019) in utilizing the MRP system helps to lower the expenses of stocking
up on supplies of raw materials and producing "on time" in accordance with the primary
production plan. The technology also makes it possible to get rid of surplus stock,
helps with timely production, and increases order fulfilment flexibility.

Other benefits include laying the groundwork for long-term planning, which benefits a
company's growth, its utility in batch manufacturing or the adoption of product
assembly processes, and the simplicity of coordinating ordering procedures across the
entire organization.

According to Skibniewsi and Miklos (2018) The "Just-in-Time" idea and the integration
of the procurement procedures between building sites and precast concrete facilities
are both extremely effectively served by the MRP system. For construction
organizations, accurate order and delivery planning is also very beneficial because it
makes it easier to create schedules and carry out building contracts based on those
schedules.The MRP system also has drawbacks, such as the requirement for
highquality computer hardware, particularly when there are a lot of orders, and the
substantial structural complexity of products.

Skibniewsi and Miklos Hajdu (2018) continue to infer that It is ought to be emphasized,
however, that building production is distinguished by a relatively low level of small
degree of product complexity. Additionally, a significant portion of the manufactured
goods are not fully ready, which involves moving a variety of tasks to building sites,
such doing window and door installation there prefabricated wall pieces' frames. One
other unfavourable aspect is the chance that the price of placing orders because of
the decrease in stock, and transportation are required. However, it should be
highlighted at this time that the cost of building stocks is greatly impacted by the growth
in stock volume. taking into consideration, in particular, how materials like cement and
aggregates are stored during the wet and winter months. Another thing to keep in mind
is how highly sensitive the demand for building is to cyclical changes in the economy's
macroeconomic conditions and the time of year.

46
2.13 .2 integration of lean six sigma in a manufacturing company

Mthuthukumaran (2013) states that when BAE Systems attempted to integrate Lean
Manufacturing and 6 in 1997, the idea of integrating the two emerged. Lean
Manufacturing fundamentals with 6 σ to protect market dominance in the aerospace
business, the company termed their program the Lean Sigma strategy. Together, the
Black Belts and the Kaizen team planned to lessen variation in their processes. In turn,
BAE Systems improved productivity, lead time, savings, and dependability
significantly. Maytag Corporation tried to integrate LM and six sigma in 1999. By
essentially reengineering one of its production lines using the fundamental ideas of LM
and six sigma, the company was able to minimize manufacturing costs and obtain
savings of millions of dollars.

Pajaniradja (2014) showcased the TBM Consulting Group's implementation of Lean

Sigma experience. First, the corporation embraced Lean concepts to reveal waste,
and subsequently Six Sigma methods to lessen variation. According to the corporation,
annual scrap and labor savings of over $1 million have been made. The Power Lean
program, developed by Rockwell Automation Power System, combines the organized
problem-solving and training methods of SS programs with Lean principles and Kaizen
teams.

Value stream mapping and Kaizen events were utilized in the strategy to classify
improvement opportunities, while the SS issue solving framework and the Black Belt
leader idea were used to simplify larger improvement possibilities and integrate Lean
flow .

Antonia carlos et al,(2016) put it that, another instance of the use of 6 sigma and LM
was in a business that made electronic reproductions of paper documents. The
business employed a modified DMAIC procedure where the Lean principles were
added at each stage . The application of this procedure led to a decrease in the
mistake rate, an increase in productivity, and a decrease in the cost of production.

Northrop Grumman(2019) a different aerospace business, attempted to include GE's

Workout Kaizen and Lean Thinking events, a problem-solving technique. Additionally,
the business employed six statistical methods to verify conclusions and address more
challenging quality issues .

47
Antonia carlos et al,(2016) contends that, as a result of reviewing prior attempts to
combine LM with 6 sigma , the following conclusions can be made: These initiatives
were all carried out in Western nations by significant Fortune firms, and there have
been two there are two implementation strategies that combine LM and SS; the first is
utilizing Lean tools to solve simpler problems before adding SS to more difficult
problems to reduce variation, and the second is implementing DMAIC while
incorporating some Lean tools at each stage.

Table 2 : a comparison of lean six sigma table

Constraints/goals Lean Six sigma Lean six sigma
manufacturing

emphasizing the Yes No Yes

customer value
stream Focusing
on establishing a
visually appealing
workplace.

develops Yes No Yes

standardized work
sheets

attacks the Yes No Yes

inventory of workin-
process

focuses on No No Yes
maintaining a
clean home

Planning and No Yes Yes

monitoring for
process control

48
reduces variance No No Yes
and aims to
produce uniform
process outcomes
If not, then

significantly

emphasizes the
use of statistical
methods and
instruments
utilizes a Yes No yes
methodical,
systematic, and
well-planned
approach to issue
solving & attacks
waste brought on
by motion, waiting,
excessive

processing,
overproduction.

49
2.13.2 several integrations of lean six sigma

Using a triangulation methodology that included a literature review, a Delphi survey,

and structured interviews, Majed Alsmadi and Zulfiqar Khan (2014) developed an
integrative Lean Sigma framework for SMEs based on research gaps and actual
requirements. Is an effort to advance and Organizations all around the world have
embraced various tools and approaches that might help them maintain a competitive
advantage and they believe will help them survive in the competitive market.

Adam Smith (2014) argues that, the most well-known continuous improvement (CI)
programs now available to organizations with faddish features are Lean Management
(LM) and Six Sigma (SS). They are also the focus of a growing amount of literature,
but there is disagreement about their history and connection to the TQM concept,
which served as their forerunner.

Looking at the review of literature above I can conclude that that lean six sigma is a
well known methodology in the manufacturing sector and it has been implemented
successfully in many other organisations with the same vision which is to save money
and improve process performance.

50
Chapter 3: Research Methodology

On this chapter the researcher discussed the design of the paper which describes the
instrumentations that is being utilised to collect data and the sample size with the
population of the research while giving detailed information on the reliability and
validity of the data .

3.1 Research Design

The descriptive questionnaires and interviews used in this work are part of a qualitative
research approach. The industrial engineer was the target of the interview questions,
which included inquiries about their familiarity with lean six sigma and the
implementation process. Covid-19 provides additional insight into lean six sigma for
these inquiries. Due to industry regulations, conducting interviews had to be done via
zoom calls and recordings of the industrial engineer discussing the implementation of
lean six sigma in his department. Interviews were also held with the operations
manager and the staff members who collaborate closely with the manager and the
organization's client.

The next step was to conduct an interview with the industrial engineer who
occasionally handles quality assurance with the goal of learning more about his
understanding of lean six sigma and how he applies the process. the main sources of
data are employee interviews that were conducted with the questionnaires given to
individuals working in the manufacturing sector . As a result, Iean six sigma articles,
reports, journals, and conference papers were used as the secondary data.

The research study's methodology is qualitative. Qualitative research is nonnumerical,

descriptive, uses words, and is focused on qualitative phenomena affecting quality.
Since the research is intended to analyse, explain, and evaluate the performance of
the deployment of lean six sigma in a manufacturing organization, a qualitative
approach is most appropriate. Although the suggested research is qualitative,
outcomes are supported by quantitative data. The study of lean six sigma is carried

51
out using a descriptive research design, where the operations manager is asked to list
the methods he employs to address every issue in lean six sigma as well as how they
go about putting these methods into practice in order to enhance their organization's
processes and make them run more effectively and efficiently.

3.2 Research approach

Easterby et al.,(2008)Qualitative research is relating to the meaning and process

where it might not be examinable through quantity or amount ,it aims to provide specific
understanding to a phenomenon based on the ones experiencing it with less
generalisation furthermore ,qualitative research is aimed to other deep understanding
of a specific case within depth explanatory studies to enable finding quality responses
throughout research .

Saunders et al,(2012)This paper applied a research philosophy called interpretive

paradigm which enable researchers to consider different factors such as behavioural
aspects based on the participants experiences and this help to detectible reality given
the assumptions and beliefs of interpretivist researcher ,furthermore the interpretative
philosophy enable researchers to treat the context of the research and its situation as
unique considering the given circumstances associated as well as participants
involved in which it focuses on the specific topic of lean six sigma rather than the
generalisation of the research title .

The aim for the researcher was to look for papers and journals to help with the
theoretical portion of the challenges that other organizations go through when adopting
lean six sigma techniques to also use these theoretical aspects as a guideline when
performing in-depth research .the data that was looked for especially is the
implementation process of lean six sigma techniques and the cause of the delays
occurring at the organization and how it affects the complete process to not run
effectively and efficiently.

52
Purposive sampling was used as the sampling technique, and the researcher chose
participants after carefully considering their knowledge of the study's key
phenomenon—the deployment of lean six sigma—in the manufacturing sector
population and the sample size for the research interviews was 6, with 1 representing
the operations manager, 3 representing supply chain workers, and 2 representing
customers. The sample size for the questionnaire surveys, which were sent, was 5,
with the five people representing the manufacturing population responding to all the
questions so therefore in the sample size is 11.

3.3 Reliability and Validity

However, Burns and Grove (2003) defined research design as the researcher's overall
strategy for addressing the research question or testing the research hypothesis.
Research design is a blueprint for conducting a study with the maximum control over
factors that may interfere with the validity of the findings Puth (1996) suggested that it
may not be practical or essential to launch an entirely new research project in order to
address the research issue since "there is a plethora of information and data on the
research problem already collected by others."

Existing secondary data is frequently pertinent and complete enough to answer at least
a portion of the ambitious research topic. Secondary data, information, and data
gathered by other researchers will be used in this study. This report employ books,
journals, and other resources, including articles, to build this research. This aid in
completing knowledge gaps on the lean six sigma concept.

53
3.4 Data Collection

Data collected for this paper was conducted through online interviews with participants
using telephonic, zoom and WhatsApp video calls. These interviews involved
structured open-ended questions that were sent before the interview and were
intended to form descriptive responses from the participants Kumar (2014: 190; 285).
The interviews were recorded using iPhone recorder and transcribed to assist the
researcher in identifying common themes from the interviews conducted.

All the interviews conducted took between 35 minutes and 1hr10minutes. Based on
the reviewed literature, an interview guides were prepared looking into the interviews
that were conducted. To orientate the interviewee at the beginning of every interview,
an introduction discussing the purpose of the study was conducted. A copy of the
interview analysis that came from the themes is included in this report on the
appendices.

Table three: the summary of the interviews conducted.

Participants Company Job title Interviews Audio
duration recording

P1 company 1 Industrial 58 minutes Not done

engineer

P2 Company 2 Operator 35 minutes done

P3 Company 3 Operations 42 minutes Not done

manager

P4 Company 1 Quality assurer 1 hour10 done

minutes

54
3.4.1 Instrumentations

The structured interview, questionnaire surveys, and journals tool were used in this
study, as stated in section 3.2. The interview guide's recommended wording and order
were followed when the researcher asked the subjects a planned series of questions.
Following the advice of Kumar (2014: 178) for standardization of phrasing, meaning,
and interpretations found in the data collections section that will follow, the interview
guide's open-ended questions were written down.

The interview questionnaire instructions can be found in this report's Appendices

section as Appendix 1 and questionnaire survey questions. This paper applies the
research strategy of the interviews and descriptive surveys as mentioned above in
which theory elaboration is used to make theoretical advancements ,theory elaboration
is the process of conceptualising and executing empirical research using pre-existing
conceptual ideas or preliminary model as a basis for developing new theoretical
insights by contrasting, specifying or structuring theoretical constructs and relations to
account for and explain empirical observations on the implementation of lean six sigma
in a manufacturing company .

3.5 Data Analysis

In this research, a content analysis was used to analyse the content of interviews
conducted. During the analysis, the main themes that emerged from responses given
by participants were identified with assigned codes, and responses classified under
the main themes emerged from the responses given by the participants. Some of the
themes and responses were integrated into the text report of the research
Kumar(2014:318).

3.5.1 Coding of themes

The themes and sub-themes of the research were built from the language that
emerged from all interviews with different participants. This second cycle of coding
was done after the first draft of the interviews notes were transcribed and organized
on a word-to-word document. According to Saldaňa (2012:58) ‘’second cycle
methods are coding strategies that ‘’require such analytic skills as classifying,
prioritizing, require such analytic skills as classifying, prioritizing, integrating,

55
synthesizing, abstracting, conceptualizing, and theory building’’ Saldaňa (2012, p58).
A descriptive coding model has been employed to this study. A descriptive code
assigns labels to data to summarize in a word or phrase most often a noun- the basic
passage of a qualitative data (Miles and Matthew, 2014). Due to the research ethics,
the first stage cycle of coding has been withheld to being included in the research
report since it includes confidential information on the manufacturing company and
other participants who were involved. Examples of descriptive coding on themes and
sub-themes coded on this research are illustrated on the below table.

Table 3: Coding Table

Quotations Theme/Subtheme

….. Manufacturing activities depend heavily Lean six sigma techniques and
on industrial engineering. There is no way tools

we can implement lean six sigma, so we do

so every day. We recently finished a project
called MRT (Material Replenishment
Trigger) applying Milk Run, which is a
method for lowering stock levels in the
company. This is a component of lean six
sigma because it lowers waste and boosts
the efficiency of the processes.

56
……manufacturing activities depend heavily Continuous improvement
on industrial engineering. There is no way (kaizen)practices
we can implement lean six sigma, so we do
so every day. We recently finished a project
called MRT (Material Replenishment
Trigger) applying Milk Run, which is a
method for lowering stock levels in the
company. This is a component of lean six
sigma because it lowers waste and boosts
the efficiency of the processes.

Customers do influence the manufacturing Lean six sigma methods applied to

process of the products because as a increase customer satisfaction.

company, we work to maximize the quality

of the transformation process to meet
customer demand. As operations
….manager, it is my responsibility to
oversee the entire ………..

DMAIC (define, measure, analyse, improve Total Quality Management(TQM)

and control) is a management technique that Practices in relation to LSS and
Kaizen.
I frequently use to manage problems. It
entails defining the problem first, measuring
it, analysing the cause of the problem,
resolving the root cause, verifying
improvement, and then maintaining the
gains to make sure everything is still working
as intended………..

57
….I don't have a lot of knowledge on the Training of employees in the
subject because I'm only tasked with the manufacturing process.

projects that are given to me, not

understanding their intricacies but being
clearly told what roles I must play within the
organization. Despite this lack of knowledge,
I am aware that all of the tasks are intended
to advance the organization or our own
interests as a whole.

…. While pursuing a certificate in logistics Continuous Improvement (kaizen)

and supply chain, I learned about kaizen and practices
what it is all about. It has to do with
continuous improvement, and one of the
methods I participated in was the 5s's (sort,
set in order, shine, standardize, and
sustain), which entails organizing the
storeroom so that resources are simple to
find and time is not wasted.

58
iSO 9001 includes approximately 10 clauses Following the required standards for
with additional clauses and subclauses lean six sigma implementation.

related to the plan-do-check-act system, but

only contains the requirements that are
auditable. In order to successfully implement
ISO within your organization, you must
comply with all the requirements that come
with the applied standard, making this
extremely important because you then will be
in a better position to implement other
standards successfully.

…………………..This led to a delay in Flexibility in the manufacturing

getting the products to the customers process

because there was no backup plan and we

had to wait for the machine to be fixed before
we could resume production.

…..Good leadership influences the team Innovation in lean six sigma

members that you are managing by
prioritizing that everything is done at its best,
and finances are very important and must be
managed by people with a lot of knowledge
and discipline because without them no
improvement will be made.

……. lean six sigma is driven by Lean six sigma methods applied to
employee involvement and competitive improve customer satisfaction.
advantage because employees must be
able to improve their own performances

59
and have employees improve the
organization's processes to save money
on hiring someone externally to improve
the organization's performance. Having
a product of high quality and satisfied
customers will also increase the
competitive advantage.

..if one employee was scheduled to Delays in receiving products from the
perform a specific task on a given day process.

but failed to show up, this had an impact

on the entire project and added to the
production's delays.

Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Discussions

60
4.1 Study themes

Ten themes emerged from the data of interviews conducted. The data were analysed
according to the approach described in section 3.2 of the report. The themes and
subthemes have been categorised as one of the following drivers and practises of
lean six sigma ,challenges of lean six sigma implementation and lean six sigma
meeting customers expectations. The themes and subthemes are summarised in
table 3 below and are provided separately .

Table 3: Research Themes and Subthemes from the interview

Theme 1:lean six sigma Theme 2:Challenges of Theme 3:Lean six sigma
Drivers and Practices lean six sigma meeting customers
implementation expectations

Subtheme 1.1 :lean six Subtheme 2.1 : Training of Subtheme 3.1 :customers
sigma techniques and Employees in feedback on the
tools. manufacturing manufactured products .

Subtheme 1.2 : Subtheme 2.2 : flexibility Subtheme 3.2 : delays in

Continuous
Improvement(kaizen)
practices.
Subtheme 1.3 :Total
Quality Management
(TQM) practices in relation
to kaizen and LSS.
in the manufacturing receiving products from
process. the process.
Subtheme 2.3 : following Subtheme 3.3 : lean six
the required standards for sigma methods applied to
lean six sigma increase customers
implementation . satisfaction.

Subtheme 1.4: innovation

in lean six sigma

61
1.1 lean six sigma techniques and tools

Based on the feedback received the participants ,all the participants from the interview
conveyed that they are implementing lean six sigma techniques and they mentioned
on how they go about the application of their techniques except for one participant who
was not aware of the lean six sigma techniques based on their employment position
at the workplace .

“DMAIC (define, measure, analyse, improve and control) is a management technique

that I frequently use to manage problems. It entails defining the problem first,
measuring it, analysing the cause of the problem, resolving the root cause, verifying
improvement, and then maintaining the gains to make sure everything is still working
as intended. FMEA, or failure mode and effects analysis, is another method used to
promote continuous improvement. “(participant 2)

1.2 Continuous improvement (kaizen) practices

All the participants from the interview indicated that they do apply kaizen practices in
their manufacturing company and they have experienced the benefits of applying
kaizen and it has improved the quality of the products provided to their customers
and therefore thus increases customer satisfaction.

“Kaizen is a term that was developed in Japan and it has to do improvement; this is

what quality means as we continuously ensure that everything is still performing to its

optimal level when it comes to the product quality. The methods that had to be

audited were 5s, DMAIC, milk run, poka yoke, fmeas, milk run, etc. “(participant 4)

1.3 Total Quality Management (TQM)practices in relation to kaizen and LSS

according to the feedback from the interview participants is that two of the
participants mentioned that TQM is indeed related to LSS and Kaizen and one
participant stated that it is possible to implement LSS and Kaizen without any
knowledge of TQM .

“It is possible to apply kaizen and lean six without being aware of total quality
management, so I can say that it is highly possible for kaizen and lean six sigma to

62
exist without total quality management. I had quality management as a module while
I was still in university, and from that I learned a lot about quality concepts and the
importance of quality within manufacturing.”

1.4 Innovation in lean six sigma

Three out of four participants from the interview have outlined that innovation in lean
six sigma is considered as continuous improvement practices when looking at the
manufacturing company in the participants are always required to improve their work
performance which can also be one of the drivers of lean six sigma .

“Applying kaizen is part of my responsibilities as an industrial engineer, and as I have

previously explained, we recently completed the milk run, which is the methodology
of reducing stock within the inventory so that continuously improve the processes
and the s. Kaizen is a Japanese term that means continuous improvement, so the
methods that I frequently use in the projects I conduct within my work area is to the
improve processes and save money for the organization.
“(participant 1)

2.1 Training employees in a manufacturing company

two of the participants have stated that in order for lean six sigma to be implemented
successfully the organisation need to continuously provide employees with the most
recent methods that they need to apply within the organisation .

“Because the organization was using a new lean six sigma process, products that
failed an audit took longer to reach customers because they had to go through the
production line. “(participant 4)

63
2.2 Flexibility in the manufacturing process.

From looking at the information provided by the participants it was then discovered
that all the participants had specific skills and were therefore limited to do certain
tasks which then makes it difficult for flexibility to exist within the organisation do this
has caused a lot of challenges for the because lack of flexibility from both employees
and the designed process for the production .

“The hardest thing I've had to deal with as an operations manager was when a
machine broke down and there weren't enough resources to complete the
production. This led to a delay in getting the products to the customers because
there was no backup plan and we had to wait for the machine to be fixed before we
could resume production. “(Participant 3)

2.3 Following the required Standards for lean six sigma implementation.

All the participants had different standards that were needed within their expertise
and that were required within area of work therefore they were all not able to start
their manufacturing process without having to follow the set standards so therefore
they had to follow it or conform to the required standards.

“When it comes to the standards that must be followed for successful implementation
of lean six sigma in manufacturing, I am aware of ISO 9001:2015, which is the
implementation of quality management systems. Lean six sigma is focused on the
quality of the product by looking at the business as a whole. As they are the
requirements to be addressed in all core and supporting functions, this is a set of
process requirements and specifications set out to comply with the standard. This is
not a quality control function, but it includes all the departments within the
organization, such as your operations, finance, design, development, supply chain,
etc. That is my knowledge regarding the procedure and standards. “(participant 2)

64
3.1 Customers feedback on the manufactured products

Two out of the four participants have outlined have described that customers do have
the influence on the product because products in manufacturing are designed to meet
customers expectations as this form part of what quality definition is which is aiming
to meet or exceed customer expectations .

“When it comes to the product quality, lean six sigma is driven by employee
involvement and competitive advantage because employees must be able to
improve their own performances and have employees improve the organization's
processes to save money on hiring someone externally to improve the organization's
performance. Having a product of high quality and satisfied customers will also
increase the competitive advantage. “(participant 4)

3.2 Delays in receiving products from the manufacturing process

The participants have outlined that delays within the manufacturing process have
been caused by multiple circumstances such as lack of information or detailed
instruction on what task to perform ,having machine breakdown with no backup plan
in order for the operation to continue and lack of skilled employees in using the
available machinery needed to manufacture the products .

“The hardest thing I've had to deal with as an operations manager was when a
machine broke down and there weren't enough resources to complete the
production. This led to a delay in getting the products to the customers because
there was no backup plan and we had to wait for the machine to be fixed before we
could resume production. “(participant 3)

3.3 lean six sigma methods applied to increase customer satisfaction

Three out of four participants have been able to identify the practices of lean six
sigma that can be applied in order to achieve customer satisfaction except of one
participant who is does not have any knowledge on what procedure to follow in order
for the end goal to be met .

65
“Will be milk run has decreased the number of stock in the inventory and made
things simple for the customer because everything was loaded from different
suppliers and successfully delivered to the customers, saving time and money
associated with working with many suppliers. “(participant 1)

4.2 Interviews Questions and answers from the participants

1. Can you describe the lean six sigma journey your organization has taken so far and
where it is now?

2. How does your organization's product manufacturing process respond to consumer

influence?

3. What lean six sigma methods are widely used in your workplace?
4. Is there a difference between lean manufacturing and six sigma?

5. What is kaizen and which methods do you use to implement it in your organisation?

6. Can kaizen and lean six sigma exist without Total Quality Management?

7. What structures, processes, procedures or methods have been used to ensure that
there successful implementation of lean six sigma?

8. What difficulties do you have while putting six sigma into practice?

9. What are the main lean six sigma drivers and inhibitors in your organization, whether
internal or external?

10. Which lean six sigma methodologies, in your opinion, can be implemented
successfully, and what aspect of the system did it improve?

We have now completed the interview. Once more, I appreciate you making the time
to meet with me. You've been a big help.

66
Appendix 1: Interview Questions and answers from participants

Question 1: Can you briefly describe the lean six sigma path your organization
has taken so far and where it is at this point?

Participant one: industrial Engineer

My job as an industrial engineer entails establishing, enhancing, and implementing

integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, and equipment in order
to optimize complicated processes, systems, or organizations. Manufacturing activities
depend heavily on industrial engineering. There is no way we can implement lean six
sigma, so we do so every day. We recently finished a project called MRT (Material
Replenishment Trigger) applying Milk Run, which is a method for lowering stock levels
in the company. This is a component of lean six sigma because it lowers waste and
boosts the efficiency of the processes.

Participant two: Operator

I only know what the phrase means because my manager has described it to me when
I'm an operator working on the floor. I just follow the instructions, therefore I have no
idea if any continuous improvement approaches have been used in my work area.

Participant three: Operations Manager

As an operations manager, I oversee the daily operations of the company, so I am

required to be knowledgeable about lean manufacturing and six sigma. I have been
applying lean in my work area by managing the implementation of the milk-run project,
so yes, I am aware of the implementation of lean six sigma and all the procedures that
had to be followed throughout the full application of the price

67
Participant four: Quality Assurance Officer

I am aware of lean six sigma as it is part of my line of work as it has to do with

continuous improvement that then improves the product quality that we provide. As a
quality assurance professional, my role is to improve the quality of the products and
defects that may exist with the products on how to eliminate, so as defined by ISO
9000, my role is to improve the quality of the products and avoid problems when
delivering products to customers.

Question two :What impact do consumers have on your organization's product

manufacturing process?

Participant one:

Customers do influence the product manufacturing process because all products need
to be produced in accordance with consumers' requirements; therefore, we look at the
list of requirements from the client and then produce products that then conform to the
requirements. With our client, we provide them with products that they use in their
production as well, so my role is to ensure that they are provided with the products in
time and floor workers are not wasting time.

Participant two:

I can state that the consumer does impact the product manufacturing process
because, as an operator working on the floor, I am aware that every assignment I have
is dependent on what the client has asked my manager to supply.

Participant three:

Customers do influence the manufacturing process of the products because as a

company, we work to maximize the quality of the transformation process to meet
customer demand. As operations manager, it is my responsibility to oversee the entire
project to ensure that all employees are performing their tasks as effectively as
possible and that no time or materials are being wasted.

68
Participant four:

Customers do influence the manufacturing process of the products because as a

company, we work to maximize the quality of the transformation process to meet
customer demand. As operations manager, it is my responsibility to oversee the entire
project to ensure that all employees are performing their tasks as effectively as
possible and that no time or materials are being wasted.

Question 3:Which lean six sigma methods are widely used in your workplace?

Participant one:

The majority of the projects I've been a part of have been milk-runs, and I'd say that
this is because I constantly have to come up with ways to increase production and get
rid of any wastes that are present in our organization. Because I can't do everything
by myself, my fellow logistical engineers must also participate in the project and
complete all of their tasks within the time constraints that have been given to them.

Participant two:

DMAIC (define, measure, analyse, improve and control) is a management technique

that I frequently use to manage problems. It entails defining the problem first,
measuring it, analysing the cause of the problem, resolving the root cause, verifying
improvement, and then maintaining the gains to make sure everything is still working
as intended. FMEA, or failure mode and effects analysis, is another method used to
promote continuous improvement.

Participant three:

We recently organized the floor where all the production materials are stored to make
everything easily accessible for anyone who will use the materials kept there. As a
result, everything was packed in a specific order, and the operators spent less time
looking for materials and more time taking things straight to the production line, which
is known as 5s to continuously improve the processes.

69
Participant four:

To achieve Total Quality Management, which will ultimately lead to customer

satisfaction, all quality-related techniques must be audited through our quality
department to ensure that the product quality adheres to the necessary quality
standards and principles. Making it a goal to achieve product quality through the use
of lean, six sigma, and kaizen acting as a predecessor for TQM (total quality
management)

Question 4: Is there a difference between lean manufacturing and six sigma

Participant one:

Yes, there are differences between the two, but there are also similarities, so lean
manufacturing is simply a production method aimed primarily at reducing wastes.
When we talk about the removal of wastes in lean, many things like wasted time and
overproduction become the wastes that are referred to. However, six sigma is the
problem solving methodology that is used to solve problems that were identified during
the removal of wastes. This is where we have our similarities.

Participant two:

As an operator, I don't have a lot of knowledge on the subject because I'm only tasked
with the projects that are given to me, not understanding their intricacies but being
clearly told what roles I must play within the organization. Despite this lack of
knowledge, I am aware that all of the tasks are intended to advance the organization
or our own interests as a whole.

Participant three:

Even though lean and six sigma are both improvement methodologies for continuous
improvement, there are differences between the two because lean six sigma combines
the two techniques. As a result, while there are differences between the two, both must
be used to solve current problems or eliminate everything that is considered waste in
the organization.
70
Participant four:

As a quality assurance professional, I am aware of both lean manufacturing and six

sigma. However, there is a difference between the two, and that difference is that six
sigma is conceptualized with the goal of making the processes defect-free, while lean
is conceptualized with the aim of eliminating wastes in the existing processes and
improving the capability of the system by reducing overproduction and delays within
the production line.

Question 5 : what is kaizen, and how do you apply it in your organization?

Participant one:

Applying kaizen is part of my responsibilities as an industrial engineer, and as I have

previously explained, we recently completed the milk run, which is the methodology of
reducing stock within the inventory so that continuously improve the processes and
the s. Kaizen is a Japanese term that means continuous improvement, so the methods
that I frequently use in the projects I conduct within my work area is to the improve
processes and save money for the organization.

Participant two:

While pursuing a certificate in logistics and supply chain, I learned about kaizen and
what it is all about. It has to do with continuous improvement, and one of the methods
I participated in was the 5s's (sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain), which
entails organizing the storeroom so that resources are simple to find and time is not
wasted.

Participant three:

Operations management is the set of activities that create value in the form of goods
and service by transforming inputs into outputs so therefore we have quality at the
centre of operations so kaizen is a Japanese term which means continuous
improvement and I have facilitated a lot of projects in kaizen such as DMAIC, 5s, FMEA
etc.
71
Participant four:

Kaizen is a term that was developed in Japan and it has to do improvement; this is
what quality means as we continuously ensure that everything is still performing to its
optimal level when it comes to the product quality. The methods that had to be audited
were 5s, DMAIC, milk run, poka yoke, fmeas, milk run, etc.

Question 6: Can kaizen and lean six sigma exist separately from TQM?

Participant one:

Since the goal of total quality management is to raise the standard of an organization's
outputs, which kaizen and lean six sigma do by raising the standard of the product, I
don't believe they can exist without being related to TQM. For this reason, I say that
TQM is where all of these methods originate.

Participant two:

Please don't ask me to comment on a subject I don't understand; instead, explain it to

me and let me know what you think based on what you do know.

Participant three:

It is possible to apply kaizen and lean six without being aware of total quality
management, so I can say that it is highly possible for kaizen and lean six sigma to
exist without total quality management. I had quality management as a module while I
was still in university, and from that I learned a lot about quality concepts and the
importance of quality within manufacturing.

Participant four:

According to the theory of quality, total quality management existed before kaizen and
lean six sigma in the history of quality because kaizen then falls under the tools of lean
six sigma, where lean six sigma is the combination of lean manufacturing and six
sigma that was developed from total quality management, which is the ongoing
process of identifying and reducing errors in manufacturing.

72
Question 7: What structures, processes, procedures or methods have been used
to ensure that there successful implementation of lean six sigma?

Participant one:

For the successful implementation of lean six sigma, the ISO 9001:2015 and ISO
14000 quality standards and criteria are followed to ensure that all procedures adhere
to the established quality standards for ISO14000, which is a set of rules and standards
created to help organizations reduce industrial waste and environmental damage as it
is a framework for environmental safety in terms of the organization and of employees
working within that environment.

Participant two:

When it comes to the standards that must be followed for successful implementation
of lean six sigma in manufacturing, I am aware of ISO 9001:2015, which is the
implementation of quality management systems. Lean six sigma is focused on the
quality of the product by looking at the business as a whole. As they are the
requirements to be addressed in all core and supporting functions, this is a set of
process requirements and specifications set out to comply with the standard. This is
not a quality control function, but it includes all the departments within the organization,
such as your operations, finance, design, development, supply chain, etc. That is my
knowledge regarding the procedure and standards.

Participant three:

We are a 9001:2015 certified organization, so we therefore examine the requirements

for the quality system, which are what it is about. ISO 9001 includes approximately 10
clauses with additional clauses and subclauses related to the plan-do-check-act
system, but only contains the requirements that are auditable. In order to successfully
implement ISO within your organization, you must comply with all the requirements
that come with the applied standard, making this extremely important because you
then will be in a better position to implement other standards successfully.

73
Participant four:

The ISO 9001, ISO 18000, ISO 14000, ISO 18001, and ISO 13000 certifications, which
we as an organization are approved of, will have to be mentioned in order for me to
provide justification for the questions. All of these standards then need to be adhered
to in any lean six sigma methods that will be used.

Question 8: What are the challenges confronted that you encounter when
implementing six sigma?

Participant one:

The people I worked with presented challenges throughout the process, such as their
lack of knowledge of the tasks to be completed and their coworkers' tardiness, which
delayed production. If one employee was scheduled to perform a specific task on a
given day but failed to show up, this had an impact on the entire project and added to
the production's delays.

Participant two:

It was difficult to know what to do next without the person who offered the concept to
us when participating in the 5s project because of the absence of clear instructions
and information on the project from them. As a result, the project took longer to finish
due of the lack of information.

Participant three:

The hardest thing I've had to deal with as an operations manager was when a machine
broke down and there weren't enough resources to complete the production. This led
to a delay in getting the products to the customers because there was no backup plan
and we had to wait for the machine to be fixed before we could resume production.

Participant four:

Because the organization was using a new lean six sigma process, products that
failed an audit took longer to reach customers because they had to go through the
production line.

74
Question 9: Whether internal or external, what are the key drivers and inhibitors
of lean six sigma in your organisation?

Participant one:

This means that all things implemented then need to look into these drivers because
without them there won't be successful implementation of lean six sigma so this is what
I use to drive the implementation. The drives of lean six sigma stimulate the
effectiveness of an organization's processes where leadership, employee
involvement, and finance are among the most important drivers in lean six sigma.

Participant two:

Manufacturing is very important because we deal with the development of everything,

so it is important to know the kind of culture we should adhere to and if it still aligns
with the current standards that already exist in manufacturing. As an example, we have
things like green manufacturing. This can be a change in organizational culture, which
then influences on the reputation of the organization on what is focused on.

Participant three:

The two most significant barriers to lean six sigma that I am aware of are leadership
and finances. Good leadership influences the team members that you are managing
by prioritizing that everything is done at its best, and finances are very important and
must be managed by people with a lot of knowledge and discipline because without
them no improvement will be made.

75
Participant four:

When it comes to the product quality, lean six sigma is driven by employee involvement
and competitive advantage because employees must be able to improve their own
performances and have employees improve the organization's processes to save
money on hiring someone externally to improve the organization's performance.
Having a product of high quality and satisfied customers will also increase the
competitive advantage.

Question 10: In your view, what lean six sigma methods can be implemented
effectively and which area did it improve from the system?

Participant one:

Will be milk run has decreased the number of stock in the inventory and made things
simple for the customer because everything was loaded from different suppliers and
successfully delivered to the customers, saving time and money associated with
working with many suppliers.

Participant two:

Since it is my function and activities that I carry out within the organization, there is no
analysis that is required of me, thus I would not be aware of this.

Participant three:

Because FMEAS was effectively implemented, the organization was able to make
significant profits, and because there was no longer excess production while the
products were being manufactured and later supplied to the customers, there was also
an increase in customer satisfaction.

Participant four:

Following the ISO 9001:2015 standards has made it much simpler to adopt lean six
sigma in manufacturing. It has also increased product quality and employee
empowerment because it gets the workforce involved and makes them aware of their
worth to the manufacturing sector.
76
4.3 questionnaire survey questions and answers

4.3.1 Online questionnaire surveys were created and sent to the individuals that are
working in a manufacturing sector which sent through using emails whereby the
participants received the link of the survey questionnaire as the research paper is
looking into the techniques applied in a manufacturing industry since it is a qualitative
method and the paper has open ended questions in order for participants to provide
descriptive answers whereby they were providing with ideas ,recommendations and
experiences based on the questions asked .questions on the comparative study of
lean six sigma using the literature and knowledge in the application of lean six sigma
techniques in manufacturing industry below s the summary of the questions asked on
the sent survey questionnaire.

Table five: the summary of the questions asked on the sent survey questionnaire.
Participants Lean Six sigma Quality regulatory
requirements
techniques
implemented

P1 Kaizen(Continuous Following the assigned

improvement) quality standards in
production

P2 Kanban Audit the procedure on

how the set quality
standards were followed

P3 DMAIC Following the accredited

ISO 9001:2015

P4 Milkrun N/A

P5 FMEA’S(Failure Mode Product Quality and Safety

and Effect Analysis) using the CSR
activity report

77
4. 3.2.appendix two: Questionnaire survey and answers

Question one: What do you understand about the relationship between Total Quality
Management and product quality 5 responses

TQM consist of the general concept in quality and product quality has to do with the features of
the product

78
Total Quality Management is the improvement method and product quality are has to
do with the product mainly without looking at other techniques
They are both reliant on one another because product quality depends on the TQM
concept
They are both the techniques for improving process performance
They are both under the concept of continuous improvement

Question two :what is the relation between lean manufacturing and Material
Requirement planning 5 responses

Lean manufacturing identify and removes waste while MRp is the concept of avoiding
the creation of wastes within the process
Lean manufacturing reduces defects and mrp has to do with providing materials
arriving at the right time to produce
They both have to do with the removal of wastes
They both fall under the concept of total quality management
The two techniques fall under operations management improvements methods and
are frequently applied within the manufacturing company

Question three :what are the lean six techniques applied within your
organization ?5 responses

Kaizen In which we are encouraged to improve our own performance by the industry
leader
We recently applied the approach of pokayoke because there were a lot defects within
the produced products

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We apply the Material Requirements Planning technique in order the low productivity
within our organization
We apply the deming cycle procedure
Competitive benchmarking whereby we improve the performance of the organization
through other organization producing the same products as ours

Question four : what are the challenges that you face when you are
implementing the lean six sigma techniques ?5 responses

When the proposed technique is not well explained to us by the leader of the project
so we tend not to know the right procedure that we are suppose to follow . Not having
enough resources to use during the implementation process
Applying the methodology for the first time because we were not experienced Having
to implement the techniques with a leader who is not educated in the approach
Having machine breakdown which causes problems that you are to eliminate within
your system

Question five :do you implement the technique called closed-loop supply chain
within your organization ?5 responses

No we have not applied the technique within our organization

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Not in the manufacturing company I’m currently working but it was a requirement when
I was in supply chain and ma
No we do not apply the closed-loop supply chain
Yes but we have failed in applying it
No we do not apply the closed loop supply chain and it was never suggested by our
quality assurance department

Question six :How effective are the lean six sigma techniques implementation
in the manufacturing sector ?5 responses

They are very effective because in manufacturing we deal with tangible products
therefore it’s easy to implement
It is effective because the techniques are always discussed into detail before starting
with the project
They are not going entirely effective because the process needs one to be skilled in
performing the process
They are very effective because they save costs for the organization and end up
increasing productivity of the company
They are very good effective because it’s mostly practical when it comes to the
methodology of lean six sigma approach and when you have the right leader who has
achieved the black belt of lean six sigma.

4.4 Discussions
The research results are discussed taking into consideration analysing the
implementation of lean six sigma in a manufacturing company .

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4.4.1 lean six sigma techniques

Looking at the results from the study the techniques implemented in a manufacturing
company ,the organisation organisation do apply DMAIC ,they also perform a
technique called the milk run which is able to reduce the wastes for the manufacturing
company it is then discovered that around 60% of the time the organisation is

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considering applying lean six sigma techniques in order to improve the overall
performance of the organisation .

4.4.2 successful implementation of lean six sigma in a manufacturing company

Applying lean six sigma methods it includes combining the lean manufacturing and six
sigma methods in order to achieve the objective of having to combining the two
methodologies ,the implementation of the method has been successful most of the
times when being implemented in the organisation and also considering that the
organisation follows required standards and procedures set for the company ,it also
requires employees to be actively involved in order for the implementation of Lean six
sigma to be successful.

4.4.3 customers influence in lean six sigma

Looking at the results from both the interviews and descriptive surveys it has been
proved that customers do have influence in lean six sigma because the research does
not only focus on improving the process alone but is the implementation of lean six
sigma which involves the three phases : design ,execution and control so therefore
the customers are considered in the design of the process and products so the
company do create the design based the customers requirements and expectations .

4.4.4 Total Quality Management(TQM) in relation to kaizen and LSS.

TQM is the foundation of quality improvement so the kaizen practice stems out from
the TQM and kaizen is one of the techniques of TQM therefore both methods do from
as part of LSS so it can be concluded that in order for both TQM and kaizen to exist
there is a greater need of lean six sigma to be considered in the process.

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Chapter 5 : Summary, conclusions and recommendations.

in this chapter the researcher make recommendations of their contributions to the

study on the type of framework that the manufacturing company can utilise in order to
improve their own processes on the recommendations there are detailed framework
of how the approach will be able to improve the performance and the conclusion is
based on the review of literature and the findings that were collected when conducting
the research.

5.1 Summary : the objectives and research questions

5.1.1 Objective one : To analyse the implementation of lean six sigma in a

manufacturing company .

The first objective of this study was to analyse the implementation of lean six sigma in
a manufacturing company ,this objective was met through the interview by analysing
how the manufacturing company was applying the lean six sigma and this was
identified when one of the participants described their understanding of lean six sigma
and when they identified the drivers and inhibitors of lean six sigma.

5.1.2 objective two : To Identify how Total Quality Management is a common

denominator of the product quality and it’s relations between kaizen, lean and six
sigma.

The second object was to identify how total quality management is a common
denominator of the product quality and its relations between kaizen and lean six
sigma ,this objective was met because the total quality management is a common
denominator of the product because they all have to do with improvement of the
organisations performance as all this concepts were designed in order to improve the
quality of products .

5.1.3 objective three : Identify and analyse the lean six sigma techniques applied in a
manufacturing company.

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The third objective was identify and analyse the lean six sigma techniques applied in
a manufacturing company ,this was met through analysis of the journals ,articles in
lean six sigma techniques so therefore the review of literature assisted in achieving
this object and the participants on the interviews were also able to identify the the lean
six sigma techniques and how they were able to implement them within their
manufacturing company .

5.1.4 objective four : Determining the quality regulatory Requirements that are
adhered to and cannot be ignored in applying lean six sigma in the manufacturing
company.

The fourth objective was determining the quality regulatory requirements that are
adhered to and cannot be ignored in applying lean six sigma in the manufacturing
company ,this objective was achieved when the participants identified what standards
they follow within their manufacturing when applying lean six sigma and that’s when
they mentioned ISO 9001;2015 as one of the quality standards that they have to
conform to and the review of literature was able to identify the general standards that
exist within manufacturing .

5.1.5 objective five : To examine the extent in which lean six-sigma is utilised in
manufacturing

The fifth objective was to examine the extent in which lean six sigma is utilised in
manufacturing ,this objective was achieved through answered questionnaire surveys
and interview questions in which the participants were able to discuss the lean six
sigma approach being applied within their organisation and to what extent they apply
the methodology in which it was discovered that LSS has form part of their daily
activities.

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5.1.6 objective six : To identify the popularity of lean six sigma in a manufacturing
organisation and other improvement initiatives such as TQM (Total quality
management).

The sixth objective was to identify the popularity of lean six sigma in a company and
other improvement initiatives such as TQM, this objective is achieved through
identifying the other improvement methods such as DMAIC and milk run in which
participants identified as part of the techniques they apply in order to improve the
organisations performance and the popularity of lean six sigma is definitely being
applied as analysed on the results from the interview by discussing that they are
aware of lean six sigma and how often they implement them within their
manufacturing company.

5.1.7 objective seven: To determine the critical success factors for lean six-sigma
implementation and challenges that come with the implementation of lean six sigma.

The seventh objective was to determine the critical success factors for lean sixsigma
implementation and challenges that come with the implementation of lean sixsigma,
this objective has been met whereby the results showed that the company was able
to be successful in implementing the lean six sigma which they identified the
strategies they were able to achieve in which it was improving the organisations
performance by successfully implementing the strategies over a long period of time
,the challenges were also identified whereby the was delays within their production
process and this could be solved by the recommended methodologies of lean
sixsigma on under the recommendations ,the other challenges were also reviewed
from the literature on the possible challenges that exist when implementing lean six
sigma.

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5.2 Recommendations

The manufacturing company can apply what we call closed-loop supply chain which is
not different from reverse logistics since this the manufacturing company utilizes but
does not frequently apply the closed-loop supply chain in the operations of the
manufactured products in order solve the problem statement ,below I will describe
what closed loop supply chain and how it’s going to be implemented in a manufacturing
company.

Paksoy Turan (2011) The function of the supply chain, which consists of purchasing,
production, shipping, distribution, and marketing, is to provide value to the final
consumer. Closed-loop supply chain management is now understood to be the design,
management, and operation of a system to maximize value creation over a product's
entire life cycle with dynamic value recovery from various types and volumes of returns
over time.

This definition is obviously used in business Guide et al, (2003). Collection,

inspection/separation, reprocessing, disposal, and re-distribution are among the tasks
carried out by Closed Loop Supply Chain Management .

In a normal supply chain, goods and products are carried from producers to distribution
hubs, then to customers, on pallets or in containers. These pallets or boxes are often
given to the person receiving the goods, who is then responsible for recycling or
disposing of them.In a closed-loop distribution system, packaging and shipping-related
materials are sent back to the original manufacturer or distribution facility to be
examined, fixed, and then redistributed.

Many organizations, especially bigger ones with several locations, would experience
cost savings if they were able to shut their supply chain loops because they would no
longer be responsible for disposing of pallets and other packing materials. Customers
all across the world are becoming more favourable to green businesses, and more
people are preferring to conduct business with eco-friendly organizations.

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5.2.1 Benefits of implementing closed-loop supply chain

1.Improved Public Perception

2. Less Waste

3.Being ahead of the regulatory curve

4.increasing customer loyalty

1.improved public perception

Environmental awareness is currently widespread and will keep growing in importance

among consumers. Making the switch to a closed-loop supply chain is a terrific
approach to gain good press and improve the perception of green enterprises among
consumers and other industries. Being environmentally responsible can be profitable
due to the general improvement in customer perception and the resulting boost in
sales.

2.less wastes

The main advantages of making supply chains more circular are waste reduction and
improved efficiency across the board. Waste and pollution are caused by inefficiencies
and missed possibilities for recycling or reuse. Due to its effects on people and the
environment across the nation, pollution has an intrinsic economic cost. Cutting waste
helps the economy as a whole by saving money.

3. Being ahead of regulatory curve

Even if it may seem far off now, government regulation of sustainability initiatives like
closed-loop supply chains is nearly a certain in the future. Companies and
organizations may set the example for lawmakers and have an impact on policy
decisions by implementing these practices now. Long-term savings and higher sales
would generate income, but being ahead of the curve in this way would also be quite
advantageous. While the rest of company must transition to being more
environmentally friendly, those who are currently setting the pace in the sustainability
field will have developed supply networks, more capital on hand, stronger brand
awareness, and more devoted customers.

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 4.increasing customer loyalty

This relates to a change in public opinion. Customers who support environmentally

friendly businesses will feel better about their purchases and be more devoted to the
company's name and its goods. By providing reusable or refillable packaging for
clients, you go beyond sustainability in your supply chain and get more respect and
loyalty. Through this strategy, clients also participate in the sustainability system and
are further incorporated into the ecosystem of the business.

Figure 4:A conceptual framework for a closed-loop supply chain management.

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Table 6: A detailed action plan framework that can be used by the
manufacturing company.

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5.3. conclusion

The origins of six sigma as an estimating standard may be traced back to Carl Fredrick
Gauss (1777–1855), who proposed the concept of the "ordinary bend." Walter
Schewarnt first identified the three six sigma mean as the point at which a technique
had to be corrected in 1920. Lean strategies can be applied to the implementation of
a lean program in order to decrease or eliminate the aforementioned wastes and
expenses. Few of these strategies have a significant impact when employed alone,
despite the fact that the majority of them may be implemented as standalone
programs. The next paragraphs outline the more popular methods. Kaizen identifies
the precise issues that need to be resolved, the precise group that will implement the
approaches, and the precise deadline for completing the tasks.

In conclusion, the goal of this study was to assess the adoption and use of lean six
sigma in the manufacturing industry, both currently and historically. Having as its main
goal the analysis of lean six sigma deployment in a manufacturing organization,
Identify and analyse the lean six sigma techniques used in a manufacturing company,
and determine the quality regulatory requirements that are adhered to and cannot be
disregarded in manufacturing. These objectives are to show how Total Quality
Management is a denominator of the product quality and its relationships with kaizen,
lean, and six sigma. The secondary goals included examining the use of lean six sigma
in manufacturing, identifying its popularity among manufacturing organizations and
other quality-improvement programs like TQM, and identifying the crucial success
criteria for lean six sigma adoption. were satisfied by the thorough investigation.
Therefore, it is advised that all management and employees be included in the process
when implementing lean six sigma in an organization.

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