Overview of stages of change of lean six sigma programs in organizations from 2005 to 2021

Abstract

Quality management can be considered as the set of actions adopted to obtain characteristics of the product or service provided capable of meeting/satisfying needs and even exceeding customer expectations, achieving sustainable results for the organization. In this sense, several improvement programs adopted by organizations have emerged over time, including lean six sigma (LSS). The objective of this research is to establish an overview of the stages of change of the lean six sigma program in organizations in the last 15 years, identifying the critical success factors (CSF) for its implementation before and after these 15 years. The initial panorama was established by carrying out qualitative research with specialists from the LSS program of a service sector organization in 2005, when nine CSF were identified, namely: communication, organizational culture, a commitment of individuals to change, middle managers role, resistance to change, top management commitment, project selection/prioritization, training, and dissemination of results. Then, to analyze the historical evolution, a bibliographic review was carried out on the process of changes in LSS programs in organizations from 2005 to 2021. In this bibliographic review, it was found that the nine CSF identified in the 2005 survey were still relevant in the 15 subsequent years and that technological advances and the digital transformation experienced in various sectors promoted the emergence of three new CSF in the implementation of organizations' LSS programs: big data analytics (BDA), agile manufacturing and innovation.