A roadmap to greater efficiency in aerospace operations through the application of Six Sigma and lean manufacturing techniques

Fitzpatrick, David; Looney, M. Kieran

doi:10.1108/aeat.2003.12775caf.002

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…LSS is a powerful methodology for achieving process efficiency and effectiveness resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction and improved bottom-line results. Fitzpatrick and Looney (2004) mentioned in a featured article that the combination of Lean and Six Sigma works well because Lean on its own does not typically bring statistical control and capability to operational processes. Equally Six Sigma cannot dramatically improve the speed of processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Readiness factors for the Lean Six Sigma journey in the higher education sector

Antony

2014

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management

188

261

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reveal the readiness factors (RFs) which are required for the successful introduction and development of a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) initiative within the context of higher education (HE) sector. These RFs are a pre-requisite for the successful implementation, deployment and sustainability of LSS in higher education institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach – The author uses secondary data from literature to justify the need for RFs before any HEI invests on continuous improvement (CI) methodologies such as LSS. The author would argue that these RFs must be assessed properly to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the HEI. Findings – The paper presents the RFs which are essential for the implementation and sustainability of LSS. It is important to note that RFs are prior to embarking on a CI initiative whereas success factors are determined once the senior management team decides to invest on a specific CI initiative (Lean, LSS, etc.) Research limitations/implications – This is a very theoretical paper based on the existing literature and authors’ experiences in the HE sector. The next stage of the research is to carry out empirical studies in a number of HEIs to determine the RFs for LSS as a business process improvement methodology. Originality/value – This paper makes an attempt to derive the RFs for the successful development of LSS in the HE sector from the current literature. The RFs would assist any HE sector who would like to launch a LSS journey for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of business processes across the business.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Readiness factors for the Lean Six Sigma journey in the higher education sector

Antony

2014

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management

188

261

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…It can be considered state of the art in improvement at the time of this writing. The integration of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies provides organizations with the methods, tools, and techniques for superior improvements (Fitzpatrick and Looney, 2004). Lean Six Sigma is a powerful methodology for achieving process efficiency and effectiveness resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction and improved bottom line results.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lean Six Sigma journey in a UK higher education institute: a case study

Antony¹,

Ghadge²,

Ashby³

et al. 2018

IJQRM

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Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to explore the fundamental challenges and critical success factors (CSFs) in the development of a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) initiative within a UK Higher Education Institute (HEI). The paper also illustrates examples of the types of projects completed and share some of the key lessons learned as part of the LSS journey. Design/Methodology/Approach-The authors have initially carried out an extensive literature review on the application of LSS in Higher Education to understand the existing body of work carried out by other scholars in the field. This is followed by presenting a case study explaining how a Higher Education Institute in the UK has embarked on its LSS journey as a process excellence methodology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of core and supporting business processes. Findings-There has been a clear lack of support and commitment from senior management in the sustainability of LSS within the case study organisation. There was a general lack of understanding of the benefits of LSS in the Higher Education context and there is a lack of knowledge on the use of LSS tools for tackling process efficiency and effectiveness problems across the case study organisation. Although a number of LSS projects were executed across finance, administrative, and human resources, as well as IT and library services, no projects were carried out for improving academic processes such as teaching effectiveness. Research limitations-As the case study is limited to one Higher Education Institution, the findings of the study cannot be broadly generalized. Moreover, the paper does not report the findings of any strategic projects as most projects were carried out at the operational level. Originality/Value-This is possibly one of the first studies reporting project examples of Lean Six Sigma in a HEI. The results of the study can also be used to benchmark with similar studies in other HEIs to understand the impact of certain management practices of LSS.

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“…Lean Six Sigma is a powerful methodology for achieving process efficiency and effectiveness resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction and improved bottom line results. Fitzpatrick and Looney (9) mentioned in a featured article that the combination of Lean and Six Sigma works well because Lean on its own does not typically bring statistical control and capability to operational processes. Equally, Six Sigma cannot dramatically improve the speed of processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%