An empirical investigation on the deployment of operational excellence in SMEs

Mahato, Satyajit; Dixit, Amit Rai; Agrawal, Rajeev; Antony, Jiju; Garza-Reyes, Jose Arturo; Jamwal, Anbesh

doi:10.1108/bij-05-2022-0297

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The papers [1,4,15,23,25,26,31,38,40,41,44] relate mainly to the achievement of operational excellence in SMEs. The papers chosen for study had SMEs as the main focus of study.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Value Stream Mapping and Six Sigma are some of the important tools of Lean for SMEs and couple with Industry 4.0 can lead to Lean 4.0 [17,27,37]. The latest published papers promote the Industry 4.0 concept and its integration with lean practices [11,22,23,26,35]. The environment awareness and its preservation promotes waste reduction in SMEs and elimination of harmful waste.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Some Recent Stories of Operational Excellence in SMES

Kumar,

Saini

2023

IJRASET

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Operational Excellence is a term associated with excellence in all stages of business for any business organization which may be manufacturing or a trading. Operational excellence deals with the achievement of improved productivity, profitability and reduced wastage. The present paper is an analysis of the relevant papers and the practices which may be considered for adoption by the small scale and medium scale organizations for the achievement of excellence in their operations. In less advanced countries like India the SME’s play a major role in uplifting the economy. The SME’s are facing tough competition and survival is a very big challenge in the current scenario around the globe. So, In this study an attempt was made to review some recent stories ranging from 2011 to 2023 for Lean practices and environment friendly practices leading to Green implementation, collectively achieving operational excellence. The research gaps have been studied and the focus is on identification of the best Operational practices coupled with suitable environment friendly practices for the productivity improvement, quality management and improved financial structure. The present paper is a novel approach for the evaluation of the green and lean management principles combined with Industry 4.0 for the operational excellence of the manufacturing sector.

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“…The papers [1,4,15,23,25,26,31,38,40,41,44] relate mainly to the achievement of operational excellence in SMEs. The papers chosen for study had SMEs as the main focus of study.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Some Recent Stories of Operational Excellence in SMES

Kumar,

Saini

2023

IJRASET

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Combining Lean Six Sigma and agile approach to optimize order management: action research in a Brazilian company

Senna do Amaral,

Varanda Cotaet,

Santos Bochetti

et al. 2024

IJLSS

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Purpose This paper aims to assess the combined application of Lean Six Sigma and agile approach for optimizing operational processes of order management in the seed industry. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on an action research case conducted in a multinational Brazilian Seeds Business enterprise. This paper reports on the application of the Lean Six Sigma define-measure-analyze-improve-control (DMAIC), using the steps of DMAIC cycle as a sprint of agile approach. The methodology involves outlining an operational process through sequential activities, each associated with a cycle time, equivalent number of full-time employee and number of orders. Performance metrics for the order management process include continuous monitoring of these activities, using monitoring systems, management software and manual records to collect data. Findings The findings reveal significant improvements in critical-to-quality measures related to customer care, planning and logistics. The implementation of the DMAIC methodology and agile approach resulted in tangible enhancements in cycle time, defects per opportunities and overall process efficiency. The results allow the classification of defects, the identification of their causes and, consequently, the presentation of a control plan to mitigate these problems. Furthermore, the study identifies key causes of operational issues and proposes a prioritized action plan. Research limitations/implications The limitation of this research is its restriction to a single case. The external validity of the results and generalizability to other organizational contexts may be compromised due to the lack of case diversity. The fact that the research focuses on a single company, even if it is a large multinational company, may limit the applicability of the findings to different sectors, sizes and organizational structures, which may be an opportunity for future research. Practical implications The findings suggest that the integrated approach of DMAIC and agile methodology contributes to a culture of continuous improvement and operational efficiency. The systematic collection and analysis of data enhance evidence-based decision-making, providing a robust foundation for strategic and operational choices. Moreover, the successful integration of methodologies presents a comprehensive framework applicable to diverse organizational challenges. Originality/value The paper applies action research to understand and address operational challenges, emphasizing practical solutions. The integration of DMAIC and agile enhances the depth of process analysis, enabling the identification, implementation and control of improvements. This study offers a significant contribution both to practitioners, providing practical implications, and to academics, enriching the Lean Six Sigma and agile body of knowledge.

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Optimizing defect rework for a software start-up's schedule variation: a Six-Sigma-based approach

Mahato,

Roy

2024

IJQRM

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PurposeManaging project completion within the stipulated time is significant to all firms' sustainability. Especially for software start-up firms, it is of utmost importance. For any schedule variation, these firms must spend 25 to 40 percent of the development cost reworking quality defects. Significantly, the existing literature does not support defect rework opportunities under quality aspects among Indian IT start-ups. The present study aims to fill this niche by proposing a unique mathematical model of the defect rework aligned with the Six Sigma quality approach.Design/methodology/approachAn optimization model was formulated, comprising the two objectives: rework “time” and rework “cost.” A case study was developed in relevance, and for the model solution, we used MATLAB and an elitist, Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II).FindingsThe output of the proposed approach reduced the “time” by 31 percent at a minimum “cost”. The derived “Pareto Optimal” front can be used to estimate the “cost” for a pre-determined rework “time” and vice versa, thus adding value to the existing literature.Research limitations/implicationsThis work has deployed a decision tree for defect prediction, but it is often criticized for overfitting. This is one of the limitations of this paper. Apart from this, comparing the predicted defect count with other prediction models hasn’t been attempted. NSGA-II has been applied to solve the optimization problem; however, the optimal results obtained have yet to be compared with other algorithms. Further study is envisaged.Practical implicationsThe Pareto front provides an effective visual aid for managers to compare multiple strategies to decide the best possible rework “cost” and “time” for their projects. It is beneficial for cost-sensitive start-ups to estimate the rework “cost” and “time” to negotiate with their customers effectively.Originality/valueThis paper proposes a novel quality management framework under the Six Sigma approach, which integrates optimization of critical metrics. As part of this study, a unique mathematical model of the software defect rework process was developed (combined with the proposed framework) to obtain the optimal solution for the perennial problem of schedule slippage in the rework process of software development.

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An empirical investigation on the deployment of operational excellence in SMEs

Cited by 4 publications

References 58 publications

Some Recent Stories of Operational Excellence in SMES

Some Recent Stories of Operational Excellence in SMES

Combining Lean Six Sigma and agile approach to optimize order management: action research in a Brazilian company

Optimizing defect rework for a software start-up's schedule variation: a Six-Sigma-based approach

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