Comparative analysis of Lean and Six Sigma improvement projects: performance, changes, investment, time and complexity

Abstract

This paper describes a study of the effectiveness of Lean and Six-Sigma improvement projects. The purpose of this study is to analyse and compare improvement projects in Lean and Six-Sigma contexts based on two groups of variables – resources and results of projects. The variables related to the resources are financial investment, time, complexity of the team, complexity of the method, complexity of the tools and techniques and complexity of the training. The variables related to the results are performance impact and level of change. We developed a multiple case study on 18 Lean and Six-Sigma projects. We found a positive association between the variables of team complexity and level of change, as well as between the variables of training and complexity of the method, tools and techniques. These results highlight the importance of resource decisions for improvement projects, especially the team’s composition and level of training. The comparison between Lean and Six-Sigma projects showed that no significant differences were identified in the variables of the results (performance impact and change level). There were differences in time, complexity of tools and techniques and complexity of training. Practically, the analysis allows for more effective resource management in Six-Sigma and Lean projects.

Keywords:

• Six Sigma
• Lean production
• continuous improvement
• improvement projects
• comparative analysis
• improvement project measures
• improvement project results
• improvement project resources

ORCID

Fabiane Letícia Lizarelli http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8959-9982

Dário Henrique Alliprandini http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7541-9955