Green Lean Six Sigma practice in the industrial and service sectors: from the systematic literature review to an integration diagram

Abstract

Recently, increasing competition pressure and severe environmental situations have posed significant challenges to organizations in the industrial and service sectors. In this context, Green Lean Six Sigma (GLSS) is an important approach for helping industrial and service organizations achieve sustainability. The main objective of this study was to clarify the specific content of GLSS practices in the industrial and service sectors, including frameworks, tools, necessities, barriers, effects, and other aspects, through a systematic literature review (SLR). A statistical analysis was conducted to examine the main characteristics of these GLSS elements and the gaps in their implementation between the two sectors. Based on this analysis, an integration diagram of GLSS key elements is proposed, and it showcases core ideas and processes for implementing GLSS in the industrial and service sectors. The findings demonstrate that GLSS practices bring comprehensive improvements to enterprises in multiple dimensions and exhibit differentiated characteristics in the two sectors. Most GLSS frameworks are primarily designed for the industrial sector, and service organizations have yet to systematically grasp the application of GLSS tools. The findings have reference value for practitioners and researchers in the industrial and service sectors regarding GLSS practices.

Keywords:

• Industrial
• service
• Green Lean Six Sigma
• sustainability
• integration diagram

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 72171042 and 72301061) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. N2406006).

Notes on contributors

Haizhe Jin

Haizhe Jin is an associate professor and doctoral supervisor of the Industrial Engineering Department at Northeastern University in China. His research interests include but are not limited to lean production, human factors engineering, quality management, and medical safety. His research team has published over 30 academic articles in the aforementioned research fields and has conducted collaborative research with multiple enterprises. He obtained his doctoral degree in engineering from Waseda University in Japan in 2013.

Pengyu Qu

Pengyu Qu is a master’s degree candidate in Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University in China. His research mainly focuses on lean production and quality management, with a particular emphasis on green lean Six Sigma. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from China University of Mining and Technology in 2022.

Yanchun Zhou

Yanchun Zhou currently serves as the Deputy Chairman of the Labour Union and the Director of the Human Resources Department of Shenyang Machine Tool Co., Ltd., of the General Technology Group. His research interests and work achievements are mainly focused on the fields of enterprise management, human resources management, and the lean reform of enterprises. He has participated in transformation and reform projects in the traditional manufacturing industry, achieving remarkable results.

Qingxing Qu

Qingxing Qu is a lecturer from the Industrial Engineering Department of Northeastern University in China. His research interests include but are not limited to human factors engineering, lean production, quality management, and Kansei engineering. He has published over 30 academic papers in the aforementioned research fields. He obtained his doctoral degree in management from Northeastern University in China in 2020.

He Li

He Li is the Lean Production Director and an engineer from Shenyang Transformer Group Co., Ltd. In the daily operation of the enterprise, he comprehensively integrates the practical work of lean production, quality management, production operation management, and other aspects with theoretical research. His team has led and promoted the lean transformation and lean evaluation system certification in multiple production workshops of the company.