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An analytical approach to lean six sigma deployment strategies: project identification and prioritization

Description

The ever-changing economic landscape has forced many companies to re-examine their supply chains. Global resourcing and outsourcing of processes has been a strategy many organizations have adopted to reduce cost and to increase their global footprint. This has, however, resulted in increased process complexity and reduced customer satisfaction. In order…

The ever-changing economic landscape has forced many companies to re-examine their supply chains. Global resourcing and outsourcing of processes has been a strategy many organizations have adopted to reduce cost and to increase their global footprint. This has, however, resulted in increased process complexity and reduced customer satisfaction. In order to meet and exceed customer expectations, many companies are forced to improve quality and on-time delivery, and have looked towards Lean Six Sigma as an approach to enable process improvement. The Lean Six Sigma literature is rich in deployment strategies; however, there is a general lack of a mathematical approach to deploy Lean Six Sigma in a global enterprise. This includes both project identification and prioritization. The research presented here is two-fold. Firstly, a process characterization framework is presented to evaluate processes based on eight characteristics. An unsupervised learning technique, using clustering algorithms, is then utilized to group processes that are Lean Six Sigma conducive. The approach helps Lean Six Sigma deployment champions to identify key areas within the business to focus a Lean Six Sigma deployment. A case study is presented and 33% of the processes were found to be Lean Six Sigma conducive. Secondly, having identified parts of the business that are lean Six Sigma conducive, the next steps are to formulate and prioritize a portfolio of projects. Very often the deployment champion is faced with the decision of selecting a portfolio of Lean Six Sigma projects that meet multiple objectives which could include: maximizing productivity, customer satisfaction or return on investment, while meeting certain budgetary constraints. A multi-period 0-1 knapsack problem is presented that maximizes the expected net savings of the Lean Six Sigma portfolio over the life cycle of the deployment. Finally, a case study is presented that demonstrates the application of the model in a large multinational company. Traditionally, Lean Six Sigma found its roots in manufacturing. The research presented in this dissertation also emphasizes the applicability of the methodology to the non-manufacturing space. Additionally, a comparison is conducted between manufacturing and non-manufacturing processes to highlight the challenges in deploying the methodology in both spaces.

ContributorsDuarte, Brett Marc (Author) / Fowler, John W (Thesis advisor) / Montgomery, Douglas C. (Thesis advisor) / Shunk, Dan (Committee member) / Borror, Connie (Committee member) / Konopka, John (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2011

Optimizing the DSSC fabrication process using lean six sigma

Description

Alternative energy technologies must become more cost effective to achieve grid parity with fossil fuels. Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are an innovative third generation photovoltaic technology, which is demonstrating tremendous potential to become a revolutionary technology due to recent breakthroughs in cost of fabrication. The study here focused on…

Alternative energy technologies must become more cost effective to achieve grid parity with fossil fuels. Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are an innovative third generation photovoltaic technology, which is demonstrating tremendous potential to become a revolutionary technology due to recent breakthroughs in cost of fabrication. The study here focused on quality improvement measures undertaken to improve fabrication of DSSCs and enhance process efficiency and effectiveness. Several quality improvement methods were implemented to optimize the seven step individual DSSC fabrication processes. Lean Manufacturing's 5S method successfully increased efficiency in all of the processes. Six Sigma's DMAIC methodology was used to identify and eliminate each of the root causes of defects in the critical titanium dioxide deposition process. These optimizations resulted with the following significant improvements in the production process: 1. fabrication time of the DSSCs was reduced by 54 %; 2. fabrication procedures were improved to the extent that all critical defects in the process were eliminated; 3. the quantity of functioning DSSCs fabricated was increased from 17 % to 90 %.

ContributorsFauss, Brian (Author) / Munukutla, Lakshmi V. (Thesis advisor) / Polesky, Gerald (Committee member) / Madakannan, Arunachalanadar (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2012

Arizona State University Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Curriculum Improvements

Description

Lean Six Sigma is a methodology used to improve performance by reducing waste and process variation (“Everything you need to know about lean six sigma”). It is a methodology that is used all around the world in industries such as finance, manufacturing, healthcare, the military, IT, and more. Many working…

Lean Six Sigma is a methodology used to improve performance by reducing waste and process variation (“Everything you need to know about lean six sigma”). It is a methodology that is used all around the world in industries such as finance, manufacturing, healthcare, the military, IT, and more. Many working professionals seek to obtain some sort of Lean Six Sigma training to improve projects they are a part of at their companies. Arizona State University (ASU) offers a Green Belt Lean Six Sigma Certification program to both online and custom participants. These participants are expected to follow the coursework, complete ten quizzes, complete one final exam, and a three to six-page project report (“Lean six sigma green belt certification”). Over the years, the training material for the program has become a bit outdated in terms of real-world applicability and engagement for participants. This paper will discuss the methods used to improve the Green Belt Lean Six Sigma curriculum to make it more engaging to participants while also making the content more accessible to industry today. The lessons I have learned through this improvement process and their application to my future will also be mentioned.

ContributorsDe Silva, Imaya (Author) / McCarville, Daniel (Thesis director) / Taylor, Clayton (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Industrial, Systems & Operations Engineering Prgm (Contributor)

Created2023-05

Application of lean six sigma to improve service in healthcare facilities management: a case study

Description

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study on the application of the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) quality improvement methodology and tools to study the analysis and improvement of facilities management (FM) services at a healthcare organization. Research literature was reviewed concerning whether or not LSS has…

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study on the application of the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) quality improvement methodology and tools to study the analysis and improvement of facilities management (FM) services at a healthcare organization. Research literature was reviewed concerning whether or not LSS has been applied in healthcare-based FM, but no such studies have been published. This paper aims to address the lack of an applicable methodology for LSS intervention within the context of healthcare-based FM. The Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) framework was followed to test the hypothesis that LSS can improve the service provided by an FM department responsible for the maintenance and repair of furniture and finishes at a large healthcare organization in the southwest United States of America. Quality improvement curricula and resources offered by the case study organization equipped the FM department to apply LSS over the course of a five-month period. Qualitative data were gathered from pre- and post-intervention surveys while quantitative data were gathered with the Organization’s computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software. Overall, LSS application proved to be useful for the intended purpose. The author proposes that application of LSS by other FM departments to improve their services could also be successful, which is noteworthy and deserving of continued research.

ContributorsShirey, William T (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Smithwick, Jake (Committee member) / Lines, Brian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2017

Zero Waste Management

Description

Zero Waste Management at Arizona State University is an initiative that aims to divert 90% of the waste that goes into the landfills. In order to do this, it is important to focus on the biggest generator of waste every year, which is "Food and Catering". One of the biggest…

Zero Waste Management at Arizona State University is an initiative that aims to divert 90% of the waste that goes into the landfills. In order to do this, it is important to focus on the biggest generator of waste every year, which is "Food and Catering". One of the biggest challenges facing the food and catering industry is the lack of efficient and standard processes which results in immense waste every year. As a result, this thesis takes a Lean Six Sigma approach into ASU's zero waste event processes and identifies possible gaps that could be improved. It uses the DMAIC methodology to dive into a standard process for requesting and handling a zero waste event at ASU and concentrates on the logistics behind those zero waste events.

ContributorsShah, Riha Paresh (Author) / McCarville, Daniel R. (Thesis director) / Kellso, James (Committee member) / Industrial, Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2015-12