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JMTM
21,4 The implementation of lean
Six Sigma in financial services
organizations
512
Catarina Delgado
Faculty of Economics, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal and
Received October 2009
Revised January 2010 EDGE (Research Centre in Management Studies), Porto, Portugal
Accepted January 2010
Marlene Ferreira
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Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to obtain pertinent information pertaining to benefits
accomplished, main difficulties felt, and key lessons learned in the implementation of lean Six Sigma
(LSS), which are likely to be helpful to financial services organizations wanting to implement the same
tool.
Design/methodology/approach This paper reports the results of a case study from a financial
services organization which has begun the implementation of LSS methodologies ten years ago, in the
pursuit of service excellence.
Findings The benefits derived from LSS implementation, such as lowering the operational costs,
improving processes and product quality, increased efficiency, which leads to the increase of
productivity, the agility and versatility obtained by the organization, vastly outweigh the costs. At an
international level, there are cultural differences pertaining mainly to internal resistance and openness
to change.
Research limitations/implications This work focuses on a specific case study.
Practical implications The authors compiled the lessons learned and recommendations for future
implementations of this methodology. The paper, therefore, will be of interest to managers of similar
companies.
Originality/value The paper presents a successful application of LSS for a financial services
company.
Keywords Six sigma, Lean production, Financial institutions, Financial services, Portugal
Paper type Case study
1. Introduction
Organizations have been facing an increasingly competitive and global environment,
which calls for enhanced firm capability in identifying new opportunities and
sustaining superior performance.
Journal of Manufacturing Technology Strategies used by companies to avoid competitive disadvantages include the
Management elimination of operational inefficiencies (which are large in the financial sector, on the
Vol. 21 No. 4, 2010
pp. 512-523 order of 20 percent or more of total banking industry costs) (de Koning et al., 2008b)
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1741-038X
and improvement of revenue by increasing the number of customers and their
DOI 10.1108/17410381011046616 satisfaction, through innovation and improvement (de Koning et al., 2008a).
Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a method that can help financial institutions to improve The
operational efficiency and effectiveness (George, 2003; Snee and Hoerl, 2003), by implementation
combining the strengths of lean thinking and Six Sigma. Since lean does not possess
the tools to reduce variation and provide statistical control and Six Sigma does not of LSS
attempt to develop a link between quality and speed (Su et al., 2006), the application of
the combined tool LSS offers useful solutions that can lead to greater efficiency and
better quality in the financial services industry (de Koning et al., 2008a). 513
The paper presents results of a case study from a company that has initiated the
implementation of LSS methodologies, in the pursuit of service excellence. The study
analyses the implementation process of LSS in GE Money Portugal, which is part of the
general electric (GE) group. GE Money Portugal is a financial services organization,
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2. Literature review
2.1 LSS in services organizations
To remain competitive, efficient and agile, companies in services need, increasingly,
a constant investment in innovation in the processes. LSS is a methodology that, by
combining two of the most popular tools for improving performance of organizations
in the 1990s, Six Sigma and lean management, allows us to meet this need (de Koning
et al., 2006). Its advantages include the cost control and capital investment, and
improvements in the quality of service and customer satisfaction. It is considered an
accurate and efficient methodology to support the development of a system of
integrated quality management in any business in order to perform virtually free of
errors and waste of time (George, 2002).
Services are by nature very often bound by time in terms of the processes that are
run and lead to the delivery of an outcome that benefits a customer. In services
organizations, lean comes in as a methodology to reduce waste (in terms of time) and to
allow the process to become more efficient. It requires the examination of the process
from the clients perspective, in order to eliminate the waste and inefficiency. Six Sigma,
however, focus on refining the process, reducing the variability, to obtain the same
result at least 99.9997 percent of the time (Six Sigma).
de Koning et al. (2008a, b) proposed a framework for the integration of lean and
Six Sigma, consisting of a project organization structure based on Six Sigma (black
belts (BB), green belts (GB), and champions) and in extensive training programs and a
define, measure, analyse, improve and control (DMAIC) approach, with lean analysis
JMTM tools and improvement models embedded and concepts/classifications of both lean and
21,4 Six Sigma combined.
Recently, publications have appeared in the literature devoted to applying these
tools in the financial (George, 2003; Hayler and Nichols, 2006; Hensley and Dobie, 2005)
and health (George, 2003; Kim et al., 2006; de Koning et al., 2006) sectors. According to
Antony (2008), this trend will increase significantly over the coming years, particularly
514 in Europe, given the importance of these sectors to the economic development of any
country. This statement confirms the high interest of this topic.
Unfortunately, there is still a limitation in the spread of Six Sigma in services, since
its use in other services besides health care and financial services is relatively
unexplored. In fact, limited application can also be found in call centers, human
resources and in product support services (Chakrabarty and Tan, 2007). An important
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feature regarding Six Sigma research is the lack of a theoretical framework in the
existing literature, which is probably related to the scarce contribution in the literature
from academicians (Chakrabarty and Tan, 2007).
Other less important factors are: strategic focus in the customer, emphasizing the
quality and product specifications, in human resources management (HRM) and in
buyer-supplier relationships, emphasizing the Six Sigma performance levels; clear
performance metrics, to maintain a goal-oriented approach (although it may be difficult
to identify the variables); expanding Six Sigma to HRM and organizational process
thinking and measuring (Chakrabarty and Tan, 2007; Waterbury and Bonilla, 2008).
Fryer et al. (2007) have broadened the list and presented 13 key CSF for continuous
improvement initiatives (Six Sigma, kaizen, total quality management):
(1) management commitment;
(2) customer management;
(3) supplier management;
(4) quality data, measurement, and reporting;
(5) teamwork;
(6) communication; The
(7) process management; implementation
(8) ongoing evaluation, monitoring, and assessment; of LSS
(9) training and learning;
(10) employee empowerment;
(11) goal management culture; 515
(12) product design; and
(13) organizational structure.
Other factors suggested included recognition and reward systems, effective use of
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3. Methodology
3.1 Introductory remarks
A single case study was used in order to find answers to the following research
questions:
RQ1. How is the LSS process implemented in financial services organizations, in
terms of main steps, main tools, and design of new products (design for lean
Six Sigma (DFLSS))?
RQ2. In the implementations process of LSS, are the CSF presented in the literature
perceived as such by financial services organizations?
RQ3. In the implementation process of LSS, what are the main difficulties and
obstacles perceived and how to overcome them?
RQ4. At a international level, do cultural differences affect the implementation
process of LSS?
The case study methodology, suited for exploratory research (Eisenhardt, 1989), was
chosen because research in LSS and its implementation in service organizations is still
at a very early stage. This methodology offers advantages not found in more
quantitative research tools (Yin, 2003). Qualitative data allows the researcher to
explore more fully complex relationships difficult to capture in a quantitative study
JMTM using tools such as surveys. Moreover, while quantitative methods are suited to deal
21,4 with situations characterized by homogeneity of behaviors and routines, case studies
are important when dealing with situations in which creativity and innovation prevail.
The fact that few Portuguese service organizations have implemented LSS and the lack
of studies with a framework for the implementation of this tool were also factors
considered in the choice made.
516 Despite the advantages presented, this methodology has been criticized for its lack
of objectivity and accuracy (Patton and Appelbaum, 2003). It is particularly relevant
the central role that the researcher assumes, since the results of the study depend, more
than in quantitative studies, upon the researchers personal interpretation of the data.
Furthermore, the methodological flexibility is also associated with obtaining data from
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possible, the results were enriched by the analysis of information on the mission, goals,
values, and other relevant aspects of the company, which was obtained from various
sources. The possibility of a have different sources (triangulation) is a method defended
by Yin (2003), which can confirm information and used to avoid misinterpretation.
Nevertheless, when doubts remained, some more focused interviews took place, by
phone.
The data were coded and a table was generated, by associating data to the different
categories. After patterns emerged, content analysis of the data was used to understand
the characteristics of the implementation process, illustrate the benefits that can be
accomplished, the main difficulties felt, and the key lessons learned. In addition, the
differences relating to the implementation processes in several companies of the GE
Money group implemented in European countries, as perceived by the quality director
for Europe, were analyzed.
3608 analysis and verification of the new proposed process and to contribute with
suggestions. After that, the final part of the DMAIC cycle take place: control.
The integration of Six Sigma and lean management tools has allowed GE to give
the proper response to the demands of their partners by providing a smaller and
with less variation in lead-time. With these tools, therefore, GE Money can be a
reference in terms of service excellence by being quicker, simpler, more flexible, and
competitive.
The methodology itself focuses on a number of parameters to be fulfilled and which
allow an efficient control, ensuring the transition from one stage to another, and the
high quality levels required in the final implementation. This methodology focuses on
the needs and expectations of customers, not only to respond to their needs but also to
anticipate them by creating products and services. This is called design for LSS
(DFLSS).
In GE Money, the DFLSS methodology follows a define, measure, analyze, design,
implement, and control (DMADIC) cycle. This methodology is used mainly in IT
projects when a new application is to be implemented.
The tools used in the implementation of DFLSS by GE are quality function
deployment (QFD), VOC, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and the software
package Cristal Ball, a simulation tool, among others. The QFD is used to compare the
proposals of suppliers by establishing a ranking for the decisions regarding the choice
of supplier. This ranking is obtained by assigning weights to a number of criteria
defined by the user. The FMEA is used to define and analyze each step of the process
so that difficulties may be foreseen. In addition, the impacts of failures, the causes of
these failures, their severity, the levels of occurrence, and how to control and detect
them are also analyzed.
The VOC, already presented above, is used to describe what customers need and
their perceptions of how well products/services meet their needs. Because LSS focuses
on customers, identifying their needs and their satisfaction levels is tantamount to
identify the critical processes of business.
Because LSS affects the way employees work and even the physical space in which
they work, it is important to know them and their characteristics, and help them
understand the importance of the change in their work conditions brought by the LSS
and the contribution of measurements and subsequent control to their personal results.
5. Conclusions
This paper examines the use of LSS by a financial services organization, GE Money
Portugal, namely the introduction of the lean component in the established Six Sigma
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Regarding the tools used in LSS processes, results suggest that, after the introduction
of lean, the tools became more qualitative than quantitative in order to be more easy to
use and less time-consuming. Tools such as the VSM, fishbone analysis, BPMS, service
level agreement, QFD, VOC, VOE, and FMEA tools are mixed with some tools that are
exclusive to the GE group (EMS process of evaluation, the DMADIC cycle in DFLSS,
an adaptation of the traditional define, measure, analyse, design and verify to the
reality of GE business).
Regarding the CSF, results suggest that the following are among the most
important ones:
.
the need of total commitment of top management;
.
selection of the LSS team members based on their technical and analytical skills
and specific personal and interpersonal characteristics (facilitators,
communicators, know-how transfer ability, global vision of the business);
.
major investment in specialized training in Six Sigma (GB, BB, MBB) and lean
thinking and in dissemination of knowledge; and
.
change in the entrepreneurial culture, facilitated by the involvement of top
management and the by demonstrating the benefits achieved in small projects.
However, the implications of this paper are that managers in financial services
organizations need to consider LSS as a valuable instrument to improve both
operational efficiency and effectiveness and may obtain here pertinent information
regarding the benefits accomplished, the main difficulties felt, and the key lessons
learned, when implementing the tool in a similar company.
Nowadays, with all the pressures to cut costs, implementing tools such as LSS may
be easily dismissed given the investment and effort required. However, the benefits
derived from its implementation, such as lowering the operational costs, improving
processes and product quality, increased efficiency, which leads to the increase of
productivity, the agility and versatility obtained by the organization, vastly outweigh
the costs. Thus, LSS is more than likely a safe bet.
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1. Gunjan Yadav Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology Surat India Tushar N Desai Sardar
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3. MarquesPedro Alexandre de Albuquerque Pedro Alexandre de Albuquerque Marques
pamarques78@gmail.com Pedro Alexandre de Albuquerque Marques received a Diploma in 2001 and a
PhD in Industrial Engineering from the NOVA University in Lisbon in 2013. He is certified Six Sigma
Black Belt by the American Society for Quality (2014), a Senior Consultant with ISQ (2006 till now), an
Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the Lusfona University (2014 till now), an Invited
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Lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering of the Catholic University of Portugal (2008-2012), an Invited
Researcher at the Unit for Research and Development in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering of the
NOVA University of Lisbon (2007-2013), a Researcher at the I&D Lab of ISQ (2012-2014), a Lecturer
in various post-graduate and professional training courses at ISQ (2007 till now), Portuguese Association
for Quality (2014 till now), Norma Azores (2013), Verlag Dashfer (2008-2011), and SQS Portugal
(2008-2010). His interests are in the areas of Lean, Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma, Management
Systems, and Product Design. MatthRobert Robert Matth robert.matthe@sofi.pt Robert Matth
Graduated in Applied Economics and Industrial Economy from the University of Antwerp (1974), MBA
from the KU University of Leuven (1978), MSc in Accounting from the VLECHO Brussels Flemish
School of Economics (1982). He is certified Six Sigma Black Belt at Praxair, a General Manager of STA
in Portugal (2005 till now), a Senior Consultant with the Ideas@work Managing Consultant Six Sigma
in Belgium (2004-2005), Executive and Management roles at Praxair Europe (1983-2003), a General
Manager at Union Carbide Industrial Gases in the UK (1983-1985), an Invited Lecturer in Financial
Analysis and Accounting at the Graduate School of Schoten in Belgium (1974-1975), an Advisor in the
Economics Diplomacy to the Belgium Embassy in Lisbon (2013 till now), a Representative Administrator
in Oporto of the Belgium-Luxembourg-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce (2010 till now). His interests
are in the areas of Lean, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, Business Economics, and Economics.
Department of Strategy and Special Projects, ISQ Welding and Quality Institute, Porto Salvo, Portugal
STA Sociedade Transformadora de Alumnios, Maia, Portugal . 2017. Six Sigma DMAIC project to
improve the performance of an aluminum die casting operation in Portugal. International Journal of Quality
& Reliability Management 34:2, 307-330. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
4. GuptaShradha Shradha Gupta SharmaMonica Monica Sharma http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7095-7743
Sunder M.Vijaya Vijaya Sunder M. Department of Management Studies, Malaviya National Institute of
Technology, Jaipur, India Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, IIT-
Madras, Chennai, India . 2016. Lean services: a systematic review. International Journal of Productivity
and Performance Management 65:8, 1025-1056. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
5. ZhangAbraham Abraham Zhang Abraham Zhang is a Senior Lecturer in Supply Chain Management at
the Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. He obtained his PhD in Logistics and Supply
Chain Management from the University of Hong Kong in 2011. He had several years of industrial
experiences in supply chain management and Lean management consulting in Singapore and the Asia-
Pacific region. His research interests include Lean and Six Sigma, transportation, logistics, operations and
supply chain management, e-commerce, operations research, ethical supply chains and sustainability. He
has been actively publishing his academic research and consulting works in leading international journals
including International Journal of Production Economics, Supply Chain Management: An International
Journal and International Journal of Operations and Production Management. In 2011, he won two Best
Paper Awards, one from the Journal of the Chinese Institute of Industrial Engineers and the other from
the 2011 Production and Operations Management Society Hong Kong (POMS-HK) International
Conference. In 2014, he won a Highly Commended Paper Award from the Journal of Manufacturing
Technology Management. He was the recipient of the 2014 Deans Award for Outstanding Emerging
Scholar at the University of Waikato Management School. LuoWen Wen Luo Wen Luo received his
PhD from the University of Waikato Management School, New Zealand. The topic of his PhD research
is the Triadic Relationship Management in Supply Chains. He obtained his Master degree in Supply
Chain Management from Waikato Management School, the University of Waikato. He had two years
business experiences in supply chain management in New Zealand. His research interests include supply
chain relationship, supply networks, and supply chain integration. ShiYangyan Yangyan Shi Yangyan Shi
is an Associate Professor in the College of Economics and Management at the Nanjing Agricultural
University in Nanjing, China. He is also a Member of Centre for Supply Chain Management at the
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University of Auckland Business School, New Zealand. He obtained a PhD in Operations and Supply
Chain Management from the University of Auckland. He has received an MSc in Supply Engineering and
Logistics from the University of Warwick and an MBA from the Auckland University of Technology. He
had several years of industrial experiences in logistics and supply chain management in China, UK, and
New Zealand. His research interests include operations management, logistics, supply chain management,
quality management, procurement, and third-party logistics. ChiaSong Ting Song Ting Chia Song Ting
Chia is a Supply Chain Professional working in Singapore. He obtained his Bachelors Degree in Logistics
and Supply Chain Management from the School of Business, SIM University, Singapore. SimZhi Hao
Xavier Zhi Hao Xavier Sim Zhi Hao Xavier Sim is a Supply Chain Professional working in Singapore. He
obtained his Bachelors Degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the School of Business,
SIM University, Singapore. Department of Business Information Systems, Faculty of Business and Law,
AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand Department of Management Systems, University of Waikato,
Hamilton, New Zealand Department of Management, College of Economics and Management, Nanjing
Agricultural University, Nanjing, China Centre for Supply Chain Management, University of Auckland
Business School, Auckland, New Zealand School of Business, SIM University, Singapore . 2016. Lean and
Six Sigma in logistics: a pilot survey study in Singapore. International Journal of Operations & Production
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6. Raja SreedharanV. V. Raja Sreedharan V. Raja Sreedharan is a PhD Candidate in the Department of
Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University, India. He got his Master of
Engineering in 2013 in industrial engineering from the Department of Industrial Engineering, College
of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University, India. He got his Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical
Engineering from the J.J.C.E.T, Anna University, India, in 2011. Currently, he is working as a Teaching
Fellow and pursuing his PhD in the area of Lean Six Sigma under the guidance of Dr R. Raju (Professor
and Head), Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University,
Chennai. He presented and attended many international conference on quality, and he has published many
articles on Lean Six Sigma, Topsis, Structural Equation Modeling, etc. Currently, he is working on a
journal article publication and a conference paper in the field of Lean Six Sigma. He has taught classes in
Lean Six Sigma for postgraduate students at Anna University. His current research interests are centered
in the field of Lean Six Sigma, Quality Management, Production and Operations Management, Business
Research Methods and Continuous Improvement. RajuR. R. Raju Dr R. Raju started his career as a
Supervisor at Hackbridge Hevittic and Easun Ltd., Tiruvottiyur. When he was in service, he appeared
for the Railway Service Commission and joined as a Supervisor in Southern Railways. Apart from his
work, he continued his studies and completed A.M.I.E. in Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering. He
also completed ME in Industrial Engineering from Anna University, Chennai, after qualifying in GATE
examinations conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. To improve his management
ability, he has also successfully completed his Master of Business Administration (HRD and Operations
Management). When he was working as Supervisor in Southern Railway, he competed for the Officer
(Gazetted Cadre) Post through Limited Departmental Competitive Examinations (LDCE) and was posted
as an Assistant Mechanical Engineer at Southern Railways, Erode. Later he was sponsored by the Railways
to BITS Pilani for his MS (Engineering Management) and on completion he got posted to Carriage
& Wagon Works as Assistant Works Manager for implementing the Indo-Germanic Project. Then, he
moved to Supervisory Training Center at Bangalore as Vice-Principal. On promotion, he was again posted
to Carriage & Wagon Works as Works Manager. During this tenure, he availed study leave and completed
his PhD from the University of Madras in the area of Total Quality Management. Thereafter, he served as
Divisional Mechanical Engineer at Basin Bridge, Production Engineer at Loco Works Perambur and again
he was posted to Carriage & Wagan Works, Perambur as Works Manager (PLANT). His interest turned
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up to Academic and Research and joined Anna University as Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering
in 2004. To his credit, he has produced 16 PhDs and is currently guiding 12 scholars. He has published
research articles in 21 national and 40 international journals. He is working as Professor & Head of the
Department of Industrial Engineering, CEG Campus, Anna University, Chennai, and can be contacted
at: rrajau@annauniv.edu Department of Industrial Engineering, Anna University, Chennai, India . 2016.
A systematic literature review of Lean Six Sigma in different industries. International Journal of Lean Six
Sigma 7:4, 430-466. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
7. IslamSamsul Samsul Islam The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand . 2016. Credit card
account opening excellence using six sigma methodology. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma 7:3,
294-323. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
8. Alireza Shokri Department of Business and Management, Faculty of Business and Law, Northumbria
University, Newcastle, UK Teresa Shirley Waring Department of Business and Management, Faculty
of Business and Law, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK Farhad Nabhani School of Science and
Engineering, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK . 2016. Investigating the readiness of people in
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Production Management 36:8, 850-878. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
9. Gonzalez AleuFernando Fernando Gonzalez Aleu Fernando Gonzalez Aleu is a PhD candidate in the Grado
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech and an Associate Professor at the
Universidad de Monterrey in Mexico. He received a BS in Mechanical and Management Engineering at
UDEM (Mexico), a MSc with specialty in Manufacturing Systems at ITESM (Mexico) in 1999 and a MSc
in Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech in 2015. His research focuses on the application of
continuous improvement programs and projects, including Kaizen Events, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma
projects. He is member of the Institute of Industrial Engineers and the American Society for Engineering
Management. Van AkenEileen M. Eileen M. Van Aken Eileen M. Van Aken is a Professor and an Associate
Department Head in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech. She
is the Director of the Enterprise Engineering Research Lab, conducting research with organizations on
performance measurement, organizational improvement methods, lean work systems and team-based work
systems. She received her BS, MS and PhD degrees in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech. She
is a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, the American Society for Engineering Management
and the World Academy of Productivity Science. School of Engineering and Technology, Universidad de
Monterrey, San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering,
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA . 2016. Systematic literature review of critical success factors
for continuous improvement projects. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma 7:3, 214-232. [Abstract]
[Full Text] [PDF]
10. Loukas K Tsironis Department of Business Administration, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki,
Greece Alexandros G. Psychogios Hull University Business School, University of Hull, Hull, UK . 2016.
Road towards Lean Six Sigma in service industry: a multi-factor integrated framework. Business Process
Management Journal 22:4, 812-834. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
11. Matloub Hussain College of Business Administration (COBA), Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Mohsin Malik College of Business Administration (COBA), Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Hamda S. Al Neyadi College of Business Administration (COBA), Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi,
UAE . 2016. AHP framework to assist lean deployment in Abu Dhabi public healthcare delivery system.
Business Process Management Journal 22:3, 546-565. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
12. Gunjan Yadav Mechanical Engineering Department, S.V. National Institute of Technology, Surat, India
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Tushar N. Desai Mechanical Engineering Department, S.V. National Institute of Technology, Surat,
India . 2016. Lean Six Sigma: a categorized review of the literature. International Journal of Lean Six
Sigma 7:1, 2-24. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
13. Vijaya Sunder M. Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology - Madras, India .
2016. Lean six sigma project management a stakeholder management perspective. The TQM Journal
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