This paper presents the results of a study undertaken in Saudi Arabian organisations with respect... more This paper presents the results of a study undertaken in Saudi Arabian organisations with respect to critically assessing the current status and implementation of Lean Six Sigma. In order to address the current status and the implementation of LSS in Saudi Arabian organisations descriptive survey questionnaire were distributed online using Qualtrics software. The survey investigated the history of quality practices utilised by Saudi organisations, LSS organisational infrastructure, number of projects completed, years of deployment of LSS, Critical Success Factors (CSFs) of LSS, benefits gained from LSS deployment, common challenges for LSS and least commonly used tools and techniques of LSS.
Statistical process control (SPC) is one of the most widely applied techniques to control and imp... more Statistical process control (SPC) is one of the most widely applied techniques to control and improve processes in manufacturing industry, but very few studies have reported on the successful application of SPC in the food industry. This paper aims to critically assess the status of SPC in the UK food manufacturing industry and suggests avenues for future research. By surveying the UK food-manufacturing companies, forty-five percent of them were identified implemented SPC, with x-R and x-S charts found to be the most commonly applied SPC charts in this industry. Top management commitment was identified as the most critical factor, while lack of SPC training is the most significant challenge and lack of awareness of SPC as the main reason for food manufacturing companies not implementing SPC. The paper provides information to food companies in the UK on most common practiced and useful quality tools, SPC charts and critical success factors in the food industry. Furthermore, based on ...
The following sections are included:IntroductionLiterature ReviewResearch MethodologyDiscussionLi... more The following sections are included:IntroductionLiterature ReviewResearch MethodologyDiscussionLimitations and Implications and Future ResearchSummaryReferences
International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 2017
Purpose Although the popularity of the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology has illustrated many bene... more Purpose Although the popularity of the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology has illustrated many benefits over the years for those organisations who have implemented it, this strategy has received less attention in developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to critically assess the current status of LSS implementation in Saudi Arabian organisations. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on a descriptive survey questionnaire which has been derived from two systematic literature reviews. The survey was distributed to 400 organisations in Saudi Arabia using Qualtrics online software. In total, 146 responses were received where 102 responses were completed and analysed. Findings The findings of the survey highlighted that the implementation of LSS is still in the early stages in organisations within Saudi Arabia. This was clearly shown by many factors such as years of deploying LSS, LSS infrastructure, level of awareness of LSS, impact of LSS on business functions and s...
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the most common themes within Lean Six Sigma (L... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the most common themes within Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in the manufacturing sector, and to identify any gaps in those themes that may be preventing users from getting the most benefit from their LSS strategy. This paper also identifies the gaps in current literature and develops an agenda for future research into LSS themes. Design/methodology/approach – The following research is based on a review of 37 papers that were published on LSS in the top journals in the field and other specialist journals, from 2000 to 2013. Findings – Many issues have emerged in this paper and important themes have cited which are: benefits, motivation factors, limitations and impeding factors. The analysis of 19 case studies in the manufacturing sector has resulted in significant benefits cited in this paper. However, many gaps and limitations need to be explored in future research as there have been little written on LSS as a holistic strategy for business i...
2014 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, 2014
Maturity models are a useful way for an organisation to assess their processes and the overall ma... more Maturity models are a useful way for an organisation to assess their processes and the overall maturity levels of the organisation. However, finding the most appropriate maturity model is not an easy task especially for practitioners in industry. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to critically review, compare and contrast the existing maturity models in quality/operations management topics. This paper has reviewed the most common maturity models including but not limited to Bessant's continuous improvement capability model, Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) which is the most common model in the literature. The authors have observed a lack of maturity models for process management. Therefore, the future plan for this research is to develop a maturity model for a specific area in process management, which is Lean Six Sigma (LSS), as this is the main area of interest for the authors.
International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 2014
Purpose – Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a continuous improvement methodology that aims to reduce the co... more Purpose – Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a continuous improvement methodology that aims to reduce the costs of poor quality, improve the bottom-line results and create value for both customers and shareholders. The purpose of this paper is to explore the critical failure factors for LSS in different sectors, such as manufacturing, services, higher education, etc. Design/methodology/approach – The following research is based on a systematic literature review of 56 papers that were published on Lean, Six Sigma and LSS in well-known academic databases from 1995 to 2013. Findings – There are 34 common failure factors of LSS cited in this paper. There are some common factors for failure, such as a lack of top management commitment and involvement, lack of communication, lack of training and education, limited resources and others. Many gaps and limitations are discussed in this paper and need to be explored in future research. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first systematic literat...
ABSTRACT This paper presents a systematic review on the reported implementation of Statistical Pr... more ABSTRACT This paper presents a systematic review on the reported implementation of Statistical Process Control (SPC) in the food industry. The final selection comprehend 41 articles selected and comprehensively analysed to assess SPC development in the food industry through its motivations, benefits, challenges and limitations. Key outputs indicated from the review include: reduced process variability and conformance to the food regulations are the biggest motivations; resistance to accept SPC is the most cited challenge; lack of statistical knowledge is the most common limitation and the biggest benefits for implementing SPC in the food industry are improved food safety and reduced process variation.
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current status of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) ... more Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current status of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in Saudi Arabian organisations in terms of a number of themes that have emerged from a systematic literature review. Design/methodology/approach: Descriptive case studies were conducted in five large Saudi Arabian organisations, both public and private. Data was gathered by means of semi-structured interviews. Findings: The findings highlight that the implementation of LSS is still in its early stages in the case organisations, with infrastructure, training and project selection/prioritisation criteria all still being developed. Research limitations/implications: The main limitations are the small number of organisations studied and the fact that these are all large organisations in Saudi Arabia. Further research is needed to test the findings against research in other countries. Originality/value: There is limited empirical research to determine the current status of CI practice in developing countries. This research presents the issues and key findings from Saudi Arabian organisations in regard to LSS.
This paper presents the results of a study undertaken in Saudi Arabian organisations with respect... more This paper presents the results of a study undertaken in Saudi Arabian organisations with respect to critically assessing the current status and implementation of Lean Six Sigma. In order to address the current status and the implementation of LSS in Saudi Arabian organisations descriptive survey questionnaire were distributed online using Qualtrics software. The survey investigated the history of quality practices utilised by Saudi organisations, LSS organisational infrastructure, number of projects completed, years of deployment of LSS, Critical Success Factors (CSFs) of LSS, benefits gained from LSS deployment, common challenges for LSS and least commonly used tools and techniques of LSS.
Statistical process control (SPC) is one of the most widely applied techniques to control and imp... more Statistical process control (SPC) is one of the most widely applied techniques to control and improve processes in manufacturing industry, but very few studies have reported on the successful application of SPC in the food industry. This paper aims to critically assess the status of SPC in the UK food manufacturing industry and suggests avenues for future research. By surveying the UK food-manufacturing companies, forty-five percent of them were identified implemented SPC, with x-R and x-S charts found to be the most commonly applied SPC charts in this industry. Top management commitment was identified as the most critical factor, while lack of SPC training is the most significant challenge and lack of awareness of SPC as the main reason for food manufacturing companies not implementing SPC. The paper provides information to food companies in the UK on most common practiced and useful quality tools, SPC charts and critical success factors in the food industry. Furthermore, based on ...
The following sections are included:IntroductionLiterature ReviewResearch MethodologyDiscussionLi... more The following sections are included:IntroductionLiterature ReviewResearch MethodologyDiscussionLimitations and Implications and Future ResearchSummaryReferences
International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 2017
Purpose Although the popularity of the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology has illustrated many bene... more Purpose Although the popularity of the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology has illustrated many benefits over the years for those organisations who have implemented it, this strategy has received less attention in developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to critically assess the current status of LSS implementation in Saudi Arabian organisations. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on a descriptive survey questionnaire which has been derived from two systematic literature reviews. The survey was distributed to 400 organisations in Saudi Arabia using Qualtrics online software. In total, 146 responses were received where 102 responses were completed and analysed. Findings The findings of the survey highlighted that the implementation of LSS is still in the early stages in organisations within Saudi Arabia. This was clearly shown by many factors such as years of deploying LSS, LSS infrastructure, level of awareness of LSS, impact of LSS on business functions and s...
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the most common themes within Lean Six Sigma (L... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the most common themes within Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in the manufacturing sector, and to identify any gaps in those themes that may be preventing users from getting the most benefit from their LSS strategy. This paper also identifies the gaps in current literature and develops an agenda for future research into LSS themes. Design/methodology/approach – The following research is based on a review of 37 papers that were published on LSS in the top journals in the field and other specialist journals, from 2000 to 2013. Findings – Many issues have emerged in this paper and important themes have cited which are: benefits, motivation factors, limitations and impeding factors. The analysis of 19 case studies in the manufacturing sector has resulted in significant benefits cited in this paper. However, many gaps and limitations need to be explored in future research as there have been little written on LSS as a holistic strategy for business i...
2014 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, 2014
Maturity models are a useful way for an organisation to assess their processes and the overall ma... more Maturity models are a useful way for an organisation to assess their processes and the overall maturity levels of the organisation. However, finding the most appropriate maturity model is not an easy task especially for practitioners in industry. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to critically review, compare and contrast the existing maturity models in quality/operations management topics. This paper has reviewed the most common maturity models including but not limited to Bessant's continuous improvement capability model, Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) which is the most common model in the literature. The authors have observed a lack of maturity models for process management. Therefore, the future plan for this research is to develop a maturity model for a specific area in process management, which is Lean Six Sigma (LSS), as this is the main area of interest for the authors.
International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 2014
Purpose – Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a continuous improvement methodology that aims to reduce the co... more Purpose – Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a continuous improvement methodology that aims to reduce the costs of poor quality, improve the bottom-line results and create value for both customers and shareholders. The purpose of this paper is to explore the critical failure factors for LSS in different sectors, such as manufacturing, services, higher education, etc. Design/methodology/approach – The following research is based on a systematic literature review of 56 papers that were published on Lean, Six Sigma and LSS in well-known academic databases from 1995 to 2013. Findings – There are 34 common failure factors of LSS cited in this paper. There are some common factors for failure, such as a lack of top management commitment and involvement, lack of communication, lack of training and education, limited resources and others. Many gaps and limitations are discussed in this paper and need to be explored in future research. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first systematic literat...
ABSTRACT This paper presents a systematic review on the reported implementation of Statistical Pr... more ABSTRACT This paper presents a systematic review on the reported implementation of Statistical Process Control (SPC) in the food industry. The final selection comprehend 41 articles selected and comprehensively analysed to assess SPC development in the food industry through its motivations, benefits, challenges and limitations. Key outputs indicated from the review include: reduced process variability and conformance to the food regulations are the biggest motivations; resistance to accept SPC is the most cited challenge; lack of statistical knowledge is the most common limitation and the biggest benefits for implementing SPC in the food industry are improved food safety and reduced process variation.
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current status of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) ... more Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current status of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in Saudi Arabian organisations in terms of a number of themes that have emerged from a systematic literature review. Design/methodology/approach: Descriptive case studies were conducted in five large Saudi Arabian organisations, both public and private. Data was gathered by means of semi-structured interviews. Findings: The findings highlight that the implementation of LSS is still in its early stages in the case organisations, with infrastructure, training and project selection/prioritisation criteria all still being developed. Research limitations/implications: The main limitations are the small number of organisations studied and the fact that these are all large organisations in Saudi Arabia. Further research is needed to test the findings against research in other countries. Originality/value: There is limited empirical research to determine the current status of CI practice in developing countries. This research presents the issues and key findings from Saudi Arabian organisations in regard to LSS.
This paper presents the results of a study undertaken in Saudi Arabian organisations with respect... more This paper presents the results of a study undertaken in Saudi Arabian organisations with respect to critically assessing the current status and implementation of Lean Six Sigma. In order to address the current status and the implementation of LSS in Saudi Arabian organisations descriptive survey questionnaire were distributed online using Qualtrics software. The survey investigated the history of quality practices utilised by Saudi organisations, LSS organisational infrastructure, number of projects completed, years of deployment of LSS, Critical Success Factors (CSFs) of LSS, benefits gained from LSS deployment, common challenges for LSS and least commonly used tools and techniques of LSS.
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