Harnessing Cultural Competency to Implement Lean Six-Sigma (LSS): Lessons From Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Both six-sigma and Lean focuses on a company culture characterized by increased customer satisfaction through continuous improvement, however, the path they follow to achieve that is not the same. Both the approaches, i. e., Lean and six sigma via Total Quality Management (TQM), sprang from the same root; however, the approaches they follow in harnessing strategy, system, processes, and employees are different --- Lean uses a people system, while six-sigma is a technology driven system. Literature suggests that sixsigma should be a sub-set of the overall umbrella of lean practices adopted by a company. In this study the cultural aspects of LSS implementation are studied for Saudi Arabia. For successful implementation of LSS Saudi Management should assess their competencies. If LSS is adopted, management needs to form LSS teams both at the company level and at the process level, there needs to be a LSS champion who will work as the liaison between the process teams and the executive team for successful implementation.