Implementation of the integrated lean six sigma philosophy in an Angolan manufacturing company – a case study

Abstract

Today, manufacturing companies strive to find the stability between satisfying their customers by producing in accordance with their expectations (quantity and quality) and keeping leading positions when it comes to competitiveness on their markets. This paper aims to compare two very well-known philosophies in the manufacturing industry: Lean Manufacturing (LM) and Six Sigma (6S). The integration of these two philosophies solves the insufficiency that the absence of one of them causes, considering that Six Sigma is based on statistical tools that focus on measuring and reducing variations in processes and achieving goals set by the customers' requirements. Lean Manufacturing focuses mainly on the value added for a client, for example,by eliminating all kinds of waste from processes what leads to the reduction of time and cost of the process. Lean Six Sigma combines the features of both methods, which means that it meets the client's requirements based on statistical knowledge and the process flow control, but simultaneously in addition to that, it reduces the time and cost of the processes. As a result, it gives manufacturing companies the possibility of having loyal and satisfied customers and who provide companies with new customers. This paper has a greater goal of persuading the Angolan manufacturing industries to implement the Integrated Lean Six Sigma (IL6S) into their production and management processes.