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Abstract
This paper attempts to look at the way the lean management system and six sigma principles can improve upon the success and competitiveness of businesses today. We first look at the history behind both the lean management system and six sigma principles. From there, we break down what each of these management and production concepts means in terms of building success and stimulating competition. The paper finally ends showing how lean management and six sigma can be incorporated into today’s businesses and what they can bring to the table.
















The Impact of the Lean Management System and
Six Sigma Principles in an Organization
Introduction.
The most challenging question encountered by business leaders and mangers in this new millennium is not “How do we succeed?” It’s: “How do we stay successful and remain competitive?”
Over the course of the past two decades, Lean has been a controversial issue among many organizations. The key principles of the lean concept are believed to have been initiated by Henry Ford. He was the first business owner to assimilate an entire production system he referred to as “flow production” at his Ford Motor Company (lean.org, 2007). Since this era, another automotive manufacturing organization used these lean concepts pioneered by Ford and once again proved its success in the manufacturing industry. Toyota was able to take the key lean principles and develop the TPS, Toyota Production System, which evolved from the need for human, financial, and material resources. This made the TPS one of the first managerial systems to use lean principles throughout the organization enabling it to produce a wide selection of products at lower volumes and many fewer defects than its competitors (wikipedia.org, 2007).
Many question whether or not lean...