• Put key challenges and pitfalls associated with the major activities and processes in different industrial or service environments into the perspective of lean/six sigma management.
• Apply the relevant tools from a repertoire of lean strategies and six sigma instruments to analyse and solve problems within business processes.
• Organise a well-structured process from analysis to generation of solutions.
• Explain root causes of the problems applying lean management, lean thinking, six sigma, and network management views.
• Present argumentation from a lean/six sigma management point of view that supports action oriented conclusions based on the analysis of a given case.
• Reflect on the consequences of applying different solution approaches on a given issue.

Business processes are the backbone of every operation. Their management and the continuous improvement of their performance are key requirements for efficiency and effectiveness in any organization. In the global business environment, small and large international firms need to excel in their own operations as well as the extended networks of suppliers and customers in order to stay ahead in competition. Service providers and administrations have to generate value for the stakeholders and at the same time need to eliminate waste and thus cost in processes.

This permanent striving for process improvement has been addressed again and again since the 1990s through numerous management concepts such as process reengineering, total quality management, lean and Six Sigma. Lean is a business practice where creation of customer value and minimization of waste of resources is in focus of all efforts. Six sigma is a successful management strategy that seeks to improve business process quality by identifying and removing root causes of execution variability and process errors - finally enabling that process outputs can meet client specifications or market demands.

The combination of these two strategies is what we call "achieving business process excellence". Lean Six Sigma is thus also serving as umbrella concept that extracts and summarizes key ideas from previous approaches and transfers them to new challenges such as digital transformation.  This course offers insights to how international companies today may implement and achieve this.

The main elements of the course come in three blocks. In the first block we introduce historical roots and basic requirements such as mapping and measurement of business processes. The second part deals with the application of instruments, tools and approaches for systematic analysis and improvement of processes. The third block refers to challenges related to the transformation of processes and connects Lean Six Sigma with Change Management and Digital Transformation. More specifically, contents are:

• History and definition of Business Process Excellence
• Business Process Strategy, IT and Governance
• Voice of Customer, Value and demand
• Voice of Process and Process Performance Measurement
• Integrated Flowcharts and Value Stream Mapping
• Root Cause Analysis and Fishbone Models
• Process redesign, pilot testing and implementation
• Kaizen, culture and sustaining improvements
• Change Management and Digital Transformation of Business Processes

Besides these issues, students will also get training into the necessary analytical tools including data analysis, process mapping, KAIZEN and other related instruments.

The course´s development of personal competences:

The course consequently focuses on student’s capabilities to apply lean thinking and related management approaches for analyzing major problems and pitfalls, identifying their underlying root causes, and presenting appropriate management solutions. Upon course completion, the individual student should be able to apply the lean and six sigma terminology and knowledge to describe and discuss key challenges related to basic functions, activities and processes in supply chains and management environments of various industries.

The course is a part of the minor in Supply Chain Intelligence - An applied perspective

Textbooks:

George, M. (2010): The Lean Six Sigma Guide to Doing More with Less, Wiley, 327 p.

Bass, I. (2007): Six Sigma Statistics with Excel and Minitab, McGraw-Hill, 374 p.

Articles:

Brunet, A. B., New, S., 2003.: Kaizen in Japan: an empirical study. International Journal of Operations and Production Management 23 (12), 1426-1446.

Cox, A./Chicksand, D. (2005): The limits of lean management thinking: multiple retailers and food farming, European Management Journal, 23, 6, 648-662, 15 p.

Done, A., Voss, C. and Rytter, N.G., Best practice Interventions, Short term impact and long term outcomes, Accepted and completed, Forthcoming in Journal of Operations Management, 2011.

Holweg, M. (2007): The genealogy of lean production, Journal of Operations Management, 25, 2, 420-437, 18 p.

Liker, J.K. and David Meier, Toyota Talent: Developing People the Toyota Way, McGraw-Hill, 2007

Liker, J.K. and Michael Hoseus, Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way, McGraw-Hill, 2008.

Liker, J.K., The Toyota Way: Fourteen Management Secrets from the World's Greatest Manufacturer, McGraw-Hill, 2004.

Mcadam, R./Lafferty, B. (2004): A multilevel case study critique of six sigma: statistical control or strategic change? International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 24,5, 530-549, 20 p.

Nonthaleerak, P./Hendry, L. (2008): Exploring the six sigma phenomenon using multiple case study evidence, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 28, 3, 279-303, 25 p.

Schonberger, Richard J., Best Practices in Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement – A deeper Look, Wiley and Sons, New Jersey, 2008

Shah, R./Ward, P. (2007): Defining and developing measures of lean production, Journal of Operations Management, 25, 4, 785-805, 21 p.

Sony, M.; Naik, S.; Therisa, K. (2019): Why do organizations discontinue Lean Six Sigma initiatives?, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 36,3, p. 420-436, 15p.

Sunder, V.; Ganesh, L.;  Marathe, R. (2018): A morphological analysis of research literature on Lean Six Sigma for services, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 38, 1, 149-182, 12 p.

Wood, N. (2004): Customer Value: Applying the first principle of lean, Management Services, 48, 3, 14-17, 3 p.