Six Sigma: literature review and key future research areas

It is a timely point to extensively review the literature on Six Sigma given the recent increased research interest. This paper reviews more than 200 Six Sigma papers, classifying them according to their research content and the research methodology employed. A comprehensive list of future research areas is given. Key examples are further development of a scientific foundation for the methodology; integrating Six Sigma with other methodologies such as adding Lean Tools; considering implementation issues in areas other than North America and Europe and furthering the debate on how to adapt the approach for use in a service context.

[1]  Timon C. Du,et al.  Applying Six-Sigma to Supplier Development , 2004 .

[2]  S. R. Devadasan,et al.  Three Six Sigma transitions and organisational preparedness exercise – today's imperatives for tomorrow's success , 2005 .

[3]  Udit Sharma,et al.  Implementing Lean principles with the Six Sigma advantage: How a battery company realized significant improvements , 2003 .

[4]  Godecke Wessel,et al.  Six sigma for small and medium-sized enterprises , 2004 .

[5]  Roger Hoerl.  One perspective on the future of Six-Sigma , 2004 .

[6]  E. R. van den Heuvel,et al.  Comparing Nonmanufacturing with Traditional Applications of Six Sigma , 2002 .

[7]  Rodney McAdam,et al.  The organisational contextual factors affecting the implementation of Six-Sigma in a high technology mass-manufacturing environment , 2004 .

[8]  Jiju Antony,et al.  Key ingredients for the effective implementation of Six Sigma program , 2002 .

[9]  R. McAdam,et al.  A multilevel case study critique of six sigma: statistical control or strategic change? , 2004 .

[10]  Ken Black,et al.  Integrating Six Sigma with Total Quality Management: A Case Example for Measuring Medication Errors , 2003, Journal of healthcare management / American College of Healthcare Executives.

[11]  Ravi S. Behara,et al.  Customer satisfaction measurement and analysis using six sigma , 1995 .

[12]  Jiju Antony,et al.  Design for six sigma: a breakthrough business improvement strategy for achieving competitive advantage , 2002 .

[13]  Tilo Pfeifer,et al.  Integrating six sigma with quality management systems , 2004 .

[14]  Ren-Jye Yang,et al.  Design for six sigma through robust optimization , 2004 .

[15]  Thong Ngee Goh,et al.  A pragmatic approach to experimental design in industry , 2001 .

[16]  Jiju Antony,et al.  Going from six sigma to design for six sigma: an exploratory study using analytic hierarchy process , 2003 .

[17]  Manoj Kumar Tiwari,et al.  An application of Six Sigma methodology to reduce the engine-overheating problem in an automotive company , 2005 .

[18]  W. J. Hill,et al.  The Impact of Six Sigma Improvement—A Glimpse into the Future of Statistics , 1999 .

[19]  K. Mcmanus.  IS QUALITY DEAD , 1999 .

[20]  Richard H. Y. So,et al.  Six Sigma Approach to Reducing Fall Hazards Among Cargo Handlers Working on Top of Cargo Containers: A Case Study , 2005 .

[21]  J. Antony.  Six Sigma in the UK service organisations: results from a pilot survey , 2004 .

[22]  John Man,et al.  Six sigma and lifelong learning , 2002 .

[23]  Forrest W. Iii Breyfogle.  Implementing Six Sigma: Smarter Solutions Using Statistical Methods , 1999 .

[24]  David Silverstein,et al.  Six Sigma Deployment in One Aerospace Company , 2001 .

[25]  William B Cassidy.  LOGISTICS AT THE CROSSROADS , 2004 .

[26]  Rick L. Edgeman,et al.  Six Sigma Availability Management of Information Technology in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer of Washington, DC , 2004 .

[27]  Spencer Graves,et al.  Six Sigma Rolled Throughput Yield , 2002 .

[28]  Edward Popovich,et al.  Paper Organizers International: A Fictitious Six Sigma Green Belt Case Study. II , 2002 .

[29]  Sid Frank.  Applying Six Sigma to revenue and pricing management , 2003 .

[30]  Kai Yang,et al.  Multivariate statistical methods and Six-Sigma , 2004 .

[31]  Pekka Järvinen,et al.  Exploring Six Sigma and CI capability development: preliminary case study findings on management role , 2004 .

[32]  Roland Caulcutt.  Black Belt Types , 2004 .

[33]  Thong Ngee Goh,et al.  Six Sigma in software quality , 2003 .

[34]  Jiju Antony,et al.  Six sigma or design for six sigma , 2004 .

[35]  Håkan Wiklund,et al.  Widening the Six Sigma concept: An approach to improve organizational learning , 2002 .

[36]  Roger G. Schroeder,et al.  Six sigma: A goal-theoretic perspective , 2003 .

[37]  Alan Harrison,et al.  Deployment of Six Sigma methodology in Human Resource function: A case study , 2000 .

[38]  Albert Johnson,et al.  How six sigma improves R&D , 2003 .

[39]  Sally Lanyon.  At Raytheon Six Sigma works, too, to improve HR management processes , 2003 .

[40]  Thomas Pyzdek,et al.  Strategy deployment using balanced scorecards , 2004 .

[41]  Joseph A. Defeo.  Six sigma: New opportunities for HR, new career growth for employees , 2000 .

[42]  S. E. Webster,et al.  IMPROVING QUALITY THROUGH OPERATOR CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS , 1998 .

[43]  M. Hammer,et al.  Process Management and the future of six sigma , 2002, IEEE Engineering Management Review.

[44]  Christian N. Madu,et al.  Customer‐centric six sigma quality and reliability management , 2003 .

[45]  Roland Caulcutt,et al.  Why is Six Sigma so successful? , 2001 .

[46]  Rochelle Rucker.  Citibank Increases Customer Loyalty With Defect-Free Processes , 2000 .

[47]  Jiju Antony,et al.  Six Sigma in the software industry: results from a pilot study , 2004 .

[48]  Anthony R Benedetto,et al.  Adapting manufacturing-based Six Sigma methodology to the service environment of a radiology film library. , 2003, Journal of healthcare management / American College of Healthcare Executives.

[49]  Thong Ngee Goh,et al.  Improving on the six sigma paradigm , 2004 .

[50]  Jim Niemes.  Taking sales success to new heights with six sigma , 1999 .

[51]  David A. Koonce,et al.  A hierarchical cost estimation tool , 2003, Comput. Ind..

[52]  Jiju Antony,et al.  Critical success factors for the successful implementation of six sigma projects in organisations , 2002 .

[53]  Jiju Antony,et al.  Some pros and cons of six sigma: an academic perspective , 2004 .

[54]  Bob Little.  “Six sigma” techniques improve the quality of e‐learning , 2003 .

[55]  Hefin Rowlands.  Six SIGMA: a new philosophy or repackaging of old ideas? , 2003 .

[56]  George Byrne.  Ensuring optimal success with Six Sigma implementations , 2003 .

[57]  Roger W. Hoerl,et al.  Six Sigma Black Belts: What Do They Need to Know? , 2001 .

[58]  Albert Johnson.  Six Sigma in R&D , 2002 .

[59]  Thong Ngee Goh,et al.  Statistical Control of a Six Sigma Process , 2003 .

[60]  Gargi Keeni,et al.  Blending CMM and Six Sigma to Meet Business Goals , 2003, IEEE Softw..

[61]  A. Parasuraman,et al.  A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research , 1985 .

[62]  Camille DeYong,et al.  Six Sigma in health care , 2003 .

[63]  Chwen Sheu,et al.  Integrating six sigma and theory of constraints for continuous improvement: a case study , 2005 .

[64]  Thong Ngee Goh,et al.  The Role of Statistical Design of Experiments in Six Sigma: Perspectives of a Practitioner , 2002 .

[65]  Robert V. Binder.  Quality Time: Can A Manufacturing Quality Model Work for Software? , 1997, IEEE Softw..

[66]  Peter C. Brewer,et al.  Near zero-defect accounting with Six Sigma , 2004 .

[67]  K. Tsui,et al.  Impact of Six Sigma implementation on stock price performance , 2003 .

[68]  G. S. Dangayach,et al.  Manufacturing strategy: Literature review and some issues , 2001 .

[69]  K. K. Chan,et al.  On-line optimization of quality in a manufacturing system , 2001 .

[70]  Edward D. Arnheiter,et al.  The integration of lean management and Six Sigma , 2005 .

[71]  J. Antony,et al.  A business process change framework for examining the implementation of six sigma: a case study of Dow Chemicals , 2004 .

[72]  Ching-Chow Yang,et al.  An integrated model of TQM and GE-Six-Sigma , 2004 .

[73]  R. Rajagopalan,et al.  Developing Novel Catalysts with Six Sigma , 2004 .

[74]  Robert S. Galvin,et al.  Creating, Connecting and Supporting Active Consumers , 2001 .

[75]  Yash P. Gupta,et al.  Statistical Process Control at Motorola's Austin Assembly Plant , 1993 .

[76]  Thong Ngee Goh,et al.  A comparison of Six-Sigma and GQM approaches in software development , 2004 .

[77]  Joseph De Feo,et al.  Creating strategic change more efficiently with a new Design for Six Sigma process , 2002 .

[78]  Tirthankar Dasgupta,et al.  Using the six-sigma metric to measure and improve the performance of a supply chain , 2003 .

[79]  Ken Black,et al.  Integrating Six Sigma and CQI for improving patient care , 2004 .

[80]  David N. Card,et al.  Sorting out Six Sigma and the CMM , 2000 .

[81]  Ronald D. Snee,et al.  Improving Business Processes With Six Sigma , 2002 .

[82]  Ronald D. Snee,et al.  Six–Sigma: the evolution of 100 years of business improvement methodology , 2004 .

[83]  Frederick D. Buggie,et al.  Beyond ‘Six Sigma’ , 2000 .

[84]  Rodney McAdam,et al.  A comparative analysis of trilateral and concurrent business improvement methodologies in the high technology sector , 2003, Int. J. Manuf. Technol. Manag..

[85]  T. Woodall.  Six Sigma and Service Quality: Christian Grönroos Revisited , 2001 .

[86]  Raghu Echempati,et al.  Case Study of Hinge Alignment Problems: A Six-Sigma Quality Analysis , 2000 .

[87]  Ron Basu,et al.  Six-Sigma to operational excellence: role of tools and techniques , 2004 .