Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma, abbreviated as LSS, is a methodology that has been widely adopted by the manufacturing industry as a whole in an effort to boost productivity, cut costs, and enhance product quality. The research team behind this study set out to learn how the axle manufacturing business benefited from applying LSS methods like as Value Stream Mapping (VSM), the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) methodology, and the Goal Line Strategy (GLS).
Several areas of the manufacturing process benefited greatly from LSS’s installation. The elimination of non-value-added steps allowed for more effective manufacturing and shorter lead times, which were two of the most noticeable advantages. Findings from a study by Kumar and Singh (2019) corroborate this observation; they found that LSS adoption reduced non-value-added operations, which in turn increased productivity and decreased lead time.
VSM was able to help identify and eliminate waste in the production process, which led to a decrease in non-value-added operations. VSM’s ability to cut down on setup time has translated to less operator fatigue and more output. This confirms the findings of a study by Jadhav and Sonawane (2016), which found that VSM decreased setup time, which in turn enhanced productivity and decreased operator fatigue.
Improvements in process quality and fewer faults as a result of adopting DMAIC also contributed to happier clients. This confirms the findings of a study by Barakat et al. (2018) that found a decrease in faults and an increase in process quality following the deployment of DMAIC.
The business benefited monetarily as a result of GLS’s installation. The organisation was able to increase profitability by decreasing wastages and enhancing efficiency. The industrial industry’s issues have been addressed with better decision-making and more efficient use of resources since the introduction of GLS. The findings of this study are in line with those of Al-Dhamari and Al-Nahdi (2016), who found that the use of GLS decreased waste and increased profits.
Whether a company is big or small, it can benefit from LSS because of the efficiencies it can bring to the manufacturing process. Shahin et al. (2016) found that in a small-scale manufacturing industry, LSS deployment decreased cycle time, decreased waste, and increased productivity. Ali et al. (2018) found that in a large-scale manufacturing industry, LSS deployment decreased failure rates and increased process efficiency.
Overall, LSS has been proved to be highly beneficial in increasing production efficiency, decreasing waste, and boosting product quality in the industrial sector. Non-value-added operations have been identified and eliminated, and process variation has been reduced, thanks to the integration of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma techniques. Reduced setup times, enhanced process quality, and increased profits have all resulted from using VSM, DMAIC, and GLS technologies.
While this study does demonstrate LSS’s usefulness in enhancing manufacturing procedures, it is important to note the study’s caveats. It’s important to note that the study was limited to the single axle manufacturing sector, which could affect how widely applicable the results are. To confirm LSS’s efficacy in enhancing production processes, more research should be undertaken across a variety of manufacturing sectors. The second flaw is that the study didn’t look into how LSS affects productivity and happiness on the work. Worker happiness and productivity are key to any company’s success, so it’s important that future research examine how LSS affects these variables.
References
M. Singh, R. Rathi, A structured review of Lean Six Sigma in various industrial sectors, International Journal of Lean Six Sigma 10 (2) (2019) 622–664.
