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A Lean Six Sigma program in higher education

Carsten Svensson (Information Technology Department and Library, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia)
Jiju Antony (School of Management and Languages, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK)
Mohamed Ba-Essa (Information Technology Department and Library, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia)
Majed Bakhsh (Information Technology Department and Library, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia)
Saja Albliwi (School of Management and Languages, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK)

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management

ISSN: 0265-671X

Article publication date: 5 October 2015

3391

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the body of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) knowledge within the field of higher education institutions. The paper will review the initial phase of an implementation and highlight future challenges of applying the LSS method in a complex transactional environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The observations presented in this paper originate from rolling out a large LSS implementation at a recently established university. The paper is supported with secondary data from literature.

Findings

The implementation of LSS methodology at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology has resulted in improvements in business processes and efficiency. This has been achieved through project execution and training programs. Approximately 350 staff members have completed awareness training, 50 yellow belts and 150 green belts have been trained, and the first round of seven black belts have completed training of which two have completed certification.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is based on an empirical study of a single instance and the authors’ experiences as practitioners.

Originality/value

This paper is the first description of what is believed to be one of the largest implementations of LSS in higher education.

Keywords

Citation

Svensson, C., Antony, J., Ba-Essa, M., Bakhsh, M. and Albliwi, S. (2015), "A Lean Six Sigma program in higher education", International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, Vol. 32 No. 9, pp. 951-969. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-09-2014-0141

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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