From the perspective of an operations manager in a large manufacturing Dissertation

From the perspective of an operations manager in a large manufacturing firm, present a case to the board of directors for adopti - Dissertation Example Elements of Lean Production 9 Figure 2.3.1.1. Six Sigma Implementation: An Overview 24 Executive Summary At present, products that have high levels of quality remains to be a prerequisite for any manufacturing company. Quality is the main focus of both lean manufacturing and Six Sigma as poor quality management often leads to waste and unproductive activities. On the other hand, appropriate management of quality significantly facilitates the manufacturing process, reducing safety buffers and identifying quality issues. Lean production emphasizes awareness of organizational culture, an organized workplace, standardization of work, flexibility in operations, empowerment of employees, control of materials, level production, and error proofing. Six Sigma also involves project definition, collecting measurements, analyzing process, correcting, designing, documenting and training, as well as controlling and verifying final outputs. The incorporation of both systems will allow a firm to ach ieve better outcomes than what either approach may not obtain. The combination of these two approaches can provide more favorable results compared to methods as it can incorporate both the human aspects (e.g. leadership, change in culture, customer focus) and process components (e.g. statistical thinking, process management), hence the need to examine the implementation of both systems. 1. Research Question From the perspective of an operations manager in a large manufacturing firm, present a case to the board of directors for adoption of Lean Production Systems and 6 Sigma Quality Management System. 1.1 Project Aims This current study aims to evaluate and present a business case with regards to the implementation of the lean production system as well as the Six Sigma quality system in an organization. 1.2 Project Objectives As such, the current study aims to address the following objectives: 1. Discuss the lean production system and Six Sigma quality system, and identify their effe cts on the organization; 2. Present case studies to examine and analyze the implementation of lean production and Six Sigma, highlighting their benefits; and 3. Develop a conclusion as well as recommendations based on the analysis and discussion of relevant data. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Introduction In an environment that is intensely competitive, the long-term success and survival of various organizations can depend on their ability to enhance quality and reduce costs in a continual manner (Montes, Moreno, and Molina 2003). Consequently, a higher level of productivity accomplished with fewer expenses has become an important component to become market leaders and sustain competitive advantage. For a number of successful manufacturers, integrating change into their production methods, such as the use of a leaner operation along with low inventory has been recognized as a fundamental practice, compared to traditional mass production that made use of a high inventory (Bai and Lee 2003 ). This suggests a clear message to employees- that goods should be produced with no defects in a timely manner and at an appropriate price. A shift towards lean production, however, can cause conflict that can hamper the implementatio