LEAN OR SIX SIGMA FOR FOOD INDUSTRY? PERSPECTIVES FROM PREVIOUS RESEARCHES AND CASE STUDIES IN INDUSTRY

The purpose of this paper is to present the fundamental and critical differences between two of the most powerful methodologies in a process excellence initiative in food industryThe approach taken was to follow the methodology Mr Jiju Antony in his paper Six Sigma vs Lean - Some perspectives from leading academics and practitioners, to compare the results of two case studies carried out in a fish canning company in Morocco by experts in the field of both Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. Although both methodologies are focused on process and quality improvement, Lean is much more easy to use and allow to the company to collect the low hanging fruits without using complex statistics, however Six Sigma requires great mastery of statistical tools, which is one of the biggest lacks in food industry in Morocco. The results and viewpoints expressed in the article are those of a tow case studies carried out in a fish canning factory in Morocco, It is important to capture the viewpoints of more academics and practitioners to arrive at sound and valid conclusions. The paper provides an excellent resource for many researchers and for practitioners who are engaged in research and applications of the most two powerful methodologies for achieving and sustaining operational excellence. It is also critical to understand the fundamental differences between these two methodologies.