Lean and Six Sigma

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the trends in published research concerning Lean Six Sigma and continuous improvement. We use published research in the areas of continuous improvement, for example Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, and Sustainability to show that this growth in popularity is spurring more research, technical papers, and a general direction within academia and the business community. The six sigma literature and lean six sigma literatures have continued to grow. Specifically, the volume of articles on lean six sigma has grown 415 % by one measure in five years. Yet, in proportion the majority of relevant articles continue to be on six sigma alone. Relevant literatures focusing on overlaps of six sigma with other concepts such as simulation, optimization, and sustainability also have experienced rapid growth. We found a change in the perceptions about success factors from a previous emphasis on top management commitment to a new emphasis on structured approaches. This development combined with the rise of new technology intensive methods such as optimization and simulation which are combined with lean sigma indicate to us a maturing of the literature and the organizations that support it. Finally, by examining statistics about the document database, we develop hypotheses about the future including those relating to sustainability and energy conservation and lean six sigma methods.