Application of Lean Six Sigma in land transportation sector
List of Authors
  • Khairur Rijal Jamaludin , Noor Azam Md Saad

Keyword
  • Lean, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, Transportation, Cost Optimization

Abstract
  • Lean Six Sigma is a method that blends Lean and Six Sigma to improve the quality and speed of a process. Lean focuses on the elimination of waste, while Six Sigma reduces errors and improves quality. When these two methods are used together, they make a powerful tool for process improvements. Lean Six Sigma has been used successfully in many fields to solve complicated and challenging problems. Lean Six Sigma originated from the manufacturing sector and now it is applied in various fields such as healthcare, banking as well as other service-driven sectors. For this study, the author explores the application of the methodology in the transportation sector. The transportation business is complicated and very dynamic. It is believed that Lean Six Sigma could be applied in this field. If Lean Six Sigma was used in the shipping industry, it could lead to big cost savings, better quality, and more efficient work. This study work is about how Lean Six Sigma is used in the land transportation industry. The paper discusses the pros and cons of using Lean Six Sigma in the land transportation sector. For the purpose of the study, the data and observation were extracted from one of the subsidiaries of a plantation conglomerate in Malaysia.

Reference
  • 1. Albliwi, S. A., Antony, J., and Lim, S. A. 2016. Six Sigma in the aviation industry: a systematic literature review. Journal of Air Transport Management, 50, 20-30.

    2. Cheng, M. Y., and Podolsky, S. 2016. Using Lean Six Sigma to improve container shipping in the liner industry. Maritime Policy and Management, 43(8), 930-946.

    3. Dahmash, F. N., and Dahmash, S. M. 2017. The impact of lean six sigma on the improvement of operational performance: the case of Jordanian land transportation companies. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 24(5), 1139-1159.

    4. Elbeltagi, I. 2018. A Lean Six Sigma framework for supply chain management in the Egyptian transportation industry. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 29(1), 21-42.

    5. Kanani, R., and Maleki, M. 2018. Lean six sigma approach to improve performance of railway transportation: A case study in Iran. International Journal of Engineering, Transactions A: Basics, 31(5), 712-719.

    6. Kim, K., Jeong, H., and Kwon, I. 2015. An empirical study on the effectiveness of Lean Six Sigma in the maritime industry. Maritime Policy and Management, 42(8), 821-835.

    7. Laudon, T. M., Laudon, J. P., and Schoderbek, M. P. 2016. Applying lean six sigma to improve the performance of a transportation and logistics organization. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, 8(1), 52-70.

    8. Li, Y., Guo, X., and Wu, J. 2019. The impact of Lean Six Sigma on supply chain performance: An empirical study of the Chinese shipping industry. Journal of Cleaner Production, 208, 720-734.

    9. N. A. Md Saad et. al., 2019. Deployment of Lean Six Sigma in Practice, Challenges and Critical Success Factors. Open International Journal of Informatics (OIJI), Vol. 7, Special Issue, 123 – 134.

    10. N. A. Md Saad et. al., 2018. Strategic Business Transformation Through Lean Six Sigma. International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (IJIEOM), Vol 1, No. 1.

    11. N. A. Md Saad et. al., 2018. Deployment of Lean Six Sigma in Strategic Inventory Management. Journal of Advanced Research in Business and Management Studies, Vol. 13, Issue 1, 39 - 54.

    12. N. A. Md Saad et. al., 2017. Application of Lean Six Sigma in an Electricity Distribution Company. Journal of Advanced Research in Business and Management Studies, Vol. 8, Issue 2, 28 – 32.

    13. Shafiq, M., and Ali, A. 2017. An application of lean six sigma in road transportation sector for improving the supply chain efficiency: a case study of a public sector organization. Journal of Cleaner Production, 161, 683-693.

    14. Singh, S., and Singh, S. 2015. Implementing Lean Six Sigma in a logistics and supply chain organization. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 12(1), 63-79.

    15. Yang, T., and Yang, M. 2017. An integrated approach for improving supply chain performance in the transportation industry. International Journal of Production Economics, 187, 29-41.