Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the philosophy and methodology of six sigma and lean manufacturing. Many practitioners say that six sigma is a new buzzword for lean manufacturing. This paper presents six sigma tools and a body of knowledge for six-sigma black-belt training. The finding is that lean manufacturing can be treated as a component of six sigma or a necessary condition for six sigma. Author: Elzbieta Trybus (California State University)