Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify critical success factors (CSFs) that are regarded as the most important in Six Sigma programs in Brazil and to compare these rankings with those in international literature. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of industrial companies was selected to complete a survey. In total, 104 questionnaires were obtained. The results were compared with a literature review consisting of 26 papers from 13 countries. In total, 70 CSFs were found in the papers, but 19 CSFs were analyzed and reduced to ten. A multivariate factor analysis further reduced this number to two underlying constructs. Findings – The authors identified a CSFs common denominator/ranking based on the sample of international articles. The authors found that there are four CSFs that are more prevalent in Brazil and in the international papers studied and that there are no differences between the importance of CSFs in terms of hierarchical levels. Three gaps, five levers and two CSFs constructs were identified. Social implications – This study may initiate cooperation between the studied companies and academia, thus possibly increasing these organization’ knowledge regarding Six Sigma. Originality/value – The originality of this study is that the survey was conducted with companies in Brazil, a country where little information exists on Six Sigma programs. The authors also contributed a literature review on CSFs, a comparison based on most of the consulted papers and the use of a robust methodological strategy that was made possible by the sample size.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a survey on Six Sigma and key observations on which variables/management practices are the most important for a successful Six Sigma implementation, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the practices observed in companies in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach – Five research questions were proposed, and an exploratory field study was carried out. A sample of 103 questionnaires was obtained. In total, 26 independent variables were analyzed, with a factor analysis reducing this number to 14, for which three main constructs were observed. Findings – Large manufacturing industries are implementing the Six Sigma program in Brazil. Three main constructs were observed to be critical for the success of Six Sigma. The strengths and weaknesses of the 14 independent variables studied within each construct were found. Practical implications – This paper has practical implications in that companies can use the conclusions of this study to improve their implementation of the Six Sigma program. Social implications – This research may initiate cooperation between the companies within the study and academia, which may lead to a better understanding of Six Sigma within these organizations. Originality/value – The originality of this study is that the survey was conducted with companies in Brazil, a country that suffers from a lack of information on Six Sigma programs. A robust methodological strategy was used that determined the three most important constructs for successful implementation of Six Sigma.

Purpose – Many Brazilian organizations have adopted total quality management (TQM). However, this model has lost prominence in academic and business environments. The purpose of this paper is to determine which aspects of TQM have endured over 20 years. Design/methodology/approach – With descriptive and exploratory objectives, this study used case studies of four companies that have adopted TQM, using temporal and comparative approaches in Brazil. The analysis explores the transcendence of disseminated aspects of TQM. Findings – The results revealed 19 percent disuse of TQM practices, 28 percent disuse of TQM tools and 57 percent disuse of TQM methodologies. However, the principles of TQM showed an average use of 96 percent, i.e. the predominant management philosophy remains part of the organizational environment of the companies. Although many practices, tools and methodologies are not described or named in the same way, their essence remains preserved and other practices, tools and methodologies have been incorporated into the automated systems of the companies. Research limitations/implications – Simple statistical tools are used as we use an exploratory and qualitative approach (with just four samples), making generalizations impossible. For future research the authors suggest a more quantitative approach using more complex statistical tools. Originality/value – The originality is demonstrated by the investigation of the cases of disuse, which contradicts most studies that analyze success stories. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of how certain aspects of the models or “fads” survive or disappear over time.

No abstract

Este estudo consiste em aplicar o conceito de pesquisa operacional a fim de desenvolver uma ferramenta de sequenciamento de produção de uma fundição de grande porte da cidade de Joinville. As grandes empresas procuram recursos para melhorar o modo de programação, porém devido ao alto custo de sistemas deste gênero, acabam optando por continuar a fazer o sequenciamento de forma empírica e subjetiva, o que acaba comprometendo o tempo do programador e causando desconfiança se o sequenciamento gerado realmente é a melhor solução.Neste caso, o processo em estudo é uma fundição que apresenta uma gama diversificada de produtos com características distintas, o que implica num grande número de restrições em relação ao peso, elementos de liga e temperatura além do objetivo principal que é o atendimento dos prazos de entrega dos clientes. Com isso busca-se desenvolver um sequenciamento adequado de ordens de produção nas linhas de moldagem, combinando mix de peças leves e pesadas, de modo a obter uma demanda constante de metal líquido em equilíbrio com a oferta de metal disponível no forno, além de atender a gradiente de temperatura e também às variações de elemento de liga. Para desenvolver