Linking practices to results: an analysis toward Lean Six Sigma deployment in the public sector

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present relationship between operation and management practices analyzing the results achieved by both public organizations prone to deploy Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and public organizations that have already implemented the method. The goal is to support the start of method deployment by public managers and the creation of more efficient and effective processes in public organizations. Design/methodology/approach An analysis of synergies between findings in the multiple case study carried out in Brazilian public organizations from health and education sectors and successful implementations found in the LSS literature is made. Findings The fact that this research comprised organizations from different segments allowed good practices and difficulties to be identified in a unique way, adding more value to the research carried out and increasing the potential of support to the public manager. In addition, it was possible to map the most mentioned benefits of LSS deployment in both health and education sectors and link them to systematized LSS practices. Research limitations/implications The presenting research should initiate a scientific discussion on public sector areas more prone to LSS and guide researchers in the development of case studies aimed at the application of this method in public organizations in general. Practical implications This paper can assist public managers to become aware of the potential of the organization they manage in the adoption of LSS principles and practices enabling a better quality of services provided to citizens. Originality/value The finding that public health organizations are more likely to implement LSS principles and practices when compared to public organizations from other segments can guide more in-depth studies that justify why some organizations would be better able to implement the LSS method and others would face more difficulties in a hypothetical deployment.

Exploring knowledge work waste in public emergency services using the AHP algorithm

“…Da Silva et al (2015) identify and define office wastes in the army, such as lack of standardization of documents, generating unnecessary information, buffer overload and noncompliance with procedures. Juliani and de Oliveira (2021a) identify wastes associated with resource use, and work practices in the public sector. Thus, understanding the context in which an organization seeks to implement system-wide LT before translating and adapting a relevant concept of waste is crucial; in our case, this is the PPS, which predominantly handles information flows and knowledge work.…”

Lean management practices perception and their influence on organizational performance in a public Higher Education Institution

“…, 2021a). For that, the perception of value for the costumer (even in public institutions and HEIs – Juliani and de Oliveira (2021); Douglas et al. (2015)) and the increase of quality becomes essential (Simonyte et al , 2022).…”

The Influence of Lean Management Practices on Process Effectiveness: A Quantitative Study in a Public Institution

“…Some of them are long-term thinking, waste elimination, continuous improvement, leadership support, supplier involvement, focus on clients, operational excellence, supply chain management, system view, etc, described by Womack et al (2004), Liker (2004), Scherrer-Rathje et al (2009), Shamah (2013), Marodin et al . (2017), Gómez-Luciano et al (2018), Hussain and Malik (2016), Juliani and de Oliveira (2020), and Klein et al (2021a). To the development of this study, those practices applicable to the public sector and for the studied organization were specified in the next paragraphs.…”