Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing - A Merger for Worldclass Performance, but is it Really Talking Place?

More than a decade after their development and first wave of deployment, Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing have recently returned on the corporate agendas of a larger number of corporations across industries and supply chains. In the wake of their re-surge, this commentary addresses the evolution, context, content and deployment patterns of the two distinct management concepts. It also analyses claims in the business press that a merger is taking place between Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing. Here, it is found that there is not enough evidence to broadly support such claims, and it is only concluded that there is some evidence of an early tend towards a merger and that a possible merger would have many synergies and advantages. Finally, an example from a Scandinavian manufacturing company is provided that explains how Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing can be used in a beneficial way for companies to reach world-class performance.