Optimizing employee time in a purchasing department: a Six Sigma case study

Purpose – This paper aims to resolve a staffing solution for a purchasing department at the University of Miami to expand a service request bulk purchasing program that generates savings for the university and respective departments. Design/methodology/approach – The well‐known lean Six Sigma methodology is applied to yield consistent results and eliminate unnecessary actions (steps/tasks) by the staff. Findings – The university is able to reduce processing time for a service request from 168 hours to 2.27 by streamlining communication and service request and automating lengthy process steps using a proprietary built workflow intelligence system. Research limitations/implications – There are limited publications in the field of lean Six Sigma as an approach to staffing solutions. Originality/value – This paper provides an unexplored practical application of lean Six Sigma to yield a staffing solution.