Risks Related to Lean Six Sigma Deployment and Sustainment Risks: How Project Management Can Help

Lean Six Sigma is a set of tools utilized by organizations to reduce cost and waste. There are risks associated with deploying and sustaining Six Sigma. The risks are different at each stage of the process. To ensure success, these risks must be identified and mitigated. From an organizational standpoint, companies need to understand the differences between Lean Six Sigma deployment and sustainment. The risk factors discussed in this article are leadership, human resource, and project selection. Since Lean Six Sigma is a project-based approach, many tools offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) can be utilized to complement DMAIC structure. Since risks in improper management are inherent, using project management and Lean Six Sigma tools together is beneficial. This research attempts to identify and analyze the different risks associated with deploying and sustaining Lean Six Sigma. This article presents recommendations based on an analysis of collected information.