| dc.description.abstract | Organisations today are operating in a highly competitive global environment. To
ensure that these organisations remain competitive, they have to employ techniques
that will ensure that they are operationally efficient. Lean Six Sigma is one
methodology that can achieve this objective. The objectives of this study were to find
out the extent to which Lean Six Sigma is implemented by mobile telephony
companies in Kenya, to establish the benefits and the challenges faced while
implementing this methodology. The respondents were customer service managers or
branch managers from the Mombasa retail shops whose feedback was an accurate
representation of the companies as they all employed standardized operations. The
study adopted a case study research design. Primary data was collected using
personal interview and analyzed using content analysis. The study established that the
companies were using Lean Six Sigma as an improvement methodology. Some of the
tools used to a large extent by the companies were: Voice of the Customers (VOC),
Voice of Employee (VOE), Continuous Improvement (Kaizen), Define-Measure-
Analyse-Improve and Control (DMAIC), Just in Time (JIT), Lean, Value Stream
Mapping (VSM) and Statistical Process Control (SPC). These tools were what the
respondents were more familiar with unlike the Lean Six Sigma term. The study also
established that the mobile telephony companies came to learn and use Lean Six
Sigma tools through communication from the top management. All the mobile
telephony companies concurred that Lean Six Sigma methodology has been effective
and has led to improved operational efficiency through reduction of errors, cost
control, improved customer satisfaction and ultimately increase in revenues. The
study recommends that the management of the mobile telephony companies sensitize
their employees on the Lean Six Sigma methodology as opposed to just rolling it out
as a process change. | en |
