Abstract:

After World War II, the market experienced significant growth, leading to a shift in demand compared to supply. Moreover, the increase in purchasing power resulted in a massive surge in consumption. In order to meet these demands, companies need to satisfy customers in terms of diversity, quality, price, and delivery time. To achieve this, they employ continuous improvement tools such as Lean and Lean Six Sigma (LSS). The primary goal of continuous improvement is to enhance performance in terms of quality, costs, and delivery time. However, these approaches often have negative consequences on social factors such as safety and ergonomics (SE), since they primarily aim to reduce waste and improve economic efficiency. In this article, we investigate the impact of Lean and LSS on SE factors using a case study. We also introduce our new concept of continuous improvement that considers SE social factors. This concept aims to enhance economic performance while ensuring the safety and well-being of workers.

Key words: Lean, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, economic factors, social factors