The implementation of Lean Six Sigma concept at national bank of Kenya-operation division

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the level of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) implementation at National bank Operations Division by utilizing the five stages of progress identified by Gygi et al. (2005), namely, initialize, deploy, implement, expand and sustain. A further aim was to determine the impact of implementation so far on various operations within the division.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted within the head office. Data were gathered through a questionnaire distributed to all employees working in the operations division via e-mail. Responses were analyzed using SPSS v20.

Findings

The results obtained indicated that 99 percent of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the bank has past stages 1 and 2 and are now implementing stage 3. The finding also showed that there was a significant impact on a number of operations including reductions in average process cycle times, reductions in costs, reductions in turnaround times and reductions in error rates.

Research limitations/implications

The research findings are limited to National Bank of Kenya Ltd and may not be generalized to other organizations. Further research will have to be carried out to cover other types of organizations to establish general impact.

Practical implications

The findings of the study provide evidence of the practical benefits of LSS as well as justification for the adoption and implementation of LSS principles and techniques in the National Bank of Kenya with possible similar benefits for other financial services organizations.

Originality/value

This study is the first to report on the implementation of LSS in a Kenya bank.

Citation

Ndaita, P.M., Gachie, T. and Kiveu, C.W. (2015), "The implementation of Lean Six Sigma concept at national bank of Kenya-operation division", The TQM Journal, Vol. 27 No. 6, pp. 683-690. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-06-2015-0078