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The literature suggests that a key ingredient for the successful six sigma implementation is project prioritisation and selection. The purpose of this paper is to identify what criteria are considered for selecting six sigma projects and how six sigma projects are selected in organisations in the UK.

Using a survey as a method of investigation, respondents were asked what criteria are considered to select projects and how potential projects are identified, prioritised, selected and evaluated.

The results of the survey indicate that UK organisations tend to select projects based on criteria such as customer satisfaction, financial benefits, top management commitment and those projects integrated with the company's strategy. Several tools and techniques such as cost benefit analysis, cause and effect matrix, brainstorming, Pareto analysis are employed to identify and prioritise projects.

This paper is limited to the selection of six sigma in the UK. Further, empirical studies using larger sample sizes and greater geographical diversity may be helpful in validating the results of this study.

The identification of the most commonly used criteria to select six sigma projects can aid practitioners to select projects based on multiple criteria and using tools and techniques identified in this survey.

The provision of empirical data on the criteria used to select six sigma projects and how six sigma projects are selected.

Given the critical role of project prioritization and selection process in Six Sigma efforts, this study aims to analyse the relevant literature to answer this question: What types of project prioritization and selection methods have been used in Six Sigma research?

The study implemented the systematic literature review (SLR) method to identify and review all relevant previous studies.

The study revealed that 59 articles focused on the topic used 111 methods, analytic hierarchy process appeared as the most frequently used method with 12 articles (20%) and one-third of the methods used in the current Six Sigma project selection literature contained multi-criteria decision-making methods. In total, 61% of 59 articles were not published in the journals ranked by the ABDC’s list. Only 17% of the articles reviewed in this study were published in journals ranked as B category and 12% of the articles were published in A category journals.

The findings of this literature review may help Six Sigma practitioners and researchers accurately identify project prioritization and selection methods, considering that qualitative and quantitative scientific methods guarantee to make better decisions than “gut feelings” of the decision makers in this process.

Although a variety of studies focused on the topic, an SLR is lacking in the area of Six Sigma project prioritization and selection. Therefore, this study was constructed using the SLR method to analyse the topic.

The purpose of this study is to develop a methodology in which alternate Six Sigma projects are prioritized and selected using appropriate multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods in healthcare organizations. This study addresses a particular gap in implementing a systematic methodology for Six Sigma project prioritization and selection in the healthcare industry.

This study develops a methodology in which alternate Six Sigma projects are prioritized and selected using a modified Kemeny median indicator rank accordance (KEMIRA-M), an MCDM method based on a case study in healthcare organizations. The case study was hypothetically developed in the healthcare industry and presented to demonstrate the proposed framework’s applicability and validity for future decision-makers who will take place in Six Sigma project selection processes.

The study reveals that the Six Sigma project prioritized by KEMIRA-M assign the highest ranks to patient satisfaction, revenue enhancement and sigma level benefit criteria, while resource utilization and process cycle time receive the lowest rank.

The methodology developed in this paper proposes an MCDM-based approach for practitioners to prioritize and select Six Sigma projects in the healthcare industry. The findings regarding patient satisfaction and revenue enhancement mesh with the current trends that dominate and regulate the industry. KEMIRA-M provides flexibility for Six Sigma project selection and uses multiple criteria in two-criteria groups, simultaneously. In this study, a more objective KEMIRA-M method was suggested by implementing two different ranking-based weighting approaches.

This is the first study that implements KEMIRA-M in Six Sigma project prioritization and selection process in the healthcare industry. To overcome previous KEMIRA-M shortcomings, two ranking based weighting approaches were proposed to form a weighting procedure of KEMIRA-M. As the first implementation of the KEMIRA-M weighting procedure, the criteria weighting procedure of the KEMIRA-M method was developed using two different weighting methods based on ranking. The study provides decision-makers with a methodology that considers both benefit and cost type criteria for alternates and gives importance to experts’ rankings related to criteria and the performance values of alternates for criteria.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the importance of the project selection process and its role in the successful deployment of Six Sigma within organizations.

A review of the literature is presented, highlighting the importance of project selection in Six Sigma deployment, which is an area of extreme importance that has been less researched in the past. The paper, through a real‐life case study, proposes a hybrid methodology, which combines the analytical hierarchy process and the project desirability matrix to select a project for Six Sigma deployment.

The paper demonstrates the efficacy of proposed methodology by its application in a small and medium‐sized enterprise (SME) manufacturing die‐casting product. The example provided is a real‐life case study conducted by the authors in an organization embracing the Six Sigma business strategy within their day‐to‐day functioning.

The proposed methodology is tested only in a case study SME, which is the limitation of the paper. The robustness of the methodology can be tested by conducting several case studies in organizations and comparing the results with other existing methodologies for project selection such as project prioritisation matrix or the failure mode and effect analysis.

The paper accentuates the importance of the project selection process for Six Sigma deployment, which can have a tremendous effect on the business profitability of an organization. The paper is relevant to both industry practitioners and researchers.

The paper presents a methodology linking the project selection process to successful deployment of Six Sigma within organizations, an important topic that has been neglected in the past. The paper will enable managers and practitioners to emphasize the importance of project selection and to identify and focus on the critical success factors in successful deployment of Six Sigma projects.

The paper aims to review the literature on Six Sigma projects through a broad framework of Six Sigma project selection process. It proposes a process framework approach of six sigma project selection and enumerates various recent tools and methods required for each stage. The review aims to expand the domain of Six Sigma project selection by identifying the importance of project portfolio approach.

The study used a process framework approach and systematic literature review to identify and classify various literature pertaining six sigma projects and its associated tools and methods

The paper provides broad insights about the opportunity and direction to future research in the area of Six Sigma project. Emerging research opportunities exist in the area of Six Sigma project risk management and selecting portfolio of projects.

The study has its own limitations because of its chosen research approach. The process framework developed for classification of literature is based on expert opinion. Further research can be carried out to validate it.

This study will benefit new researchers entering the field of Six Sigma to identify new research opportunities and issues for their research interest. Second, industry practitioners and consultants working in the area of Six Sigma may work towards more successful implementation of Six Sigma.

The paper fulfils an identified gap of review of Six Sigma project selection.

The purpose of this paper is to test and develop a method for generation and selection of six sigma projects. This is done by testing the use of the generation and selection method for six sigma projects (GSM_SSP) in a Brazilian manufacturing industry with the participation of managers, aiming to gather the user’s perspective and improvement opportunities for the approach itself.

The work adopts the action research (AR) approach once the researchers were busily involved in the training, implementation and use of the GSM_SSP. The intervention was performed in on a series of 15 workshops, with a group of managers, during six months.

The application of the eight steps of the GSM_SSP approach assisted the company’s management team to generate nine project candidates and also to select three six sigma projects. This study also finds and discusses barriers and lessons learned used to improve the GSM_SSP.

This study presents an example of how six sigma project generation and selection has been applied to a manufacturing industry by adapting AR to the process using the eight steps of GSM_SSP, demonstrating how the management team was involved. This study should be replicated in different companies because AR is limited in its generalization.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first use of AR methodology in six sigma project selection. This study contributes a method that can generate and select six sigma projects. In doing so, the research offers a simple approach that can be used by managers. In addition, the steps of the approach before selection were explored.

The selection of right projects in a Six Sigma program is a major concern for early success and long‐term acceptance within any organization. One of the ever‐increasing challenges is to define and select right measure for improvement and appropriate problem definition. Many projects encounter the problem of no linkage with business objectives or customer needs, too large or high‐level project scope along with unclear problem and goal statement. Improperly, chosen metrics lead to sub‐optimal behavior and can lead people away from the organization's goal instead of joining them. This paper aims to propose a project selection methodology for different situations.

This research develops a model for project identification; ensuring well‐defined projects are selected having large impact on customer satisfaction or bottom line. The model is described for the situations: availability of performance data, balanced business score card implemented and no data is available.

A “top‐down approach” model is developed for project selection, since top management support for Six Sigma initiatives is absolutely critical to see tangible, significant results. The authors suggest establishing the linkage with data (either reactive or survey), otherwise through prioritization tool for project selection. Finally, factors influencing successful Six Sigma projects include management commitment; project selection and control skill, irrespective of whether this is a define, measure, analyze, improve and control or define, measure, analyze, design and validate/verify project.

This approach will help the organizations to select the specific project from multivariate organizational and customer needs. Three different methods for project selection are explained with examples and reasons for selection. Merits and demerits of each method are also highlighted.

The purpose of this paper is to study the Six Sigma project selection approach and the factors responsible in the Indian manufacturing industry with foreign technical collaboration.

First, an extensive overview and literature review of the Six Sigma project selection process is done resulting into identification of 17 key project selection variables. This is followed by an empirical descriptive statistical analysis of the select variables on 13 Indian manufacturing organizations with foreign technical collaboration. Finally, an objective factor analysis has been used to extract six key factors that affect the project selection process.

Management commitment alone cannot ensure success of the Six Sigma projects unless supported by a good communication system, process and workflow management and availability of good metrics and measurement information systems and resources within the organization, in that order. The identification of critical to quality characteristics and deployment of financial resources and innovative and qualified people comes next.

The factors extracted through the factor analysis could provide a basis for manufacturing organizations embarking on the Six Sigma initiative to focus on key factors of the project selection process and put project deliverables in place. The paper opens up the scope for industry and region‐specific studies.

The identification of factors is based on extensive literature survey supplemented by their extraction based on companies' direct primary responses through a structured questionnaire whose Cronbach alpha for reliability was estimated to be 0.827.

The evolution of six sigma has morphed from a method or set of techniques to a movement focused on business‐process improvement. Business processes are transformed through the successful selection and implementation of competing six sigma projects. However, the efforts to implement a six sigma process improvement initiative alone do not guarantee success. To meet aggressive schedules and tight budget constraints, a successful six sigma project needs to follow the proven define, measure, analyze, improve, and control methodology. Any slip in schedule or cost overrun is likely to offset the potential benefits achieved by implementing six sigma projects. The purpose of this paper is to focus on six sigma projects targeted at improving the overall customer satisfaction called Big Q projects. The aim is to develop a mathematical model to select one or more six sigma projects that result in the maximum benefit to the organization.

This research provides the identification of important inputs and outputs for six sigma projects that are then analyzed using data envelopment analysis (DEA) to identify projects, which result in maximum benefit. Maximum benefit here provides a Pareto optimal solution based on inputs and outputs directly related to the efficiency of the six sigma projects under study. A sensitivity analysis of efficiency measurement is also carried out to study the impact of variation in projects' inputs and outputs on project performance and to identify the critical inputs and outputs.

DEA, often used for relative efficiency analysis and productivity analysis, is now successfully constructed for six sigma project selection.

Provides a practical approach to guide the selection of six sigma projects for implementation, especially for companies with limited resources. The sensitivity analysis discussed in the paper helps to understand the uncertainties in project inputs and outputs.

This paper introduces DEA as a tool for six sigma project selection.

This paper discusses the importance of the Six Sigma selection process, describes a Six Sigma project in a higher educational institution and presents a weighted scorecard approach for project selection.

A case study of the Six Sigma approach being used to improve student support at a university computer help desk was used. An error related to the timeliness of service was defined and improved over the course of the project.

The Six Sigma approach was useful for improving timely service, but a methodology for selecting the project was needed by the project leader. Using such a methodology would have ensured higher probability of project success.

This framework provides directions for selecting a Six Sigma project in a higher educational setting. The weighted scorecard method is presented and may be used for selecting a project which would likely be the most efficient use of time and resources.

While project selection methodologies have been published with regard to Six Sigma projects in business, this paper fills the need for selection criteria as they relate to higher educational settings.