Profit enhancement for small, medium scale enterprises using Lean Six Sigma

This paper presents outcomes of a project that was carried out with an aim to enhance profit in a small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs). Lean six sigma a methodology that relies on a collaborative team effort to systematically improve performance by reducing/removing waste or reducing variation, is used to achieve the study objective. A fruit juice manufacturing company that had been suffering from colossal wastage was selected as a case study. Define-Measure-analysis-Improve-Control (DMAIC), value stream mapping (VSM) and cause and effect diagram have been applied. The study results suggested that waste can be reduced up to 50%. Consequently, the profit increased by 7% if the firm acts on recommendations. This study opens doors for many such projects; therefore, it can be considered as the first step towards significant changes in the fruits and vegetable industries.Copyright (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 3rd International Conference on Contemporary Advances in Mechanical Engineering