Lean and Six Sigma

Lean and Six Sigma are two approaches to business improvement which have increasingly over the years gathered many followers. Traditionally the two approaches have been regarded as separate and, to some degree, antagonistic. Recently, attempts have been made to integrate the two approaches. By reviewing the literature on the origins of Lean and Six Sigma and the current theoretical and practical state of the art consider whether the two approaches are indeed compatible, and how successful the attempts to bring them together have been.