Six Sigma in small- and medium-sized enterprises:a Black Belt project in the Swedish steel industry

Many big companies around the world have solid Six Sigmainfrastructures and it is easy to find in literature successful case studies.Conversely, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) generally suffer lowerattention in the literature. This happens because SMEs have only recentlyapproached the methodology; they have weaker connection with the academia;or they do not rigorously pursue the frameworks. This paper is based on aSix Sigma project in a Swedish medium-sized company that producessteel tubes mainly for hydraulic applications. The project focused on theimprovement of warehouse activities related to cutting processes. This BlackBelt project was part of a Six Sigma education at the Chalmers University ofTechnology in Gothenburg. The case study offers the opportunity to discussgeneral and specific issues that a SME faces in the implementation of theSix Sigma methodology and it contributes to connect academic debate topractical experience in industry.