Proposing a Design Science Research Framework for Developing Lean Six Sigma Solutions in the Service Sector

While Lean Six Sigma has proven effective in improving manufacturing processes, its application in the service sector faces more challenges due to the unique characteristics of service processes. The intangible nature of services, simultaneous production and consumption, and heterogeneity of demand make it difficult to fully replicate the Lean Six Sigma approach used in manufacturing. Operational excellence tools like Lean Six Sigma can significantly benefit the service sector by improving efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction. However, as per the authors' knowledge, there is no comprehensive framework to guide the development of Lean Six Sigma solutions tailored for the service sector. Design science research is proposed as an approach to address this gap. The proposed design science research framework has the potential to fill current gaps by guiding the contextualization, itera-tive design, and evaluation of Lean Six Sigma solutions for the service sector. The framework incorporates problem investigation through literature review to identify gaps and challenges specific to service processes. Iterative solution design allows for incorpo-rating feedback and improving solutions to address the unique needs of service customers. Rigorous evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness and utility of the proposed solutions. The framework's applicability and effectiveness will be assessed qualitatively with Lean Six Sigma experts in the service field through semi-structured interviews to evaluate its potential in developing Lean Six Sigma solutions that specifically address the challenges of service processes and realize the potential benefits.