SLEEK - Strathclyde's LEAN Approach to Efficiencies in Education Kit - is a LEAN based business process improvement methodology that also uses Six Sigma tools and methods, thus using the approaches currently adopted by industry whilst recognising the need to tailor the approach within higher education institutions (HEIs).  The emergence of SLEEK was direclty inspired by the business process work undertaken by the PiP Project in the area of curriculum design and approval.  Staff across the University of Strathclyde are now working together towards a shared understanding of key business processes and are deploying the SLEEK methodology in a number of disparate areas of University operations.  As reported in the PiP Institutional Story, SLEEK has set into motion over 40 process improvement projects, with further projects expected to begin soon.

Those interested in SLEEK may be interested to learn about a new paper published by Donna Cullen in the International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, with collaborators Prof Jiju Antony and others from the Department of Design, Manufacturing & Engineering Management. The paper evaluates the potential of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) as a business improvement methodology within HEIs and considers the peculiarities of the university sector.  The paper also explores some of the LSS challenges and barriers, as well as critical success factors required to optimise the effectiveness of LSS tools and techniques. Full citation details [1] are provided below.

Further information about SLEEK and its link to the PiP Project is available from the JISC Design Studio.

[1] Antony, Jiju, Netasha Krishan, Donna Cullen, and Maneesh Kumar."Lean Six Sigma for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Challenges, Barriers, Success Factors, Tools/techniques." International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management 61, no. 8 (October 26, 2012): 940–948.