AI-Powered Lean Six Sigma

Transforming Smart Manufacturing for the Next Decade
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-041-27604-3
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 268 Seiten, Format (B × H): 178 mm x 254 mm

In today’s high-stakes manufacturing environments, leaders don’t need another abstract overview of artificial intelligence or a rehash of Lean fundamentals—they need a hands-on guide that shows exactly how AI can be embedded within the DMAIC framework to drive measurable results.

This book delivers just that: a concrete, practitioner-first playbook that integrates AI directly into each phase of DMAIC -— Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control -- rather than treating it as a separate initiative. Drawing on real-world applications from pharmaceuticals, medtech, electronics, and supply chain operations, it offers case-rich insights tailored to the complexity of regulated industries.

Readers will find ready-to-use templates, checklists, and governance models designed for immediate implementation. With a balance of academic rigor and executive relevance, this resource is ideal for graduate programs, operational leaders, and innovation teams alike.

Whether you're optimizing compliance-heavy workflows or scaling digital transformation, this book equips you to harness AI within a proven Lean Six Sigma structure -- ensuring your solutions are not only innovative, but auditable, scalable, and impactful.

Zielgruppe

Professional Practice & Development

Autoren/Hrsg.

Pal, Nikhil

Fachgebiete

• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Unternehmensorganisation, Corporate Responsibility Unternehmenskultur, Corporate Governance
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Management Entscheidungsfindung
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Bereichsspezifisches Management Management: Führung & Motivation
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Management Qualitätsmanagement, Qualitätssicherung (QS), Total Quality Management (TQM)
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Management Strategisches Management
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Management Wissensmanagement
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Bereichsspezifisches Management Produktionsmanagement, Qualitätskontrolle
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Management Unternehmensorganisation & Entwicklungsstrategien
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Wirtschaftssektoren & Branchen Fertigungsindustrie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1 The Productivity Paradox Chapter 2 The Smart Manufacturing Flywheel Chapter 3 The Foundation Before the Flywheel Chapter 4 AI in the DMAIC Framework Chapter 5 The Human Layer Chapter 6 Real-World Applications and Case Studies Chapter 7 The Playbook for Leaders Chapter 8 The Next Decade of AI-Driven Excellence Appendix A: AI-DMAIC Readiness Assessment Toolkit Appendix B: 90-Day Action Plan Template Appendix C: AI-DMAIC Glossary Index

Über Autor(innen)

Nikhil Pal is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with more than fifteen years of hands-on experience leading operational improvement and digital transformation programs across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and electronics manufacturing. He has worked directly with organisations including Roche, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Jabil, leading more than thirty transformation projects that span process stabilisation, AI-enabled quality systems, and supply chain performance improvement.

His work sits at the intersection of two disciplines that are often treated as separate: the structured rigour of Lean Six Sigma and the analytical capability of artificial intelligence. The core argument in this book — that AI without a stable Lean foundation produces expensive waste — comes directly from what he saw fail on plant floors across four continents over the better part of a decade.

Nikhil holds Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt certification and is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He serves as a reviewer for Emerald Publishing's International Journal of Lean Six Sigma and has been recognised with the IISE Lean Best Practice Award (2016) and the Best Lean Plant Award (2018). He is a member of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and actively follows the Pharma 4.0 initiative.

He publishes regularly on operational excellence, AI in manufacturing, and digital transformation with IndustryWeek, PEX Network, and TechBullion, and reaches a practitioner audience through the Process Masters YouTube channel and his LinkedIn presence, where he posts from direct project experience rather than from the sidelines.