An exploration of the synergies between Six Sigma, total quality management, lean construction and sustainable construction

There have been many calls for the UK construction industry to improve its productivity and performance in order to exceed clients' ever-growing expectations and needs (DTI, 2003). One obstacle to achieving the required improvement has been the construction industry's reluctance to learn from other industries, hence causing time lags between the development of new technologies and management techniques, and their implementation within construction. Recent years have seen the wide acceptance of Total Quality Management and the emergence of Six Sigma in some industries. This paper examines the Six Sigma philosophy and investigates its potential application in construction by exploring the synergies that exists among Six Sigma, Total Quality Management (TQM), Lean Construction, and Sustainable Construction.