Critical success factors of Six Sigma implementations in companies in Brazil

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) associated with the Six Sigma (SS) implementation in companies operating in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach The research was tested based on survey questionnaire responses from a sample of 45 Brazilian manufacturing and services companies that have implemented SS programmes. An exploratory factorial analysis (EFA) was conducted to statistically identify conclusions regarding CSFs in SS implementation. Findings Based on the survey of empirical data, the investigated individual CSFs were reduced in five main critical factor categories: data availability, prior infrastructure and training, goals and gains, implementation of the solution and resistance to change. They have been shown to be the extremely important factors for SS implementation in Brazilian companies. Practical implications This study helps SS managers focus on the most effective factors (best practices) in SS implementation. Consequently, this may guide a company’s resources allocation and efforts to guarantee a successful SS implementation. Originality/value Despite a vast body of literature in SS CSFs, this paper demonstrates those factors within a Brazilian context. Moreover, the tested content of this study fills the research gap by providing reliable and useful CSFs of SS implementation, which contributes to increase the external validity of the SS construct. On top of that, although the results reinforce the importance of well-known, traditional CSFs in SS implementation, they also identify contingent factors related to risk perception, which are barely mentioned in previous literature.