Six Sigma, Big Data Analytics and performance: an empirical study of Brazilian manufacturing companies

The introduction of several digital technologies in manufacturing organizations has generated Big Data sets that can be explored using Big Data Analytics (BDA) to bring competitive advantages to organizations. Data exploration can be strengthened when analyzed within Six Sigma (SS) business improvement methodology domains, which may impact organizational performance. Using data from 171 SS experts from Brazilian manufacturing companies, this study aims to test the relationships among BDA capability, SS practices, Quality Performance (QP), and Business Performance (BP). Thus, this study empirically investigates these relationships in a developing country, since Big Data sets and the capability to use them can be highlighted by structured SS analysis structure and procedures, leading to better decision-making. Findings show that BDA is beneficial for SS practices, and both BDA and SS practices can positively impact perceived QP and BP in Brazilian manufacturing companies. Additionally, this study shows that not only BDA and SS reinforce each other, but when used together, they increase the positive impact on performance. These results can drive BDA investments by managers, and integrate efforts between SS and BDA.