Prof. Dr. Kenan Özden, a faculty member of the Department of Industrial Engineering at Istanbul Gelisim University, drew attention with his research aimed at improving the efficiency of sales processes in the automotive industry. His scholarly article titled “Improvement of Sales Processes with Lean Six Sigma Methodology in the Automotive Industry” was published in the April 2025 issue of the Istanbul Gelisim University Journal of Social Sciences.
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The study focuses on enhancing customer satisfaction and laying the groundwork for digital transformation in the sales processes of a well-established Turkish automotive company that sells prestigious vehicles, utilizing the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology and the DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) approach.
Prof. Dr. Özden and his colleagues gathered data through customer surveys, mystery shopper evaluations, lost sales analysis, Net Promoter Score (NPS) studies, and brainstorming sessions. Based on the findings, they proposed a comprehensive list of 28 improvement recommendations.
Before the implementation of the project, the customer satisfaction rate was 88%, which increased to 95% as a result of the improvements made. The most problematic areas were identified as vehicle delivery, customer registration, test drive, and price quotation processes. Proposed solutions included digital forms, call center integration, employee training programs, and interactive labels with QR code-enabled promotional videos.
This study makes a significant contribution to the academic literature by demonstrating that Lean Six Sigma can be effectively applied not only in manufacturing but also in sales and marketing service processes. It also provides guidance to the sector in terms of digitalization and customer-centric process design.
We congratulate Prof. Dr. Kenan Özden for this valuable contribution and wish him continued success. As the Department of Industrial Engineering at Istanbul Gelisim University, we take pride in this achievement and the academic excellence it represents.
Keywords: Lean Six Sigma, sales process improvement, customer satisfaction, automotive industry, process digitalization, DMAIC
