Beyond Initial Adoption: How Lean Six Sigma Is Sustained, Adapted, and Used in the U.S. Textile and Apparel Industry

ABSTRACT This study examines how Lean Six Sigma (LSS) currently functions in the U.S. textile and apparel industry after years of adoption and use. Moving beyond isolated project‐level evidence, this study investigates whether LSS has been implemented as an organizational capability and integrated into the corporate culture, adapted to textile‐specific conditions, or narrowed into project‐based problem solving. A qualitative research design was used, based on a literature review and ten semi‐structured interviews with senior executives and quality professionals from nine U.S.‐based textile, apparel, nonwoven, polymer, chemical, and medical‐textile firms. Interview data were analyzed through thematic analysis using NVivo. Findings show that LSS contributed to improvements in financial performance, operational efficiency, product quality, safety, and environmental sustainability. However, implementation varied across market segments. Technical and regulated textile firms used more advanced Six Sigma tools, while conventional apparel and lower‐risk textile firms relied more heavily on Lean‐oriented methods. The study also finds that LSS sustainability depends on leadership commitment, workforce capability, data integrity, resources, and integration with quality systems such as ISO, TQM, and FDA‐regulated systems. The findings highlight the need for sector‐specific LSS training that integrates traditional continuous improvement with emerging digital and AI‐enabled quality systems.