In Print: ‘Operational Excellence Case Studies in Higher Education Institutions’

Publication title

Operational Excellence Case Studies in Higher Education Institutions

Purdue author

Chad Laux

Authors

Jiju Antony
Michael Sony
Elizabeth Cudney
Sandra L. Furterer
Chad Laux
Raja Jayaraman
Maher Maalouf

Publisher

Emerald Publishing Limited

Publication date

November 2025

About the book (from the publisher)

Operational Excellence (OPEX) is about achieving efficiency and effectiveness in the business processes of any organization, despite the nature of the business and its size. There have been various OPEX methodologies adopted by world-class corporations for the past three decades, including Lean, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen and Agile. These methodologies have proved to be very successful in many manufacturing and service companies around the world. However, until now, there has been little research on the use of these methodologies in higher education.

In “Operational Excellence Case Studies in Higher Education Institutions,” the chapters bring together a wide range of real-life, global case studies that highlight critical differences in approach due to cultural differences and leadership styles.

This edited collection offers a practical guide for OPEX facilitators in all higher education institutions for developing, implementing and deploying OPEX or continuous improvement initiatives and is a great asset to many trainers and consultants who would like to deliver executive courses for senior managers in public sector organizations — in particular, higher education or the university sector.

About the Purdue author

Chad Laux is an associate professor of computer and information technology in Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s School of Applied and Creative Computing and co-lead of the Institute for a Sustainable Future’s Circular Economy Systems initiative. Laux also serves as associate editor of the International Journal of Lean Six Sigma and the education chair for the American Society for Quality.

About the In Print series

To celebrate our faculty’s excellence in scholarship, Purdue Today’s weekly book series highlights faculty expertise across diverse subjects and disciplines. Find out more about the Purdue University Books Initiative and how to suggest a book for the In Print series on the Office of the Provost website.