## 1 Introduction
### Literature Review  
Over the past two decades, numerous companies, particularly in the manufacturing sector, have faced increased pressure from customers and competitors to deliver high-quality products at lower prices [15; 16]. This pressure has mobilized manufacturing companies to adopt business strategies that improve their competitiveness and meet customer expectations while maximizing profit. Lean Six Sigma has been successfully implemented in a wide range of sectors, including financial and banking services [17], education [18], healthcare [19], IT [20], and wood [21]; however, its implementation in chemical companies is scarce. According to [PERSON] et al. [22], the chemical sector only accounts for 4% of the manufacturing companies that have adopted Lean and Six Sigma models. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of these methodologies has been notably proven in this industry. For instance, [PERSON] et al. [23] demonstrated the effectiveness of LSS as a strategic tool for ensuring business survival in a South African multinational chemical manufacturing company. The implementation of several LSS projects yielded dramatic results, including an 11% increase in production rate, a 9% reduction in cycle time, a five-fold decrease in claims, and a 15% reduction in overall cost per unit. Dow Chemical is another well-documented success case. This chemical multinational enterprise has registered impressive savings of more than USD 1.5 billion due to its ongoing dedication to these business improvement strategies [24]. For instance, substantial improvements in inventory management were achieved, leading to a 10% reduction in the average daily sales of agricultural chemicals stock in 2004. The productivity improvement and its ability to reduce costs can be attributed to the fact that nearly 60% of employers are exposed to Lean and Six Sigma principles. Du Pont is another large chemical company that has successfully adopted and applied Six Sigma for more than two decades. Du Pont integrated Six Sigma tools at the enterprise-wide level, including sales, marketing, HR, finance, and production. They carried out over 3000 Six Sigma tasks and provided training to more than 10,000 specialists, achieving cost savings of more than USD 1.5 billion over 10 years [25]. Lean Six Sigma was also applied to the supply chain of a leading fertilizer company in Turkey to optimize logistics operations, resulting in a reduction in inventory time from 82 to 51 days and a 36% decrease in the average inventory amount [26]. Many successful cases of LSS adoption are associated with large multinational corporations. In fact, these business models have been questioned due to the perceived requirement for significant investment and resource-intensive programs that only large companies could afford [27]. However, these methodologies can also be effectively applied in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Indeed, they may have even fewer complications in terms of project simplicity and the effort required for team building and employee training [28]. For example, NutriSoil, a Portuguese SME that sells fertilizer in bags, had difficulties with the filling process due to overweight bags. Implementing LSS, NutriSoil enhanced its Cpk index (capability index) in the filling process, which improved consumer satisfaction and cost savings [4]. LSS was also implemented to mitigate delays in delivering reports within a chemical laboratory [29]. The study showed that delays were caused by retests, which could be reduced by 5%, saving at least USD 200 for every 40 tests. Furthermore, [PERSON] et al. [30] used the DIMAC approach to enhance wastewater management in a Malaysian SME poultry plant and reported a 15.3% monthly reduction in chemical consumption. In another study, [PERSON] [31] applied waste reduction techniques in the analysis process of custom-blend fertilizer performed in an agricultural laboratory. This resulted in a substantial reduction in sample turnaround time, decreasing it from 45 to 3 days.