Correspondence: Sameer Kumar, Opus College of Business, University of St. Thomas, Mail # TMH 343, 1000 LaSalle Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403-2005, USA. E-mail: skumar@stthomas.edu

¹is a professor of Decision Sciences and Qwest Chair in Global Communications and Technology Management at Opus College of Business, University of St. Thomas. His major research interest includes optimisation concepts applied to design and operational management of production and service systems in which issues relating to various aspects of global supply chain management, product and process innovation, quality management and capital investment justification decisions are considered.

²is a marketing analyst for Target.com since January 2008. Before this she worked for the TLC companies, a human resources outsourcing firm, as an account manager and pricing analyst. She graduated in 2002 from Arizona State University with a BS in Business Administration, majoring in Marketing and Finance. She is currently finishing her MBA from the University of St. Thomas.

³is a project manager at Commonwealth Properties, Inc. in St. Paul, Minnesota since April 2008. Before this she was a financial underwriter at United Health Care for 2.5 years, where she priced small group health insurance. She went to Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peters, Minnesota for 2.5 years where she was a Finance major, but transferred to the University of Minnesota – Minneapolis, where she graduated in Communication Studies. She is currently finishing her MBA from the University of St. Thomas.

Received 22 May 2009; Revised 22 May 2009.

Abstract

The Six Sigma DMAIC methodology is not yet applied to the hotel industry. This study uses DMAIC tools to redesign an improved service system for a summer lodge operation in the Midwest United States in order to ensure that they can consistently deliver the high-quality product to their customer expects. The DMAIC tools used were service blueprints, Servqual survey, cause and effect diagram, poka-yokes and also adaptation of quality attributes from the Ritz Carlton hotel brand. Servqual survey of people, who do not work in the hotel industry, provided us with data that would give us a better understanding of what customers are looking for in a summer lodge operation.