SIX SIGMA

Six Sigma

Six Sigma

1. Introduction

Six Sigma and Soft systems and social-technical approaches at many organizations simply means a measure of quality that strives for near perfection. Six Sigma and Soft systems and social-technical approaches are a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects (driving towards six standard deviations between the mean and the nearest specification limit) in any process -- from manufacturing to transactional and from product to service.

2. Six Sigma

A successful Six Sigma program must start with the CEO of a corporation. The CEO must express their personal vision, provide steady and enthusiastic leadership, and assess results and reward participants. Management must have a vision of where the company is going that is clearly communicated to every employee at all levels of the organization. A small number of key objectives must be defined in order for the company to realize its vision. These key objectives must then be clearly communicated to the entire organization so that each person knows how their performance will help to achieve the overall goal.

The Six Sigma process can improve every part of a company, from production to the structure of the company. DeFeo writes that "people, companies, industries, economies and nations will maintain leadership and a competitive edge only if they have a consistent mental attitude and a thirst for more effective ways to produce state-of-the-art products and services." And considering that DeFeo is the CEO of the Juran Institute, I would say that he is biased toward the benefits of the Six Sigma process.

Quality Management is a big issue in this age with more customers choosing quality over cost. With higher standards for products in the US companies, recalls are a common thing when a product is found to be contaminated or is not safe. Even though it might seem that quality is a bane for the manufactures, in the long run the company which produces the higher quality products manage to survive in the highly competitive world. The rise of Japan's motor companies is one of the best examples in Quality Management. The Japanese motor companies were able to provide better products to the customers than the American counterparts and this resulted in gradual erosion of the market share held by the American automakers and led the American companies to rethink their strategies to hold ground in this highly competitive market. In all, Quality over Quantity and Quality over Cost (as long as its not too costly).

The report discusses that the statistical representation of Six Sigma and describes quantitatively how a process is performing. To achieve Six Sigma, a process must not produce more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. A Six Sigma defect is defined as anything outside of customer specifications. A Six Sigma opportunity is then the total quantity of chances for a defect. Process sigma can easily be calculated using a Six Sigma calculator.

The fundamental objective of the Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction through the ...