Description

Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects in any process — from manufacturing to transactional and from product to service. The statistical representation of Six Sigma describes quantitatively how a process is performing. A Six Sigma defect is defined as anything outside of customer specifications. 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 application of Six Sigma improvement projects.

Why is Six Sigma so attractive to so many businesses right now?
Being successful and staying successful in business in more challenging today than ever before. Companies like GE, Sun Microsystems and many others are flexing the Six Sigma system to create new products and improve existing processes etc. Leaders of these Six sigma companies know that this methodology encompasses a wide variety of simple and advanced tools to solve problems, reduce variation to near zero by a target date, delight customers

And demonstrate financial benefits by target date and speed up the process of improvement. Sounds like an efficient process? The Six Sigma methodology works on the six key ingredients needed to achieve Six Sigma capability within the organisation.

• The genuine focus on customers
• Data and fact-driven management
• Process focus and improvement to increase customer satisfaction
• Proactive management
• Boundary less collaboration
• Drive for perfection with appreciable increase in staff Productivity.
• Decrease in Operational costs
• Increases revenue due to enhanced productivity

Words like ‘mobilise’ and ‘accelerate’ and ‘high-impact projects’ imply that people need mobilising, that improvement needs accelerating, and that people are not already engaged on high-impact projects. Six Sigma is likely to produce far greater returns in organisations that need to achieve these things compared to organisations that are already doing them.

I would like to say at this point that there are thousands of people out there who know a great deal about Six Sigma.

As more companies embrace Six Sigma, the need to hire and train employees in the methodology grows. One issue facing beleaguered managers and human resource departments is how to determine whether an applicant truly possesses the Six Sigma skills required by the company as it will really help your organisation eliminate or even prevent problems

Benefits of Six Sigma
There are numerous benefits of six sigma as a way to address issues and problems. Among the benefits of six sigma is the decrease in defects that are allowed to reach the customer. You can get some sense of the benefits of six sigma by reviewing some six sigma projects.

Origin of Six Sigma & Ranks
Originally invented by Motorola, the Six Sigma system contains belt rankings that represent a person’s achievements utilising Six Sigma methodologies and associated roles and responsibilities. These rankings are modelled after the martial arts system, as detailed below.

In 1991 Motorola certified its first ‘Black Belt’ Six Sigma experts, which indicates the beginnings of the formalisation of the accredited training of Six Sigma methods. In 1991 also, Allied Signal, (a large avionics company which merged with Honeywell in 1999), adopted the Six Sigma methods, and claimed significant improvements and cost savings within six months. It seems that Allied Signal’s new CEO Lawrence Bossidy learned of Motorola’s work with Six Sigma and so approached Motorola’s CEO Bob Galvin to learn how it could be used in Allied Signa