What is Six Sigma? Description
Six Sigma is a quality management methodology that provides businesses
with the tools to improve the capability of their business processes.
This increase in performance and decrease in process variation lead
to defect reduction and improvement in profits, employee morale and
quality of product. It is a quality measure and improvement program
that was pioneered by Mikel Harry and Motorola. It focuses on the control
of a process until the point of six sigma (standard deviations) from
a centerline, or 3.4 defects per million items. It includes identifying
factors which are critical for the quality as determined by the customer.
It reduces process variation and improvement capabilities, increases
stability and designs systems to support the six sigma goal.
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The Six Sigma model is a highly disciplined approach that
can help companies to focus on developing and delivering near-perfect
products and services. It is based on the statistical work of Joseph
Juran, a Rumanian-born US pioneer of quality management. The word "Sigma"
is a Greek sign used for a statistical term that measures how far a
given process deviates from perfection (standards deviation). If the
sigma number is higher, you are closer to perfection. One sigma is not
very good; six sigma is defined as only 3.4 defects per million. The
central idea behind Six Sigma is that if you can measure how many "defects"
you have in a process, you can systematically figure out how you can
eliminate them. Thus you can almost come to "zero defects".
The Japanese origin of Six Sigma can still be seen by the system of
"belts" which it uses. If you are new to Six Sigma and you go on a basic
training, you get a green belt. Anyone who has the responsibility for
leading a Six Sigma team is called a black belt. Finally there is a
special elite group called Master Black Belts who supervise the Black
Belts.
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Five Steps in Six Sigma. Process
Typically, a Six Sigma process has the following five stages:
- Definition. The first step in any Six Sigma project is to clarify
the problem and narrow its scope in such a way that measurable goals can
be achieved within a few months. Then a team is assembled to examine the
process in detail, suggest improvements, and implement those recommendations.
In the manufacturing world, project managers and their sponsors typically
begin by defining what constitutes a defect and then establish a set of
objectives designed to reduce the occurrence of such defects.
- Measurement. In the second step of a Six Sigma project, the team
gathers data and prepares it for high-level analysis.
- Analysis. Once a process has been mapped and documented, and
the quality of the hard supporting data has been verified, the Six Sigma
team can begin the analysis. The
team members usually start by identifying the ways in which people fail
to act as needed, or by identifying the ways in which people fail to ensure
effective control at each stage.
- Improvement. Recommend, decide and implement improvements.
- Control. In the final stage of a Six Sigma project, the team
creates controls. These are enabling the company to sustain and extend the
improvements.
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Six Sigma Requirements
"In order for Six Sigma to be successful in an organisation, the concept should be embraced from the grass roots to top management.
Involvement of all stakeholders should be emphasi..." |
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Six Sigma in Medical Transcription
"How can Six Sigma be used in the field of medical transcription? What are all the gradients that need to be worked on in medical transcription with Six Sigma?" |
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Evaluating Six Sigma Project Leaders
"How can I evaluate the talent of Six Sigma project leaders (presentation skill, answering, strategic thinking, and so on)?
What grading and evaluation of the factors do you recommend?" |
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Evaluating Six Sigma Projects
"How can I evaluate the quality of 6 Sigma projects (logical think, creative, right tools, effectiveness and so on).
What grading and evaluation of the factors you recommend?" |
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Focus of Six Sigma: The 6 Rights
"Six Sigma management can focus on following 6 Right (Rights):
- Right Support
- Right Project
- Right Road Map (DMAIC)
- Right People (training)
- Right Tools
- Right Res..." |
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Tools for Finding Root Cause?
"Which tool is preferable in Six Sigma methodology to detect or find the root cause from special cause variation and then solve accordingly? And how to differentiate if the tool is suitable to use for ..." |
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Six Sigma Manufacturing Example
"Businesses who are not very active in quality management most of the time have a process quality from 2 or 3 sigma. This means a failure of about 66.700 products per million opportunities. At first si..." |
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Differentiating Six Sigma from TQM
"Although invented at Motorola, Six Sigma has been perfected at General Electric. GE is truly the home of Six Sigma. The factors differentiating Six Sigma from Total Quality Management are Six Sigma's:..." |
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Six Sigma is a Story!
"Six Sigma is a story of X, Y and Z.
When all X's and Y's are controlled, Z's improve.
X's are causes, Y's are problems and Z's are consequences." |
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Good Practitioner Books on Lean - Six Sigma, S&OP?
"Hi all, short question, currently I am working in a pure logistics field but would like to develop my supply chain knowledge further. Especially looking at job adverts the topic lean and Six Sigma are..." |
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Identifying Critical Characteristics
"It is excellent to use Six Sigma in practice. But critical to its success is the right identification of critical characteristics as applicable for measurement and control. This calls for the t..." |
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Quality Critical Factors
"How can the quality critical factors for a product be effectively identified like a pig lung, a pharmaceutical raw material. I think there is the success of the implementation of Six Sigma." |
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Six Sigma Effectiveness
"Please, can someone evaluate the effectiveness of Six Sigma process improvement methodology." |
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Six Sigma Questionnaire
"Dear Fellow Six Sigma users.
For my PhD research i have created a questionnaire, it takes 5-10 minutes to complete and is anonymous. Your advice and knowledge will be invaluable.
sdands.com/..." |
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Six Sigma for Retail
"What is best way to measure defects in a retail business in order to improve efficiency?" |
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Six Sigma Dictionary - Six Sigma Terms
"LEAN components: Inventory reduced by kanban management.
Plant layout with D-cells provides minimal handling, transportation, materials, space and people.
Line layout me..." |
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Should Six Sigma start after Lean Implementation?
"My perception to Six Sigma is that it should start after Lean Implementation, at least basic (Stability Phase and Continuous Flow), then can go in parallel, since Lean helps set the standards and Six ..." |
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Six Sigma Implementation Roles
"The following names (some are from martial arts) are used for Six Sigma professional roles:
Sponsor - Senior executive who sponsors the overall Six Sigma Initiative.
Leader<..." |
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6 Sigma....Frame period
"Hi..., I have a concern regarding the execution of 6 sigma... When a business has to move from one sigma level to another, for how long we have to measure and analyse and how long (approximately) d..." |
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Six Sigma for Marketing
"Six Sigma for Marketing (SSFM) is newest Six Sigma variant – drives growth. SSFM links interdependencies of strategic marketing, tactical & operational processes. It proactively drives growth (e.g. n..." |
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Organization Structure
"Usually, Six Sigma organizations are composed of the following:
Champions - these are members of the Senior Management Team with responsibility for the success of the quality initiative; ..." |
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3 Other Six Sigma Levels
"Besides the Sigma levels 1 to 6, we can actually also distinguish between 3 other levels of using Six SIgma:
A. Use Six SIgma as a statistical measurement unit (comparable to degrees or do..." |
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Six Sigma in and R&D context
"Is it possible to use Six Sigma to improve the quality of R&D processes? Or do R&D activities naturally defy systematic improvement efforts?" |
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Statistical Process Control (SPC)
"According to many, Six Sigma is based on Statistical Process Control (SPC), a method of visually monitoring production processes. In Six Sigma, each business process must be measured and for this ofte..." |
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Six Sigma DMAIC DMADV
"Two Six Sigma sub-methodologies are called DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control), and
DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify).
DMAIC is an improvement ..." |
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Six Sigma based on Statistics and Discipline
"Many of the tools of Six Sigma (and the concept of lean manufacturing with which Six Sigma is most closely identified) can be found in statistical process control, total quality management, sta..." |
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Six Sigma Methodology | Six Sigma Model | Six Sigma Approach Special Interest Group
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Compare with: Kaizen |
Deming Cycle |
Scientific Management
| 8D Problem Solving
| Value Chain |
Just-in-time |
Value Stream Mapping
| Value Engineering
| Hoshin Kanri
- Policy Deployment
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