You've Heard Of Six Sigma, But What The Heck Is It?
| You've Heard Of Six Sigma, But What The Heck Is It? |
| Six Sigma - Quality Control |
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You may have heard a lot about six sigma, but if you want to know exactly what is six sigma, then read on. Six sigma can be described as a set of concepts and methodologies that aim at achieving near-perfect business processes wherein the total number of defects never exceeds 3.4 per million opportunities that exist for such defects to occur. When an organization achieves such high levels of efficiency, it automatically leads to a substantial reduction in operating costs, necessary for improving profit margins and retaining the competitive edge in the marketplace. Not surprising then to know that six sigma is now increasingly being preferred over other types of quality improvement initiatives such as TQM (Total Quality management). Six sigma is basically a data-driven approach that makes use of a wide variety of statistical tools and techniques so as to carry out the necessary alterations in business processes. Some of the statistical tools and techniques that are most commonly used while implementing six sigma include Control Charts, Defect Measurement Matrices, Pareto Diagram, Process Mapping, Root-Cause Analysis, Statistical Process Control, fishbone diagram, Ishikawa diagram, Design of experiments (DOE), failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), process flow diagram and gage repeatability, reproducibility (R&R) studies, and many others. For making the necessary improvements in business processes, six sigma relies on two key methodologies, namely, the DMAIC methodology that stands for - Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control and DMADV that stands for - Define, Measure, Analyze, Design and Verify. These two methodologies differ from each other in many ways, but the most basic difference lies in the way they are utilized by an organization. The difference is that DMAIC is used for making improvements in existing business processes whereas DMADV is used for designing completely new business processes for catering to specific customer needs and expectations. Apart from these two, other six sigma methodologies that are fast gaining prominence include DFSS (Design For Six Sigma), which lays stress on understanding the VOC (Voice Of the Customer) first and then designing and developing the new business process. Now, DFSS and DMADV may be different from DMAIC, but that does not mean that they are not interrelated. If you study the subject in detail, you will find that when DFSS or DMADV fail to achieve the desired results, the whole process is referred back to the DMAIC process. However, it is not very often that such events actually take place because the design of the new business process is put through rigorous testing in a simulated environment and only then it is made available for actual implementation. Since the time it was first implemented by the Motorola Company, six sigma has undergone substantial changes and is now no longer treated as just a standalone quality improvement methodology. In most organizations, six sigma now forms a part of the overall management framework and aims at achieving the highest possible levels of quality so as to maintain competencies and improve profitability. You will be surprised to know that six sigma concepts and methodologies are now being implemented in almost all types of industries including construction, automotive, IT (Information Technology), healthcare, Telecommunications, finance, and even non-profit organizations such as government bodies, schools, and colleges. All this implies that six sigma is here to stay for quite some time. About the Author |
