Six Sigma is the discipline of reducing defects, the measurement used in relation to six sigma. Whether this defect is in the form of components, material or even a line of code, the ideology is to eliminate it. The discipline principle is that by reducing the defects, it would result in reduced operation cost for the company and increased satisfaction for the customer. Six sigma emphasizes identifying and reducing variation. The six sigma methodology uses defects per million or even per billion, as a measurement, rather than a percentage of the total production. This is done by evaluating the defects in a process and aiming for six standard deviations between mean and the nearest specification limit.

 

The Lean methodology, which some would say go hand-in-hand with Six Sigma, is the practice of eliminating waste throughout the process. This includes all forms of waste; waste of material, resources, and time. This adds only value to the product or service and thereby satisfying the customer.

 

The integration of Lean into Six Sigma over the last decade has required understanding of lean for the Lean Six Sigma training and certification. Together they reach their primary goal, satisfying the customer.

 

The general strategy of six sigma involves having experts, also known as black belts and master black belts leading the green and yellow belts. However this is not mandatory. The success lies in the individuals who have received proper training and is able to apply that knowledge to reach the goal.

 

The six sigma strategy also states that the whole company has to adopt the methodology. Meaning every level of management must support its efforts, from Top executives and upper management, all the way down the pipeline. This is not an easy task to complete nor is it a simple goal to achieve, however the rewards would be very satisfactory.

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Learn how to use these important Six Sigma Tools and be able to put them to use right away:

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1. Voice of the Customer

2. PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act)

3. SIPOC (Suppliers, inputs, process, outputs, customers)

4. DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control)

5. RCA (Root Cause Analysis)

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