28 Apr SIX SIGMA

APPLICATIONS OF SIX SIGMA: Quality Continual Improvement

In daily practice, applying the Six Sigma methodoogy means, for a company or organization, to support the need for continuous improvement of internal quality, maturity processes and in general the quality of the services provided. The advantages are the net improvement in customer satisfaction and a general improvement in company performance in terms of reducing activities that do not generally introduce value.

• The term Six Sigma was used originally used by Motorola in the early 1980s.
• Objective of Six Sigma projects are to improve the organization’s products, services and processes across various disciplines, including production, marketing, finance, and administration. The projects are data-driven.
• Improvement can be achieved either:
  by “doing well the first time” (DFSS= Design for Six Sigma)
  or
  by “correcting current problems” (DMAIC=Define,Measure,Analyze,Improve,Control)
• The Six Sigma method has since been successfully used by many other organizations including General Electric, Boeing, DuPont, Toshiba, Seagate, and many others. It is rapidly becoming a major force driving the strategy of many leading organizations.
• The Six Sigma method focuses on understanding stakeholders’ requirements better and eliminating defects and waste. These objectives are achieved through profound knowledge of statistics, engineering and project management, as well as the underlying processes and systems.
• The main benefits of Six Sigma include:
  -better understanding of changing customer requirements
  -improvement of quality and delivery
  -reduction of waste
  -reduction of cost
  -development of robust products and processes
  -continuous improvement, and enhancement of competitive position.