An Overview of Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a business management method which provides tools and techniques that improve profits and reduce defects in business. It was started by the Motorola Company in the manufacturing industry to improve methods used in production. It aims to reduce waste and increase efficiency and profit in an organization.
In the world of today, the Six Sigma Methodology is used as a quality management tool in various fields like insurance, medical procedures, services, supply chain, customer support, project management, etc. It is a skill and certification that is high in demand, and as such, it offers an excellent prospect for career advancement. Each Six Sigma Project executed within an organization follows a specified sequence of steps aimed at reducing costs, perfecting quality, and increasing profits.
It is a method that states various principles, like in other to achieve and maintain an improvement in quality in an organization, commitment must come from the top level of management. It states that a continuous and deliberate process should be followed in other to achieve success in business. Also that business processes need to have unified a way in which they can be measured, controlled, and analyzed.
There are many attributes that distinguish this particular methodology from previous initiatives to improve quality; for instance, there are clearly outlined measures in the decision making process using verifiable data and not assumptions or guesswork. There is a clear approach defined by using various terms to distinguish each level. Emphasis is also made about management support and leadership.
Businesses are improved through this process using two basic methods; DMAIC and DFSS (or DMADV). The DMAIC Process is an abbreviation for Define opportunities, Measure performance, Analyze opportunity, Improve performance, Control performance. DMAIC is targeted towards improving a business process that is already in existence. DMADV is similar, but used to create new processes and stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Verify. DFSS is an abbreviation for Design for Six Sigma, and is also targeted towards the creation of new products or businesses.
Many organizations carry out Six Sigma training programs to educate their staff and management, while some outsource it. There are many ways to get trained, whether it is on-site, off-site, or online, and these programs range in duration from a single day up to several months or years. Little or no experience in the methodology is needed to start, although a good background in statistics is highly recommended for any potential Six Sigma Training Candidate.
There are various levels involved in getting certified as a Six Sigma professional. From lowest level of training to highest level of training, the professional hierarchy is as follows; White Belt, Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt, Master Black Belt and Champion. Training can be obtained in various settings, and when the outlined programs are completed, a test is conducted and results are graded for accuracy before a certificate is issued.
There are also criticisms about this Methodology and success of the program. Some view the Six Sigma results as based on arbitrary standards. Others believe it might work well for certain products and processes, but not effectively for others. Many companies have shown marked results in both profits and customer satisfaction, but only you can decide if this process is the right one for your own business. It is best to do your due diligence and research any quality improvement method before implementing it within your workplace.
In summary, Six Sigma is a method of quality improvement that is meant to perfect existing business processes. It is intended to help in retaining better control over business operations and profits. Finally, it should also create less room for problems, and it relies heavily on statistics to measure quality and reduce defects.