Quality Control Through Six Sigma

Many people see Six Sigma as the most powerful quality management system or tool to be introduced.

There are many industries including manufacturing, banking, healthcare, and construction which have embraced the principles of Six Sigma. Six Sigma includes DMAIC and DMADV, which are acronyms for methodologies for improving current processes and future process respectively.

What Makes Six Sigma The Finest Quality Tool Ever?
Motorola was the founder and pioneer for the implementation of Six Sigma, and its success quickly brought the tool to center stage. The entire organization is involved in the implementation of the comprehensive and structured approach behind Six Sigma. In order for Six Sigma to work an organization needs to devote 100% of its time to the unique problem solving techniques it includes.

Projects are identified and analyzed by top management personnel with key roles in the process. Problem solving and the removal of trans-jurisdictional bottlenecks are handled by middle implementation groups like Champions or Master Black Belts. The implementation of positive changes can be derailed by trans-jurisdictional bottlenecks, so this part of the process is vital to its success. These problems can be efficiently handled by Champions, while Master Black Belts are experts at using statistical tools and solving problems.

The statistical tools that are used are highly versatile and customized to the unique application. They are designed to be used to measure and question the processes of a particular business, analyzing them and offering correction when needed. Six Sigma is the ultimate management tool which may allow your organization to achieve an incredibly low defect rate, save millions of dollars, and create stronger relationships with customers. This may sound too good to be true and you may be wondering if there have ever been any failures with Six Sigma.

One example of a Six Sigma failure is the satellite phone Iridium which was produced by Motorola which pioneered Six Sigma. While the phone was of outstanding quality, customers simply did not want it and it was a complete flop. This proves that even with the highest level of quality and efficiency, customers will only purchase those items which they want.

Some experts have pointed out some statistical snags in Six Sigma. These experts are critical of Six Sigma’s universal standard rule and suggest that the analysis would be more accurate if each task was looked at individually using more common tools such as decision, theory, and cost benefit analysis.

There are those that claim that Six Sigma is simply a marketing ploy designed to make lots of money for business consultants. They say that Six Sigma training and implementation lacks consistency, especially since the methodology is taught and practiced in only one way. Many claim that the Six Sigma success stories are mainly from companies that were total failures in quality control and that the examination of small areas is what brought the big improvements.