Category: Six Sigma

  • Divide and Conquer

    Divide and Conquer

    A typical Six Sigma project adds between $145,000 and $250,000 to the bottom line. These numbers provide useful guidelines to the Black Belt for breaking the project down to manageable size. True Six Sigma projects are neither too large nor too small. It’s rare that the project as it’s initially proposed will be the right…

  • Defining Six Sigma Projects

    Defining Six Sigma Projects

    Six Sigma’s impressive bottom-line results normally flow from Six Sigma projects. Properly defined Six Sigma projects meet certain criteria: Six Sigma Criteria The project definition is made explicit in the project charter, which is a document issued by senior management, usually the project sponsor (not the project manager or Black Belt), that provides the project…

  • Cargo Cult Six Sigma

    Cargo Cult Six Sigma

    In the South Seas there is a cargo cult of people. During the war they saw airplanes with lots of good materials, and they want the same thing to happen now. So they’ve arranged to make things like runways, to put fires along the sides of the runways, to make a wooden hut for a…

  • The Six Sigma ‘Crystal Ball’: Predictive Power in Your Hands

    Understanding outcomes and interpreting historical events becomes less challenging with the right tools. One considerable issue Six Sigma professionals often grapple with is articulating the methodology to those unfamiliar with it. This can occur anywhere – from a workplace meeting to a casual social gathering. Telling someone, “I’m a Six Sigma Black Belt,” may not…

  • Typical Six Sigma Project Tasks and Responsibilities

    Although every project is unique, most Six Sigma projects which use the DMAIC framework have many tasks in common, at least at a general level. Many people find it helpful if they have a generic “template” they can use to plan their project activities. This is especially true when the Black Belt or Green Belt…

  • Is Six Sigma the Next Step in Quality Enhancement?

    Is Six Sigma the Next Step in Quality Enhancement?

    Understanding the distinctions between Six Sigma and Total Quality Management (TQM) In my previous post, ‘Why Six Sigma Is Not TQM‘, I proposed that Six Sigma is inherently distinct from Total Quality Management (TQM) in numerous ways. This assertion evoked diverse responses from many readers, some disagreeing with certain points I put forth. While I…

  • Ignore Six Sigma at Your Peril

    Ignore Six Sigma at Your Peril

    The Jan. 22, 2001, issue of Fortune contained an article that offered readers risky advice–namely, that Six Sigma could be ignored without adverse consequences.1 Don’t believe it. To be fair, the article is directed toward investors, not managers. The author’s point is that Six Sigma alone won’t make a company successful. On that, I am…