six sigma green belt
By Richard Mark
After the Six Sigma program sprouts, it will need time to sink its roots into the
organization. Properly managed, those roots will penetrate the entire organization in
time. But without careful management, Six Sigma will wither and die.
Ongoing training and regular review keep S ix Sigma relevant. Over time, if
applicable, organizations should move Six Sigma into non-manufacturing areas with
less clearly defined processes. Expect resistance, but do not be discouraged. Even
non-manufacturing processes lend themselves to measurement and control based on
accuracy, time, cost and customer satisfaction.
Six Sigma can also evolve from a cost cutting strategy into a revenue building strategy.
For example, DFSS encourages the design of superior products. From the customer’s
perspective, superiority may mean higher quality, lower cost or greater total value.
Some companies, such a s GE, also u se t heir S ix sigma expertise t o add value t o
relationships by undertaking Six Sigma projects at the customer’s site and for the
customer’s benefit. This service helps deepen the customer relationship and protects or
builds revenues with that customer.
Six Sigma is a management philosophy and a methodology aimed at improving business
results. The cornerstone of Six Sigma is the idea that business processes ought to
be consistent, predictable and reliable. Many businesses measure performance based
on averages, but the average is not an acceptable metric. It does not reflect the real
experience of people who rely on the process. Suppose one customer waits 30 days for a
delivery, another waits 90 days and a third waits only nine days. The average wait is 43
days. But none of the customers has experienced a wait that length. How useful would
that average be to a manager?
Six Sigma recognizes that it is not average performance but consistency of performance
that matters. A customer who had to wait 90 days for a delivery expected in 30 would
be i rate. A customer w ho received t hat delivery in nine days might also be irate,
particularly if receiving an early delivery required paying early or finding storage space
for the unexpected shipment. What business customers want is consistent, predictable
performance. Consistency and predictability allow various business processes to happen
on time, every time.
Variability is the enemy of quality. Six Sigma focuses on attacking Critical to Quality
(CTQ) variables. What a re t he sources o f process variability? They f all into two
categories: manufacturing variables and customer order variables.
Six Sigma also lends itself to integration with other management initiatives, such as the
Malcolm Bald ridge Quality Award criteria, Lean Manufacturing and others. Six Sigma
is not a fad or fashion, but an ongoing program of business improvement. It leads to
remarkable cultural change, but its primary contribution is to business performance.
About the author
Richard Mark, Master Six Sigma Black Belt
http://www.greenbelt6sigma.com from http://www.FreeArticlesAndContent.com
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