Twelve Things I Learned About Six Sigma in 2006

Posted by: meikah | 3 January 2007 | 12:48 am

“Mere change is not growth. Growth is the synthesis of change and continuity, and where there is no continuity there is no growth.”
-C.S. Lewis

1. Teamwork. I will need a cohesive team to do a successful Six Sigma project.
2. Management Support. Six Sigma projects should be aligned with the company’s overall strategy.
3. Data management. It’s easier to spot the problem, fix it, and avoid it, if I have all the data I need.
4. Statistics. Data is useless if I don’t know how to evaluate and make decisions based on the data.
5. Adaptability. Six Sigma can work well with other quality methodology and technology such as TRIZ, Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen and many others.
6. Lean Six Sigma. Adding Lean to Six Sigma is like turbo-charging my organization.
7. Six Sigma Tools (DMAIC, DFSS, CDOV, etc.). All these can improve the whole organization: human resource, supply chain, company’s bottomline.
8. Six Sigma Deployment. My organization must be ready to go Six Sigma, that is, it has enough resources in terms of finances and human resource, and everyone is committed to doing it one hundred percent!
9. Six Sigma Training. As in all other endeavor, I have to arm myself with knowledge and skills. Having highly trained people adds value to my company.
10. Software. Minitab and PowerSteering continue to help Six Sigma deployment by coming up with new, useful software.
11. Process Improvement. Six Sigma improves not only manufacturing processes, but also services, specifically healthcare services.
12. Companies that are into or continue to go into Six Sigma this year:
    Motorola
    Christmas Decorations and Gift Store
    Fenner
    3M Brazil
    Decatur Memorial Hospital
    AVC Corp.
    UIHC
    Tata Consultancy Services
    CII
    Mercury Marine
    Cummins
    Serigraph, Inc.
    GE
    Hagen & Company
    Red Robin Restaurants
    Sports Fans of America Association
    First Vehicle Services
    Textron
    Adtron Corp. and Sulja Brothers
    Maple Leaf Bakeries
    Ecco Indonesia
    VentureHaus Limited
    OMNEX and AIAG
    CIGNA Healthcare
    Micropump
    Batelco
    Microsoft
    Mercury
    First Sumiden Circuits, Inc.
    Toshiba
    AMI Semiconductor-Philippines
    Barco, Ernst & Young, SKF
    US Fuels
    Sun Chemical
    Delphi Corporation-Steering Division
    NBC Universal
    MagnaChip Conductors
    HSBC Malaysia
    Dow Chemical Company
    Scottish Power
    U.S. Forces Korea
    Perkins Engines
    Boeing
    Freudenberg-NOK

*Photo credit: MorgueFile.com

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