“Improvement effort begins and ends with customers,” so goes the golden rule #1 of Six Sigma.
Among the processes and functions in an organization that should closely monitor this is the finance department. Although financial processes seem to influence less the external customers that the finance’s role in most Six Sigma initiatives is limited to the crucial signoff of project benefits. There is however another important group of customers in European business today–the shareholders. Focus is now on these shareholders’ “customer needs.” Foremost is the safety of their investments and insurance that they will go with whatever economic success. They needed to know the internal controls and procedures of these investments.
Because of this group, Six Sigma efforts are slowly veering in a direction that gives an eye on internal audit and controllership taking them as among the company’s core processes.
