Six Sigma and Quality
Posted by: meikah | 1 July 2005 | 11:36 am
As more and more successful companies testify that Six Sigma yield savings and benefits, more and more other companies turn to Six Sigma practitioners for information on how Six Sigma can fit in their system. Like any other phenomenon, a lot of myths surround this strategy.
One myth is that Six Sigma is a quality management initiative (such as TQM) and it can simply be added to the quality managers list of “Things to do.” Six Sigma is different from TQM in so many aspects, though the gap is closing with the new ISO certification requirements. With Six Sigma, there is a high level of involvement from everybody in the organization and there is a high degree of expectation and focus on results.
Truth is Six Sigma is a separate corporate strategic initiative. It should be seen as a “change management” initiative. This is so because for Six Sigma to succeed it needs to become part of the corporate culture, or as they say, “the way that things are done here.”
If we look closely, Six Sigma and Quality is a powerful combination. In an organization, not all processes can be rated successful at Six Sigma. Some processes work excellently even at Four Sigma. Honeywell Quality Value (HQV), or Six Sigma Plus, a quality management system adapted by Allied Signal and Honeywell, is a living testimony of this powerful combination.
A successfully combined Six Sigma and Quality can provide focus, speed, accuracy, and continuous gains/benefits. Study the figure below.
Read more Six Sigma Myths and the Realities
