Six Sigma

“SIX SIGMA AS AN ORGANIZATION-WIDE
IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE AND AS A
STATISTICAL TOOL”.

OPERATIONS AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT

Tania Flores Mora
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CONTENTS
1. Introduction………………………………………………………………..3

2. Definition………………………………………………………………….3

3. What is Six Sigma…………………………………………………………6

4. Benefits……………………………………………………………………6

5. ImplementationPhases……………………………………………………7

6. Tools………………………………………………………………………9

7. Roles in the implementation of Six Sigma……………………………….10

8. Conclusions………………………………………………………………10

9. Bibliography……………………………………………………………..11

1. INTRODUCTION
This practice began with meetings of a small group of professionals from different areas and disciplines that ended up creating a model of diagnosisand analysis of possible alternatives that resulted in great benefits for the company.
As the group initially sought to determine the degree of improvement of the company and its various departments, invented a practical method for assessing qualitative or subjective rather according to the results of the improvement gained.
Additionally, the project managers who embarked on the implementationof the model, as facilitators or leaders of the agencies audited, they were given a status to determine their level of professionalism and knowledge of such practices and disciplines.
This will eventually create a model of management processes and procedures for manufacturers of finished products, but ultimately it has spread to be applicable also in business services, as the spirit of the modelof the systematic organization of the company and its processes as a basis for optimizing the consumption of resources, avoiding waste and maximizing the performance of their assets.
This method as many other previous and subsequent to it, focuses on the processes and optimize them to improve yield, save time and reduce waste not only materials but also valuable time factor.
In the late 80's andearly 90's, Motorola started an initiative called Six Sigma directed bythe Engineer Mikel Harry, who begins to influence the organization in order to study the variation in processes (focusing on the concepts of Deming), as a way to enhance them. These variations are what are known as statistical standard deviation (about half), which is represented by the Greek letter sigma (). This initiativebecame the focal point of efforts to improve the quality of Motorola, capturing the attention of then CEO of Motorola, Bob Galvin.

With the support of Galvin, the emphasis was not only in the analysis of variance but also on continuous improvement as a goal to get 3.4 defects (per million opportunities) in the process, something almost close to perfection. Theinitiative Motorola savings represent2.200 billion.

DEFINITION
The term six sigma (6σ) originated as a performance measure or a measure of quality. Using six sigma, process goals are set in parts per million (PPM) in all areas of the production process. Since its origin, six sigma has now evolved into a methodology for improving business efficiency and effectiveness by focusing on productivity, cost reduction, and enhancedquality.
Six Sigma has its roots back with the efforts of Joseph Juran and W. Edwards Deming. Their programs for Zero Defects and Total Quality Management in Japan, lead to the adoption of the six sigma philosophy by Motorola. Motorola was able to achieve a 200-fold improvement in production quality and saved a reported $2.2 billion using this tool.
General Electric has also become the strongproponent of six sigma where it claims extensive successes. GE used six sigma during the reign of Jack Welch, where he made it the biggest corporate initiative in GE's history and received global recognition. Other users include Texas Instruments and Allied Signal. Allied took six sigma to an even higher level by incorporating it not just in production but by making it a system of leadership. Other...