Top Management Story

Writen by Craig Setter

There seems to be a well drawn line between the supporters and skeptics of Six Sigma Training. On one side companies will praise the profits they have made. However, to the skeptics, they don't believe it is possible for one type of solution to apply to all the different types of business models.

There are many companies that have had high hopes for Six Sigma. These companies often spend large amounts of money and resources on Six Sigma training only to have their dreams shattered. The money was spent, but the profits never came. Scratching their heads they often conclude that Six Sigma is a flawed methodology.

The Flaws

Six Sigma is certainly not a miracle drug that will transform your company into a powerhouse. Plain and simple, if you do not have 100% support from your company's leadership… your implementation will either "fall short" or fail completely.

Six Sigma can be a very slow process that takes years to implement successfully. Granted, there are other quality initiatives that may have quicker and larger returns. But those cases can't compete as quality levels are increased to high rates.

If you or your company is looking for a "quick fix" that will lead you down the yellow brick road… all of the Black Belts in the world couldn't really help you. However, if you have long term goals for your company and understand the importance of customer satisfaction… Six Sigma is definitely the tool of choice.

Your Company + Better Processes = $$$$

Everyday you go to work and have a process of getting your work done. Everyday, chances are, there are better ways of doing it quicker and more efficient. Quickness and efficiency equal a better product or service, a happier customer, and higher profits for your company.

Simple right?

Well in theory yes, but in reality it is quite a daunting task. Just imagine all the possible improvements that can be made. From the custodian to the assembly line, millions of processes are waiting to be improved.

Six Sigma is a highly controlled methodology. It demands that you choose only the very best projects that meet your company's goals. And once they are chosen it demands that the proper resources are dedicated to it. It requires the project be put through an entire process called DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, & Control).

Is it really worth it?

If given the dedication it deserves, you bet! There is a reason that Six Sigma is a household term nowadays. It's all about the quality with Six Sigma. Everything that you do opens up the chances for an error to sneak in. The hope of Six Sigma is to lower those chances. Here's the breakdown:

Defects per million chances/opportunities

• 2 sigma = 308,537

• 3 sigma = 67,000

• 4 sigma = 6,200

• 5 sigma = 233

• 6 sigma = 3.4

What does that translate into?

Six Sigma has been proven to work time after time. The fact is that poor quality represents 20%-30% of a company's total revenue. In terms of improvement, Six Sigma training is the only known process that can recover savings on such a large scale and return it where it has the most impact… to your bottom line.

And that's just for starters. Every time you move up a sigma, it can easily mean a 20% increase for each sigma level. Sign me up! How long will it take?

Well that depends on just how good your quality currently is. With the proper dedication a company can move from 3 Sigma to 4 Sigma within 1 year. However, a good rule of thumb is "the higher your Sigma level is… the longer it will take you to reach the next sigma level." But as the old adage goes, "the best things come to those who wait".

Craig Setter is president of Aveta Solutions – Six Sigma Online. Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for 6 sigma black belt, green belt, yellow belt, lean and DFSS courses ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ).