Key success implementing Six Sigma in the organization

Key success implementing Six Sigma in the organization must be have a good system and good methodology.

1.       Top Down procedure

The Concept Six Sigma working must be known first and directed by the Top Management of the organization. Six Sigma cannot work properly without good awareness by the Top. They must be active in controlling, creating system review (champion review/project review), and awarding system by the Top also good knowledge of Top about Six Sigma content itself. By developing awareness and controlling Six Sigma activities by Top, will be pursue the whole six sigma process activities in the organization (Down activities). General Electric success implementing six sigma because of the Top (Jack Welch) have good knowledge about six sigma and provide good leadership in the six sigma activities. Jack Welch always publicizes the policy periodically. That is the Power.

2.       Must be involved all member of the organization

In the organization usually consist of many process of business. In example, Manufacturing process not only has business in manufacture, but also has a services process business. Six Sigma must be implemented in all business process. Its mean that all member must be participate on Six Sigma activities. Involving all member to conduct Six Sigma must be facilitate by organization policies, such as providing training program about concept six sigma regularly, project based on six sigma, evaluation system performance of member. In Some Organization have a system evaluation performance based on six sigma activities that supported certification system.

3.       Global Standard of the Organization

To create good and deep awareness of six sigma activities, we must create global standard of the organization. Six sigma must be become the common language of organization process (CTQ, Sigma Level, Capability process, etc…) or all process drawn by variation, or reporting system by six sigma steps is the example how to standardize six sigma in the whole organization activities. Therefore, organization must be often to create the case study. Some company practice the six sigma system by creating project personal, everyone must be creating a project six sigma in their area. Besides it will be culturing six sigma in the organization also will develop the organization knowledge.

Any business uses a number of processes for its operations. Improving many of these may lead to significant measurable gains. However, we must select a small number of these processes for improvement in a Six Sigma project.

A Six Sigma project is a team effort. We create an implementation team and clearly define specific designation as wess as job responsibilities for team members. We should also obtain complete commitment from senior management for allocation of adequate manpower and other resources.

How does Six Sigma Works?

Six Sigma can be applied in many fields of business. Design, Services, Sales, Manufacturing, etc have the own six sigma steps and process (DFSS: Design for Six Sigma).

In the Manufacturing field usually use the Six Sigma Manufacture with its DMAIC (Define – Measure – Analyze – Improve – Control). The Manufacturing Six Sigma focuses on assuring the quality in manufacturing process, improvement in serious problem, monitoring of CTQ, etc.

R&D with the R&D Six Sigma commonly uses the steps IDOV (Identify – Design – Optimize – Verify) to perform the Six Sigma Projects. This type used for designing and developing new process/products as the fulfilling the customer need. R&D Six Sigma activities involve election of

CTQ to fulfill the customer need, determining the tolerance of part spec, cost down product development, quality assurance of products capability, etc.

Beside both type of Six Sigma, the Transactional Six Sigma as the one kind of type that performs in Sales/Services areas. Usually cases in Transactional Six Sigma are Cost improvement, improving cycle time and accuracy of products need by customer, etc.

What are the Six Sigma Activities?

Six Sigma is the way how to maximize the outcome and aim to customer satisfaction by applying all possible methods of organization. Some organizations use the Six Sigma method as the main way to get the success.

Our processes sometimes are not accurate with our target that opportune to make errors. Or, if we calculated our process in average there are matches with our target but have a big variance. I.e. we will make a dress and cut the clothes in 7 inch length. Some process cut it less than 7 inch, but some machine cut it more than 7 inch. These matters are often occurring in our organization process and we need to reduce it or eliminate it.

The Main concept of Six Sigma is how the reducing the variation in the process and shifting the process to the target.

The Implementation Six Sigma as the Strategy of Business.
Implementing Six Sigma as the Business Strategy to seize the success should be involved some activities.

1. Six Sigma is a Statistical Measurement

As the statistical measurement, Six Sigma will provide us the information about our process or products/services whether it’s good or not.  This information can help us to determine the next improvement step to fulfill the customer satisfaction totally.

2. Six Sigma is a Improvement Tools

Six Sigma give the option of Statistical Tools from defining problem to improvement action comprehensively and can be applied in all condition such as in Design, Manufacture Process, sales, services, etc…

3. Six Sigma as the Business Strategy

By reducing variation and good process match by the target will give the advantages for the organization reducing the wastes, and improving profits by creating high quality and innovative products that customer needed.

4. Six Sigma is a Philosophy

Six Sigma itself will be success if reach level of Management and Culture Philosophy.

1.       6σ does not mean only absolute work but Smart work efficiently.  By its method, six sigma provide steps structurally that guide the person to get the goal clearly and effectively.

2.       100PPM is to cut the trunk of weed; 6σ is to extract the root of weed. This statement same that 99% of accuracy is enough? Six sigma concepts are how to achieve the process in 3.4 defects per million closer in perfect zero.

3.       6σ is Top Down management of field. Many innovation activities are failed because of Lack of leadership of Manager (17% - Survey of 100 enterprises). To create the result form the bottom-line, we must know the direction of the six sigma activities in the organization. Top Management must be aware and directly practice, control, and strength monitoring in the six sigma activities before asking the bottom line to do it.

4.       6σ is Common Language of our organization. By using six sigma system of organization role, expecting six sigma will be automatically become the language of any activities in the organization.

History of Six Sigma

The roots of Six Sigma as a measurement standard can be traced back to Carl Frederick Gauss (1777-1855) who introduced the concept of the normal curve. Six Sigma as a measurement standard in product variation can be traced back to the 1920's when Walter Shewhart showed that three sigma from the mean is the point where a process requires correction. Many measurement standards (Cpk, Zero Defects, etc.) later came on the scene but credit for coining the term "Six Sigma" goes to a Motorola engineer named Bill Smith. (Incidentally, "Six Sigma" is a federally registered trademark of Motorola).

In the early and mid-1980s with Chairman Bob Galvin at the helm, Motorola engineers decided that the traditional quality levels -- measuring defects in thousands of opportunities -- didn't provide enough granularity. Instead, they wanted to measure the defects per million opportunities. Motorola developed this new standard and created the methodology and needed cultural change associated with it. Six Sigma helped Motorola realize powerful bottom-line results in their organization - in fact, they documented more than $16 Billion in savings as a result of our Six Sigma efforts.

Since then, hundreds of companies around the world have adopted Six Sigma as a way of doing business. This is a direct result of many of America's leaders openly praising the benefits of Six Sigma. Leaders such as Larry Bossidy of Allied Signal (now Honeywell), and Jack Welch of General Electric Company. Rumor has it that Larry and Jack were playing golf one day and Jack bet Larry that he could implement Six Sigma faster and with greater results at GE than Larry did at Allied Signal. The results speak for themselves.

Six Sigma has evolved over time. It's more than just a quality system like TQM or ISO. It's a way of doing business. As Geoff Tennant describes in his book Six Sigma: SPC and TQM in Manufacturing and Services: "Six Sigma is many things, and it would perhaps be easier to list all the things that Six Sigma quality is not. Six Sigma can be seen as: a vision; a philosophy; a symbol; a metric; a goal; a methodology." We couldn't agree more.