Quotes About Six Sigma

So much has happened since the first publication of The Six Sigma Way, and it has been rewarding to find that much of what was in the book then still holds true. At the same time, the opportunity to reflect on how organizations have used, or misused, Six Sigma had offered a lot of new insights. We're pleased that this updated book will offer some real benefit to individuals and organizations still focused on driving continuous improvement today.

Perfect is an illusion, one that was created to maintain the status quo. The Six Sigma charade is largely about hiding from change, because change is never perfect. Change means reinvention, and until something is reinvented, we have no idea what the spec is.

The reason, according to Fortune, was that Six Sigma got in the way of innovation. Too much energy was spent cutting defects to 3.4 per million, and not enough energy was expended developing new product ideas.

Stated simply, an Excel spreadsheet, or more likely a proliferation of these spreadsheets, is ill-suited for the longer-term data management and analysis required by Six Sigma teams.

The most talented practitioners seek out certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt,9 an honorific that has nothing to do with karate but rather reflects a noble and ultimately hopeless attempt to give the work some sex appeal.

The Five Initiatives 1.?Growth (via customer service, globalization, and technology) 2.?Productivity (went hand-in-hand with growth) 3.?Cash (improve working capital and have high-quality earnings) 4.?People (keep the best talent, organized the right way and motivated) 5.?Organizational enablers (including Six Sigma, Honeywell Operating System, and Functional Transformation)

When both introducing and sustaining change, leadership matters. The organization needs to see that you, personally, are taking this seriously. As we rolled out HOS, I talked about its importance for our business at every opportunity. I held regular meetings to make sure we were actually implementing it and that we were getting the results—something I didn't do for Six Sigma, and a reason it underdelivered.

Six Sigma is a quality program that, when all is said and done, improves your customers' experience, lowers your costs, and builds better leaders.

This is where you should start.  Develop a total system for continuous improvement not just going after the flavor of the month: six sigma, kaizen blitz, etc.  They are all good tools but you should plan what the entire 'ship' you will build looks like before you start using the tools to build it.