Introduction to Six Sigma :

What is Six Sigma?

• It is a highly disciplined process.
• Helps us focus on

> Developing; and

> Delivering.

• Near – perfect Products & Services.
• It is a management philosophy.
• Customer based approach realizing that defects are expensive.
• Fewer defects > Lower Cost > leads to >Improved Customer Loyalty.
• Way to achieve strategic business results.
• Six Sigma is statistics.
• Produce less than 3.4 defects per million opportunities.
• Organizations do not achieve this, indicating – there is still Opportunity.
• To implement and achieve the six sigma level of 3.4 defects per million opportunities or less, a Process is required and used.
• Sigma – A statistical term, measuring how far a given process deviates from perfection.
• The central idea is to measure defects in a process.
• Then, eliminating defects and get as close to “Zero - Defect” as possible.

Six Sigma is:

• The structured application of tools and techniques.
• Applied on project basis to achieve sustained strategic results.

Six Sigma - Key Concepts

At its core, Six Sigma revolves around a few key concepts.

Critical to Quality: Attributes most important to customer.

Defect: Failing to deliver what the customer wants.

Process Capability: What your process can deliver.

Variation: What the customer sees and feels.

Stable Operations: Ensuring consistent, predictable processes to improve Variations.

Design for Six Sigma: Designing to meet customer needs and process capability.

The Six Sigma Methodology

Six Sigma has two key methodologies:

D M A I C: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control.

It consists of following five steps:

1.Define the process improvement goals that are consistent with customer demands and enterprise strategy.

2. Measure the current process and collect relevant data for future comparison.

3.Analyze to verify relationship and causality of factors. Determine what the relationship is, and attempt to ensure that all the factors have been considered.

4. Improve or optimize the process based upon the analysis using various techniques.

5.Control to ensure that any variances are corrected before they result in defects. Set up pilot runs to establish process capability, transition to production and thereafter continuously measure the process and institute control mechanisms.

It also consists of following five steps:

1.Define the process improvement goals that are consistent with customer demands and enterprise strategy.

2.Measure and identify CTQ’s (Critical to Qualities), product & production capabilities and risk assessments
3.Analyze to develop and design alternatives, create high – level design and evaluate design capability.

4. Design details, optimize the design, and plan for design verifications. This phase may require simulations.

5.Verify the design, set up pilot runs, implement production processes and handover to process owners.

Roles for implementing Six Sigma

To implement Six Sigma in an organization, the following roles are instrumental:

CHAMPIONS

• Drawn from Upper Management.
• Responsible for Six Sigma implementation.
• Act as mentors to Black Belts.

Master Black Belts

• Identified by Champions.
• Act as in-house expert coach.
• Guide Black and Green belts.

Black Belts

• Operate under Master Black Belts.
• Devote 100 % of their time to Six Sigma.
• Focus on Project Execution.

Green Belts

• Employees who take up Six Sigma implementation along with their other job responsibilities.
• Operate under the guidance from the Black belts.

Green and Black belts are empowered to initiate, expand, and lead projects in their area of responsibility.

So wishing you all a zero defect process management n conrol :)