Business Processes Driving Organizations
Organizations world over have realized the need for re-structuring themselves and adapting business processes to be able to survive in the global scenario. This process of change management from an old hierarchical structure of Organization to a Business process oriented organization began two decades ago. What has aided the new design is the development of […]
The Changing Role of the CEOs in the Digital Age and What It Means for Them
The Changing Nature of Capital Allocation and Capital Expansion With the Digital Age well and truly upon us, the changes brought about due to the advent of this era have been many and multifaceted. Right from newer work methodologies such as Agile and the rise of the Gig Economy, the Digital Age has left no […]
Inventory Migration Scope
Inventory Migration is a mammoth project exercise involving internal teams as well as many external agencies. Detailed planning, process, simulation, and training are the basis to ensure successful inventory migration exercise. Project Teams would consist of teams from all functional departments namely finance, legal /compliance, inventory planners, IT, procurement, marketing, order fulfillment and logistics & […]
Total Quality Management – Meaning & Important Concepts
To understand the meaning of “Total quality management”, let us first know what does Quality mean? Quality refers to a parameter which decides the superiority or inferiority of a product or service. Quality can be defined as an attribute which differentiates a product or service from its competitors. Quality plays an essential role in every […]
Fredrick Taylor View on Processes
Fredrick Taylor was one of the earliest thinkers in the field of business process management and also one of the most controversial figures. Some regard him as the guru who gave the world a new paradigm called scientific management while others (especially labor unions) regard him as the mastermind who created conditions suitable for the […]
Six Sigma is a data-based methodology to improve performance by reducing variability. It requires thorough understanding of product and process knowledge and is completely driven by customer expectations.
In other words, it is a methodology to achieve 3.4 defects per million opportunities. It can also be used to bring breakthrough improvements in the process. It focuses on the bottom-line and is a proven methodology for problem solving.
| Sigma Level | Number of defects per Million |
| 2 Sigma | 308537 |
| 3 Sigma | 66807 |
| 4 Sigma | 6210 |
| 5 Sigma | 233 |
| 6 Sigma | 3.4 |
The need for process improvements and a continuous improvement methodology like Six Sigma came into existence only due to
In the year 1980, Motorola started facing survival problems due fierce competition from Japanese companies. The CEO of Motorola - Bob Galvin was determined to overcome the competition. He challenged his organization to achieve a ten-fold improvement in performance over a period of five years. To achieve the same, strong emphasis was given to training of employees and also performing global benchmarking.
Bill Smith was a veteran engineer in Motorola and he wrote a research paper on product quality and its performance after delivery to customer. In his report he discovered that the products with fewer non-conformities (high quality) were the ones that performed well after delivery to the customer. It was accepted by everyone but the challenge that came in front of Motorola executives was to develop a solution to tackle this problem.
Mikel Harry having a doctorate from Arizona University worked with Bill Smith in developing a four-phase problem solving approach - Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. A few years later Bob Galvin launched a long-term quality program called “The Six Sigma Quality Program” in Motorola.
Looking at the success of Motorola, many companies like Texas Instruments, Allied Signal etc started using Six Sigma methodology to bring organization-wide improvements.
In 1990’s Jack Welch launched Six Sigma in GE in a big way. He implemented Six Sigma in all areas and ensured that the entire organization participates in the initiative. He changed the performance incentives and made them based on individual’s ability and enthusiasm to take part in Six Sigma initiatives. He transformed GE to a state where Six Sigma had become the culture of the organization and not just a methodology for brining organization-wide improvements.
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The Cost of Poorly Performing Processes – Need for Six Sigma
February 12, 2025
