Six Sigma - Cynics view

The Six Sigma has taken on the life of its own. The cynics might see it as "the next big thing" which will fade as soon as the new buzzword will come along. However, it seems to be having some staying power. Presently, the approach has two aspects of management and methods. The application begins  with  the  management  initiative  which  identifies  the  goal  as  a breakthrough,    great-leap-forward improvement and not incremental improvement. It also involves a systematic and focused approach which is highly disciplined. The success depends on choosing the right projects that are those, which support the strategic aims of the organisation. Choosing and training the right people to lead the effort and carry through is vital. The Six  Sigma  effort  is  not  the  short-term  opportunity  for  job  hoppers. The implementation needs the effective project management and also comprehensive which is a no non-sense reviews of  progress. Any gain should be sustained and also institutionalised. All of the elements will combine to give the right results which are process improvements which will improve the bottom line and also the global competitiveness. The Six Sigma methods and tools arise from the common quality practice. The Six Sigma approach usually begins with the process thinking which will consider the inputs, outputs and both the controlled and uncontrolled variables. The variation is the foundation of the approach with the aim being reduced to variation around the mean and also to move the mean closer to the target value. The Six Sigma will rely on the data-based decisions so the facts and figures play a very important role. The standard quality tools and the statistical tools are employed throughout the implementation. Since, the statistics are so important, the user friendly statistical software has been developed which is specifically towards the Six Sigma application. The "important few" variables are the main focus of attention and not the whole range of possible variables.