Six Sigma Blog

American Society for Quality Releases Quarterly Index

The American Society for Quality released this week a massive survey which indicates a customer satisfaction for services has been in constant decline over the past decade.  While some consumer goods such as soft drinks, food, and beer recieved high marks, other goods such as airlines, resaurants and cellular service are seeing rapidly declining customer satisfaction ratings.  The study, which covers an wide variety of service related goods and services, also highlights some industries with significant satisfaction increases.  Yahoo Finance Reports: 

The life insurance industry realized the greatest gain over the last 10 years, with an increase of 2.7% in customer perceived quality. This is likely the result of a well-defined process of interacting with customers after the initial policy sale.

Hotels have one of the highest perceived-quality scores for the service industry, showing gains in both perceived quality and value over the last decade. During that time, several hotel chains have implemented major quality improvement efforts. For example, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which registered a 7.1% gain, implemented Six Sigma extensively throughout the organization.

Read More: The American Society for Quality Debuts Quarterly Quality Index With 10-Year Analysis

DSS Systems Ltd. Brings Six Sigma to Middle East

In what some analysts are calling a major step towards the globalization of Six Sigma, DSS Systems and Software Limited has attained exclusive rights for marketing the training, consulting, and implementation services of Six Sigma in the Middle East and Indian IT industry.  With a growing number of multinationals who have already implemented Six Sigma now requiring their foreign subsidiaries to follow suit, DSS Ltd. expects what is already significant demand for the process to precipitously increase over the next five years.  The Times of India Reports:

The company’s confidence stems from the fact that a number of multinational companies like GE and Motorola, which have embraced Six Sigma, are insisting that their suppliers, associates and subsidiaries do so too. This is in addition to the direct drivers of SS in the country like it resulting in cost-effectiveness and improvement in quality. Application of SS, which started in the manufacturing sector, followed by banking and insurance sectors, is now into the third wave, where SS is being embraced by technology and IT.

Read More: DSS Systems ties-up with Six Sigma Advantage Inc.

Indian Delivery Men Noted for Six Sigma Precision, to Serve UK Royalty

Mumbai's dabbawallahs, an Indian delivery group who became internationally known after being recognized for their Six Sigma delivery precision by Prince Charles in 2003, will now offer their infamous services to the Prince and his bride to be.  The group, which delivers over 150,000 lunch boxes of home-cooked food to offices, schools, and colleges everyday, is now notorious for their implementation of the Six Sigma system, a system which they credit as assisting them in completing with perfect precision their extremely difficult delivery schedule.  HindustanTimes.com Reports:

"We will send them a saree and choli worn by brides in India and turban,  which  is worn by the groom. All of our members have gathered here for this only. We will package the gift nicely and sent it via speed post to Buckingham Palace," said Sopan Mare, president of the Bombay Tiffin Carriers association.

Read More: Mumbai's dabbawallahs' gift for UK's royal couple

Six Sigma Expert Comments on Management Organization

Business consultant James Zimmerman, at the annual Six Sigma Conference in Indian Wells, outlined the "Seven Deadly Sins" of business organizaions.  He spoke largely on the ability of programs such as Six Sigma, to give managers the specific tools and training they need to complete the tasks required of them.  The Desert Sun Reports:

"How do you generate a culture of strategic decision-making?" Zimmerman asked his audience. "We as human beings have this ability to take something that's very simple and complicate the bejesus out of it."...The result is that the quality of the company, and ultimately its products and services, is diminished. And customers leave unhappy.

Read More: Thou shalt organize with care

Wipro Advises on Six Sigma Implementation

Wipro Infotech announced last week the completion of its consulting seervices for Corporation Bank.  The consultancy was initiated to implement the highly touted 'Six Sigma' system and achieve the extreme efficiency the process is known for.  Business Standard Reports:

“The solution that Wipro Infotech is providing Corporation Bank will help bring in a culture of continuous improvement, develop a pool of resources that would be the think tank and enable change within the organisation to attain operational efficiency,” said Anurag Srivastava, Business Head, consulting, Wipro Infotech.

Read More: Wipro Six Sigma consultant to bank

CK Birla Group Credits Six Sigma for Success

The CK Birla Group Company, an Indian software exporter is quickly becoming a national leader amongst software exporting firms.  CEO Kamal Mansharamani credits the embracing of innovative management methodologies like Six Sigma for its success.  CIOL Reports:

Today, the CK Birla Group company that also has strategic equity participation by GE Capitals has been able to transform its offshore service delivery through its robust delivery model that embraces digitized project management methodologies embedded within its Six Sigma and SEI CMM Level 5 practice. While the company is already offering IT services worldwide from its development centers in US, India and Australia, it has recently entered Japan and acquired 29 new customers and hopes to be amongst the India Top 10 soon.

Read More: "We have full commitment from Birlas"

Statistical Six Sigma Definition

Six Sigma, the innovative management strategy that is taking the corporate world by storm, refers specifically to a reduction in process output variation on a long term basis.  Put more simply, it is a program which will reduce the number of defects a customer encounters when interacting with a process.  iSixSigma Reports:

What does it mean to be "Six Sigma"? Six Sigma at many organizations simply means a measure of quality that strives for near perfection. But the statistical implications of a Six Sigma program go well beyond the qualitative eradication of customer-perceptible defects. It's a methodology that is well rooted in mathematics and statistics.

Read More: Statistical Six Sigma Definition

Incorporating Six Sigma in Corporate Presentations

A recent report by Zach Swinney has broken down Six Sigma into terms that will be more comprehensible business professional.  The presentation, which focuses on three fundamental aspects of Six Sigma--Customer Focus, Data Driven, and Robust Methodology--outlines a simple and direct method for presenting the benefits of the process to those unfamiliar with it.  iSixSigma Reports:

There has been a tremendous amount of discussion around defining Six Sigma in terms people within your business or organization can understand. A long time crusade of mine has been to help define Six Sigma in everyday terms for both my fellow business quality professionals and top managers alike.

Read More: Defining Six Sigma For Your Business Or Organization