Six Sigma Blog

Six Sigma shows promise of growth in 2007

If a recent survey is to be believed Six Sigma seems to be working for companies. iSixSigma Magazine recently published a report on the acceptance levels and growth in the adoption and implementation of Six Sigma in a wide variety of companies. The magazine interviewed at least 1500 respondents hailing from a wide cross section of companies. The report stated that nearly half of the companies that are already using Six Sigma intend to proceed with their current level of training and staffing for 2007. And over one third of the same base is working on increasing the training investment.

It was found that less than 20% of the respondents reported that they wish to lower their expenditure on training and staffing. If one were to consider the entire base, the magazine has ensured that it has a good representation of respondents from the entire spectrum of the industry. In a nut shell, the report signals that the Six Sigma industry is thriving and has a great future. Market Wire reports:

“Despite this strong level of commitment among companies using Six Sigma, there is still a lot of reluctance to get involved by those who have not made a commitment yet. "Just over half (53%) of the companies who were not yet involved in Six Sigma planned to do so at some point in the future, and 47% said they had no plans to do so."

Lean Six Sigma for Medical Device Manufacturing Excellence Conference

Leading quality professionals across the globe will attend the IQPC's Lean Six Sigma for Medical Device Manufacturing Excellence Conference. The conference will be held on September 26-28 at the Hilton San Diego. The event will bring together top pharmaceutical companies of the world. They will share case studies and insights on best strategies for process integration, management buy-in, project selection and management. They will also discuss issues such as compliance and benchmarking. The program will include 14 end-user speaker sessions, two interactive panel discussions and five workshops by reputed consultants.

Salary Survey on Six Sigma Professionals

We always discuss the Six Sigma methodology, its concepts and the implementations in the organizations. Until now, we focused on the benefits Six Sigma for the organizations. Now it is time to analyze the benefits Six Sigma brings to the professionals. The Salary.com survey announced in July gives a clear picture of the Six Sigma Compensation structure. According to the survey, there are seven key Six Sigma jobs. They include the following the important jobs:

• Top Six Sigma Executive
• Director of Deployment
• Six Sigma Master Black Belt

Compensation levels for the top three jobs depend on the revenue generated by the company. They earn a significant premium as compared to other Six Sigma professionals. Interestingly, pay levels for Six Sigma professionals working in the northeast and west coast are higher than those in other parts of the United States. Don’t you think that with a greater pay structure, Six Sigma profession is very lucrative? However, the job is very challenging, as the professionals take the responsibility of improving the quality and productivity of the organization.

CIGNA Launches Innovation Lab To Provide Six-sigma Service

CIGNA Corp. has announced the release of an Innovation Lab that is designed to develop integrated Six Sigma end-to-end service for medical, dental, pharmacy and other health care providers. CIGNA is a provider of employee benefits offered through the workplace. The company said that the Lab would have 100 specially trained consumer advisors representing CIGNA's service and product teams to discuss health benefit and related financial information with consumers. It will help them optimize their health, benefits and plan selections.

According to Trading Markets -

The company's first customer for the product is Big Y Foods in Springfield. Big Y is one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England and currently operates 54 stores throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts with over 9,000 employees.

Asian Six Sigma Summit 2006

The Asian Six Sigma Summit 2006 will be held in Singapore. The summit will focus on the need of improvement of quality to survive in the marketplace. Six Sigma not only focuses on quality improvements, but also helps in defining the processes with a customer-centric approach. Six Sigma is not an easy methodology to deploy. It is very important to understand the methodologies and tools available. Individuals, who work on Six Sigma deployments, gain support from the business leaders and the project team. The Asian Six Sigma Summit will cover all aspects of Six Sigma process and its deployment. Over a hundred Six Sigma, Quality and Business Excellence practitioners and experts from all over the Asia Pacific attended the Asian Six Sigma Summit last year. This year, the attendance is expected increase substantially.

Six Sigma Global Inc. to appear on World Business Review TV Series

According to Multi-Media Productions, Inc., Six Sigma Global Inc. will appear on World Business Review TV series hosted by Alexander Haig. World Business Review will explore how Six Sigma Global has taken the DMAIC methodology to the next level to guide managers in making intelligent decisions based on qualified and quantified information. Most companies have a vision to take their company to the highest level. The Six Sigma methodology trains the leadership of these companies to enable their teams in achieving those visions through the strategic approach of the DMAIC process. Business Wire has published an article on the Same Topic.

Six Sigma Global has been working in the field of Quality, Continuous Improvement, and Problem Solving since 1999. We have trained, supported and mentored over 3000 highly successful Executives, Champions, Black Belts and Green Belts in the field of Six Sigma.

Six Sigma Deployment in IT Process

There have been efforts in improving the IT processes and Six Sigma plays an important role in it. Companies that have been using Six Sigma for a long time are more likely to direct projects on improving IT processes than that have been using Six Sigma for a short period. They emphasize on integrating IT methods with Six Sigma and on aligning IT projects with business priorities. Most companies say that they use Six Sigma to improve IT processes. When other projects led to IT-based solutions, they were rarely implemented. Market Wire has published an article on the Same Topic.

"Only 17 percent of the more than 950 respondents said that their companies always or usually use Six Sigma to improve IT processes," said Marx, "And when other projects led to IT-based solutions, they were rarely implemented -- either because of the perceived cost or a lack of priority placed on IT."

The Global Six Sigma Awards: The winner takes it all

The Global Six Sigma Awards Dinner on June 28 at the Venetian Resort, Las Vegas, will see 31 contestants in different categories vie for top honors. Also figuring at the ceremony will be the Six Sigma CEO of the Year Award, which is the premium category at the event. The judges have already announced the winner in this top category: Jill M. Considine, Chairman & CEO, The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC). Ms Considine was selected after an evaluation of over 30 global organizations.

The other awards will recognize excellence in the fields of Manufacturing, Service & Transactional Environments, Healthcare, Financial Services, Government and Defense, Integration of Lean and Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma, Innovation through Six Sigma, and Six Sigma compliance. Yahoo Finance reports:

The Gala Dinner coincides with WCBF's Global Six Sigma Summit (www.gsssa.com), the largest gathering of CEOs and senior executives passionate about Six Sigma.

Six Sigma Financial Services Conference

The Worldwide Conventions and Business Forums (WCBF), will hold the third Annual Six Sigma in Financial Services Conference in New York on May11-12, 2006. This is heralded as the largest and most highly regarded Six Sigma event in the industry, and is ideal for you if your organization is looking for some insight into the use of Six Sigma in Financial Services. To manage your business for process excellence, you can register using the form on the WBCF website.

eTQM hosts international conference on Six Sigma in Dubai

The two-day international conference on Six Sigma, the first in its genre, opened in Dubai. Participants include leading exponents of Six Sigma process implementation belonging to business spheres such as TQM, Business Management, and CRM. The meet is being hosted by the e-TQM College Advisory Board, which has initiated many steps to increase awareness of TQM practices.

The venue is itself significant, because several business enterprises in the region are growing into multinational proportions, and Six Sigma quality assurance can help improve their business processes and reduce defects.

Six Sigma has come a long way since its implementation by Motorola in 1986, and global leaders—including Ford, Microsoft, Caterpillar, Raytheon, Siemens, Merrill Lynch and 3M—have benefited from the positive impact of Six Sigma principles.

Six Sigma CEO of the Year Award

If you happen to be in the vicinity of the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas between July 27-30 this year, an event to watch out for is WCBF's Global Six Sigma Summit. The Summit will also host the Six Sigma CEO of the Year Award, which is being sponsored by Breakthrough Management Group, a global leader in Performance Excellence and Six Sigma consulting, training, and technology solutions. Reliable Plant Magazine reports:

"We are excited to be a part of this awards program and its recognition of the most outstanding business achievements through the application of Six Sigma," commented David Silverstein, president and CEO of BMG. "The WCBF Six Sigma Summit promises to be a great event and we look forward to welcoming our clients as well as other delegates to our exhibit booth and to the event as a whole."

e-TQM College to host Six Sigma conference in Dubai

An international conference is being organized between March 28 and 29 by e-TQM College in Dubai to investigate the importance of the Six Sigma practice in ensuring excellence in production processes. The conference will see the participation of leading academicians who will debate the various aspects of the Six Sigma approach. AME Info reports:

The conference will also cover various aspects of Six Sigma centred on themes of Competitiveness, Reality, Leadership and Management Support, Tools and Techniques, Team Dynamics, Deployment and Performance Measurement and Cultural Change.

The Six Sigma CEO of the Year Award at the WCBF Global Six Sigma Summit

The Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas is going to host the WCBF's Global Six Sigma Summit on June 27-30. The Six Sigma CEO of the Year Award is also to be given away on the occasion. Breakthrough Management Group, a leader in performance excellence and provider of Six Sigma consulting, training, and technology solutions, is sponsoring the Award.

The winner of this award is expected to have brought about outstanding success in his or her organization through the practice of Six Sigma. The official website of The Global Six Sigma Awards has additional details of the judges, the categories, and the factors that will determine the winner. Reliable Plant Magazine reports: 

"We are excited to be a part of this awards program and its recognition of the most outstanding business achievements through the application of Six Sigma," commented David Silverstein, president and CEO of BMG.

Does Six Sigma hold back innovation?

According to Mary Brenner, Management professor at the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), a total commitment to processes such as Six Sigma and quality management hinders the urge to innovate and explore new programs.

According to the paper titled "TQM, ISO 9000, Six Sigma: Do Process Management Programmes Discourage Innovation?" it is important to apply processes scrupulously and with discrimination, and avoid the percolation of their application in one area into other areas. It is advisable to apply processes where they are needed, and avoid them in business arenas that require innovation. Domain-B.com reports:

Professor Benner urges organisations to become "ambidextrous", managing process management and innovation simultaneously. Innovation can happen in both the research and development department, where companies generate new ideas or create new products, and in marketing, where companies search for new markets and new customers.

Event: Live Webcast on Lean and Six Sigma: The Winning Customer Satisfaction Formula

On November 16, an hour-long live web-based conference will be broadcast on the topic, The Winning Customer Satisfaction Formula. An article published by IndustryWeek gives details of registering for the conference.

The panelists at the conference include Adrienne Selko, manager of the editorial content of IndustryWeek's award-winning Web site; Sheri Phillips, associate partner within IBM's supply chain management practice; Kirk Paluska, consultant with Value Stream Solutions and a faculty member of the Lean Enterprise Institute; Bill Ridenour, president of UPCO, Inc., a Claremore, Okla., manufacturer of oilfield products; and Chuck Siepold, director of the Infor global solutions throughput improvement services group, the Lean initiative team, and directly responsible for the Easy Lean/DBR consulting and implementation.

The discussions will focus on the integration of Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma in the process of on-time delivery and high product quality. IndustryWeek.com reports:

Attend Lean and Six Sigma: The Winning Customer Satisfaction Formula and you'll learn proven methods for eliminating waste and improving time to market -- all designed to dramatically improve customer satisfaction. Don't miss this dynamic Webcast outlining manufacturing's most revolutionary strategy, Lean and Six Sigma, brought to you by leading experts.

Design for Six Sigma 2006: Issues and debates

The upcoming three-day mega event, Design for Six Sigma 2006, is set to grab the attention of attendees through informative presentations and knowledge trips. The event will add to the experience of the attendees on their DFSS journey, in which they strive to recognize defects at an early stage, preferably at the design stage of a product, and take steps to correct them.

Some of the important topics that will be discussed at the event are "Program Behavior Issues," "Evaluation of Synergies," and "Revolutionizing the Front End of the DFSS efforts to adapt to ever-changing customer demands." A workshop will be hosted by Bart Huthwaite, Founder and CEO of the Institute for Lean Innovation, and industry experts will debate on important issues relating to Six Sigma implementation. Businesswire.com reports:

Once again, "Design for Six Sigma 2006" promises to be a success. Attendees can expect to experience high impact, informative presentations delivered by renowned experts within the industry. This two-track event will discuss key issues that are fundamental to DFSS success, which will empower attendees to confidently continue to implement their DFSS processes.   

Event: Design for Six Sigma 2006

Delegates at the Design for Six Sigma 2006 event will be able to gain further momentum in their DFSS program and use their knowledge for implementing a process free from defects. Research has shown that the earlier a defect is diagnosed, the easier it is to rectify that defect and move the DFSS approach forward. It is critical that manufacturers realize the defects prevalent in their business processes and initiate measures to resolve them. In implementing such process improvements, companies have registered qualitative and fiscal gains.

The Design for Six Sigma event this year will study issues related to program behavior, evaluation of synergies, and adapting to changing customer demands. Businesswire.com reports:

Once again, "Design for Six Sigma 2006" promises to be a success. Attendees can expect to experience high impact, informative presentations delivered by renowned experts within the industry. This two-track event will discuss key issues that are fundamental to DFSS success, which will empower attendees to confidently continue to implement their DFSS processes. 

Six Sigma and Total Information Quality Management

Six Sigma entails strict enforcement of its principles. A rigid implementation can yield very positive results for a company, and this is the reason behind the popularity of the concept. There is a subtle difference between a Six Sigma approach to information quality and Total Information Quality Management (TIQM).

The DM Review Magazine has published an article on this aspect in its October issue. The article examines the meaning of Six Sigma, the reasons for the popularity of Six Sigma and TIQM, the Six Sigma process implementation and TIQM's six processes, Six Sigma's DMAIC phases and steps, and TIQM's processes and steps. The DM Review Magazine reports:

The bottom line is that TIQM is a quality management system that focuses on business effectiveness and customer satisfaction, whether performed as a Six Sigma project or not.

2nd Annual Six Sigma Summit in Bahrain in December

The 2nd Annual Six Sigma Summit is being held in Bahrain from December 5-7, 2005 at the Bahrain Conference Centre. The meet is expected to attract more than 200 delegates from across the Middle-East. The meet is being organized by Future Vision in association with Bahrain Society for Training & Development (BSTD), and is supported by Juran Institute Inc, USA, the leading authority in quality management.

On December 5, a briefing on Six Sigma and business processes will be delivered by Joseph A. De Feo, President & CEO, Juran Institute Inc. The talk will also highlight the implementation of Six Sigma at Telefonica Spain, a world leader in the telecommunications industry. Other case studies that will be presented at the Summit include Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabian Airlines, and Dubai Cables Company (Ducab).  On December 6 and 7, a Post-Summit Champion Workshop will be held under the stewardship of Joseph A. De Feo. AMEinfo.com reports:

A successful Six Sigma implementation demands a change in corporate culture that begins at the highest levels. For this reason, top-management commitment is a key factor determining the success of any organization's Six Sigma initiative. The members of the management team who create such initiatives are called Six Sigma Champions. A Six Sigma Champion Manages, Supports, Defends, Protects, Endorses, Maintains, and Deploys an organization's Six Sigma effort.   

The Six Sigma Dilemma

Ever since its roots in the 1980s, the Six Sigma principle has been adopted by several companies across different industrial pursuits. However, the concept of Six Sigma is still alien to many parts of the world. In an article published on September 28, Fastcompany.com explains the concept of Six Sigma, and its application in different sectors of entrepreneurial activity.

Essentially, Six Sigma is a set of processes that help analyze problem areas in a business process, and then identifies the root cause of those problem areas. The principle has been adopted by several leading companies in the world, including Sony, DuPont, and Merrill Lynch. According to the article published on Fastcompany.com, while there are merits in the implementation of Six Sigma principles, it is not necessary that success can come only through such implementation. Fastcompany.com reports:

No one disputes the worthiness of Six Sigma's intentions, much less the statistics. But a quick survey of a handful of industries, using product-quality ratings from J.D. Power and Associates, led CDU to believe that while Welch may be right that you can't afford not to understand Six Sigma, you can't necessarily afford to use it, either.

Read More: Six Sigma Stigma

Publication on Six Sigma implementation

Mediagrab reviews an important publication on the principle of Sigma and its value in business propositions. The book, titled The Power of Ultimate Six Sigma(r): Keki Bhote's Proven System for Moving Beyond Quality Excellence to Total Business Excellence, emphasizes the importance of the customer in all business processes, and explains the application of the author's theory of ultimate Six Sigma in the context of organizational and management techniques. The book provides examples of how to organize a business enterprise for tendering greater value to the stakeholder.

Of particular importance in the book are the chapters dealing with loyalty issues of the customer, employee, and the supply team. The book also provides case studies and examples of Six Sigma application in real-world scenarios, and a checklist that can act as a self test to measure the implementation of the Six Sigma theory of management. The author seeks to move Six Sigma beyond the realm of manufacturing, and emphasizes that the goal of zero customer defects can be achieved through—among other factors—the implementation of a company culture for customer loyalty, a differentiation of the customer base, identifying core customer defections, and customer cultivation. Mediagrab reports:

Though much of Bhote's book remains applicable only to manufacturing, providing only a superficial and sometimes unorganized explanation of many tools and techniques, it makes significant strides in encompassing the design and service areas, and there is still much to be recommended in its reading. The how-to lists of business disciplines may take some expansion and individual research, but they are a good consolidated list of actions on which to focus to make one's business more effective. In the same way, the self-assessment, or health audits, at the end of each chapter offer a practical way to measure how far a company is in implementing Ultimate Six Sigma as a management system.

Read More: MediaGab Shop: The Power of Ultimate Six Sigma(r): Keki Bhote's Proven System for Moving Beyond Quality Excellence to Total Business Excellence

Televised show to explain Six Sigma and Lean implementation in Fort Wayne

The city of Fort Wayne has been able to make a saving of $10 million within a period of five years (2000-20005) by following the Six Sigma and Lean principles.

Through this practice, the city is able to extend protection to its tax payers, deescalate costs, and extend better services. This has been achieved with a small work force of dedicated people. The city plans to explain this achievement through the implementation of Sigma and Lean principles in a televised program on October 27 at 7 p.m. local time. There is also a telecast to show how to reduce heating bills  in the winter. FortWayne.com reports:

By using business practices such as Six Sigma and Lean, the city protects taxpayers, reduces costs and provides more services, all with fewer employees. “Bringing the Basics to You” will feature a discussion with city employees Rick Orr and Maria Gomez-Espino, who will tell you how they did it. The program airs live at 7 p.m. Oct. 27. Residents are encouraged to call 422-8708 with their questions.

Read More: City TV schedule tips cap to ‘CSI’

Defense Department to implement Lean and Six Sigma

The Defense Department is implementing a new customer-centric approach towards acquisitions, technology and logistics. The Department also acknowledged changes in the business processes within the Department, which required the enforcement of new principles that will guide business practices. The Business practice itself will be focused around the areas of supply chain, medical readiness and performance, acquisitions, and process assimilation. The intention is to provide the stakeholders with the best value.

The Department aims to implement Lean Six Sigma principles as a business strategy to help manage business practices. With the introduction of Lean and Six Sigma, it is expected that business processes will improve and be more focused towards speedy implementation and efficiency. Blackanthem.com quotes Kenneth J. Krieg of the Defense Department:

I intend to use its principles to consider the effectiveness and efficiency of the administrative processes of acquisition documentation, allowing our staff to streamline their procedures and free their time to focus on other customer needs.... In an era where people are devoting more and more hours to their work, it's not sensible to further increase the time...we spend. Instead, we must increase the efficiency of our business products.

Read More: DoD Adopts New Business Practices to Manage Supply Chain

Best Practices, LLC reports on Lean, Six Sigma, and TQM implementation by leading companies

Best Practices, LLC, a research and consulting company, has prepared a report on Lean and Six Sigma processes. The report gives examples of large organizations that have implemented Lean and Six Sigma principles and gained positive results. The report mentions case studies of General Electric and Bank of America, the important techniques for bringing about Six Sigma change, and the tools for specifying problem areas which have scope for improvement.

The report further elaborates on the important Six Sigma implantation techniques: leading companies advocate starting with Lean Sigma; in some situations, it may be better to start with few small projects and encouraging their success; the use of DMAIC, DFSS, or DMADV;  and a team of consultants to help implement Six Sigma. The last suggestion evoked a mixed response regarding its utility. PR Newswire reports:

Lean Sigma and Six Sigma are the most frequently used productivity approaches for numerous top-tier firms. More than half (55%) of benchmarked companies expect to receive between 1-7% of savings/revenue enhancement through Lean or Six Sigma.

Read More: Lean, Six Sigma & TQM: Top Companies Document Their Success

The 2nd Annual Six Sigma Summit: Taking Six Sigma to the next level

The 2nd annual Six Sigma summit is being organized by WCBF. According to PR Newswire, leading industrialists have confirmed their participation at the meeting. Projected as an event larger than the first summit, the meeting will introduce new features such as the Executive Roundtable for leading participants, and the New User and Advanced User Forums to go with the workshops held prior to the conference. The summit will be opened by Tom McCarty, Executive Vice President at Strategic Consulting. McCarty will speak about quality and excellence in service and transactional environments.

The summit presents an excellent opportunity for participants to interact with exponents of Six Sigma, and gain first-hand knowledge of the latest projects that have been launched with Six Sigma deployment. The meeting will highlight issues such as Lean Six Sigma implementation, keeping the Six Sigma concept in a constant forward movement, and adapting design for Six Sigma. PR Newswire provides details of the participants at the meet:

Following the sell-out 1st annual conference in 2004 with over 175 senior level attendees, this event is set to be the largest of its kind for this industry. This is the place to benchmark and learn from detailed, practical case studies including presentations from Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, AIG Insurance, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Sterling Savings Bank, Apogee Enterprises, GE Capital International Services, UnitedHealth Group, DTE Energy, Wells Fargo, Motorola, Microsoft and Holley High End Performance.

Read More: WCBF Announces the Speaker Panel for the 2nd Annual Six Sigma in Service & Transactional Environments Summit   

Fort Wayne Mayor moots idea of a disaster communication response system

Inside INdiana Business reports an announcement made by Fort Wayne Mayor Graham Richard that the community should develop a disaster response system. This announcement came as part of the Mayor's presentation at the Six Sigma meeting. The mayor is examining methods of improving communications in an unforeseen eventuality, and has selected a team to look into this aspect. This team will specify the requirements of an effective disaster communications system, and then put forward a schedule and the estimated budget for building the system.

Past experience has shown that in case of an emergency, it is the local backup system that works first, before the state machinery is able to reach the disaster-hit area. This further accentuates the importance of an effective communications system that can manage unforeseen calamities. Inside INdiana Business elaborates on the Mayor's plans:

To help meet the challenge, Mayor Richard has created a Disaster Communication Response BEST Team (Building Excellent Systems through Teams) to explore ways to enhance communication systems in a major, community wide emergency. Lou Dollive, president and general manager at ITT Industries and Wayne Iurillo, site executive at Raytheon will co-chair the team.

Read More: Fort Wayne to Establish Enhanced Communication System

Six Sigma process management: A tool to prioritize problems and build solutions

The Six Sigma process management has been an effective method for cutting costs and enhancing business processes for several decades now. However, misconceptions persist regarding the concept and its implementation. To remove such misconceptions, Rowland Hayler and Michael Nichols have published their research in a book called What is Six Sigma Process Management?

The authors are working actively on Six Sigma implementation, and they bring their experience to show how Six Sigma can help organizations improve customer satisfaction and meet business challenges. According to the book, Six Sigma provides businesses and their managers with methods to prioritize problems, and then develop solutions. Six Sigma provides companies with the right perspective regarding the problems, and a checklist of queries that need to be asked when addressing the problems. Bangkok Post reports:

It offers insights on process management, including identifying critical customer process metrics, guidelines to improve customer satisfaction by identifying customer-seen failures, ways to enhance overall business improvement strategy and insights on how future SSPM developments can address modern business challenges.

Read More: Not a black art but a sound strategy

Upcoming event: Six Sigma conference in Fort Wayne

A news release from Inside INdiana Business dated September 12 announces an upcoming conference on Six Sigma. Scheduled for September 14, the conference is being jointly organized by the City of Fort Wayne and the TQM Network. The target audience for the seminar comprises of CEOs, business owners, and public leaders, who will hopefully become aware of the positive impact of a Six Sigma implementation. Such impact ranges from cost-effective business processes to all-round improvement in customer service and productivity.

A real-world example where Six Sigma has worked is the City of Fort Wayne itself, which has—according to the city Mayor—managed to cut costs by US$10 million in the last five years. Through effective compliance of Six Sigma and Lean practices, the city has been able to protect taxpayers, reduce costs, and provide enhanced services. Inside INdiana Business reports:

The showcase is designed for CEO's, business owners, mayors, public leaders, VP's, and site managers to learn how Six Sigma can improve organizations. Six Sigma helps organizations decrease costs, improve customer service and increase productivity. Data based decision-making and empowerment of employees are key components to the success of the program.

Read More: Fort Wayne to Host Six Sigma Event

Webcast on Manufacturing Interoperability in Six Sigma and Lean Strategies

Industry Week reports that a live web conference on the importance of manufacturing systems interoperability in Six Sigma and Lean strategies is being organized on September 14, starting at 2:00 p.m. EDT (GMT 04:00, New York). The conference is being sponsored by Visiprise, and the expected duration is one hour. The objective of the conference is to provide a platform for manufacturing interoperability. This concept is gaining importance because of the trend towards globalization, which makes it imperative for entrepreneurs to have a composite view of their respective enterprises, so that collaboration becomes a viable strategy.

For organizations where Six Sigma and Lean strategies have already been implemented, the concept of manufacturing interoperability provides an added impetus to business processes. According to the article in Industry Week, the key areas where interoperability can contribute are customer satisfaction, cost and productivity, quality, and product innovation. The article also provides a list of key speakers in the web broadcast:

During this webcast, Greg Gorbach, Vice President Collaborative Manufacturing with the ARC Advisory Group, will provide an overview of manufacturing systems interoperability and report on some of the recent trends surrounding this strategy. Rick Nordin, Senior Project Manager with Visiprise, Inc., will demonstrate how these measurements fit in with established Lean and Six Sigma initiatives.

Read More: The Importance of Manufacturing Systems Interoperability in Your Six Sigma and Lean Strategies

WCBF's Annual Lean Six Sigma Summit 2005: an opportunity for Lean Six Sigma practitioners

Worldwide Conventions and Business Forums (WCBF) organized its first Annual Lean Six Sigma Summit in 2004. This colloquium was marked by heavy participation and outstanding success. A PR Newswire release gives details of the 2nd Lean Six Summit to be held this year. The panel includes representatives from various industries who have experienced Six Sigma implementation. This experience is expected to be passed on to practitioners at the conference. The industries represented in the elite speaker panel include health, pharmaceuticals, investments, and information technology.

The participants will gain first-hand experience of the status of Lean Six Sigma and the various management theories on its deployment. In particular, the panelists will offer practical advise, case studies on Lean Six Sigma deployment and its results, a platform for acquiring new skills and establishing fresh contacts, and details of conforming to regulations and standards in implementing Lean Six Sigma in different business environs. PR Newswire reports:

The 2nd Annual Summit has been carefully researched to gather together cross-industry Lean Six Sigma deployment leaders to meet the needs of practitioners whatever their industry or wherever they are on their Lean Six Sigma journey.

Read More: WCBF Announces the Dates for the 2nd Annual Lean Six Sigma Summit for Manufacturing, Service & Transactional Environments

The concept of Six Sigma and its application in Transactional and Service industries

Since the implementation of Six Sigma by Motorola in 1987, and the successful implementation by General Electric a few years later, several companies across the globe have adopted Six Sigma as an essential part of their business strategy. This popularity of Six Sigma has consequently led to the publication of several books on the subject. Business Wire reviews a book on Research and Markets, which has extended Six Sigma to transactional and service sectors.

The first part of the book introduces the concept of Six Sigma, while the second part provides examples of industries in the transactional and service sectors where Six Sigma has been implemented. The contents of the book will appeal to both the uninitiated and the expert, and includes topics such as Six Sigma training, projects, and toolbox, and several case studies of Six Sigma implementation. Business Wire reports:

The focus is on the implementation of the Six Sigma methodology rather than on the statistical tools and techniques. The aim of this book is to provide the reader with some practical and useful guidelines for Six Sigma deployment and its application to transactional and service processes. 

Read More: Research and Markets: Six Sigma  in Transactional and Service Environments

Brussels conference to discuss Lean and Six Sigma implementation in European defence forces

Business Wire reports on the necessity to implement strategies such as Lean and Six Sigma in the European defence arena; this will ensure that the defence and armed forces reflect positive growth.

An upcoming event that is aimed at the integrated implementation of the Lean and Six Sigma strategies in the defence sector is the conference to be held in Brussels between November 2 and 4 this year. The event is being organized by Marcus Evans, a leading business information firm, and will provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge and expertise. Among the speakers will be defence personnel who will be sharing their expertise.

Perhaps the most important segment of the event will be a panel discussion on the implementation of Lean and Six Sigma across European defence forces. This discussion will pinpoint the countries which have already put Six Sigma into practice and measure the success and/or failure of such implementation. The list of participants announced by Marcus Evans is impressive, and the event is likely to generate constructive thinking. Business Wire reports:

This event will be practical, informative and interactive and will include case studies, relevant accounts, instructive examples and supportive workshops concerning the Lean and Six Sigma practice.... At this event key tools and expertise knowledge will be specified, allowing military and industry personnel the ability to effectively execute Lean and Six Sigma quality projects. This event also features a post-conference workshop facilitated by Pertinence and a post-conference site tour of Solar Turbines, Inc., a Caterpillar subsidiary.

Read More: Implementing Lean and Six Sigma within the European Defence Industry

Conference to Discuss Future of Six Sigma and Lean in Economic Upswing

The Four Seasons Philadelphia will this August 24-26 play host to executives from Fortune 500 companies who are set to discuss how early adapters and innovative leaders are utilizing Six Sigma and similar programs to gain an edge on the competition.  Keynote guests include Sun Microsystems, GE and Rexam executives, who have ushered in new takes on the Lean Six Sigma initiatives and in turn seen phenomenal successes with the program.  The group will also discuss the shift from strict cost cutting to revenue generation and waste reduction which has corrolated with the economic upswing globally and in the United States specifically. Forbes.com reports:

Discussions include: How GE Maintains Operational Efficiency, Six Sigma at Xerox, Sun Microsystems: Rebooting the Lean Six Sigma Initiative, Lockheed Martin's Quality and Process Excellence Success.

Read More: GE, Xerox, Lockheed Martin and Other Top Companies Convene to Discuss Current Lean, Six Sigma and Process Excellence Innovations

How Helpful are Six Sigma Conferences?

A recent Six Sigma conference in Johannesburg got me thinking about the benefits of attending Six Sigma conferences.  In theory, the conferences should provide opportunities to learn about different approaches to the application of Six Sigma as well some of the pitfalls that can be avoided through careful application.  In that respect, it must be said that this conference was, like most others a failure.  Little was learned by way of new and innovative applications of Six Sigma that were at all practical.  But that is not to say, however, that attending Six Sigma conferences are not worthwhile.  By contrast, Six Sigma conferences are often a fantastic opportunity to network with professionals involved in the implementation process as well as an opportunity to converse informally with individuals preparing to or currently undertaking an implementation of the same Six Sigma you are preparing to.  Ultimately, these conferences yield exactly what you put into them.  If you go expecting to sit idly by and learn profound details about the Six Sigma process you will be mistaken.  If by contrast however, it view it as an opportunity to develop important contacts with individuals involved with Six Sigma it can be particularly valuable. ITweb.com reports:

It was a great opportunity for our customers to learn more on these topics, as well as to share in the experiences of colleagues, to obtain first-hand information of the successes of Six Sigma in organisations and learnings from the process.

Read More: Knowledge-sharing through Six Sigma conference

Employing Six Sigma in Marketing

A recent presentation by Keving Clancy, Ph.D who is chairman and CEO of Copernicus Marketing consulting argued that far too much of what is spent on marketing is not yielding any real results.  Citing a statistic from the 2005 Harvard Business Review Clancy reported that a 100% increase in marketing expenditures returns only a 1% increase in sales.  At face value this type of arguement seems patently rediculous.  But what it reveals, Clancy argues is that many companies are marketing in the wrong way to the wrong people.  He contends that companies should apply the same Six Sigma strategies that have revolutionized their businesses to their marketing.  Marketers should has for more than one idea with regard to positioning statements and concepts rather than go for the first idea that appears solid.  This seemingly introduces a great deal of inefficiency into the braintorming portion of marketing, but ultimately, according to Clancy, allows for much higher end yields.  adjab.com reports:

Dumb targeting and no positioning yield Zero Sigma results.

Read More: ANA MA Forum: Six Sigma Approach

Book Review: Power of Ultimate Six Sigma

Implementing Six Sigma has in the past been a prohibitively costly endeavor for many small and even mid-sized companies.  Recently, however, a number of literary contributions have brought forth the ability of individuals to understand and apply the Six Sigma process to their own business.  In this latest release, entitled Power of Ultimate Six Sigma, the author goes beyond an overview of the Six Sigma process as outlined in books such as Six Sigma for Dummies, and begins to explain his variant on how Six Sigma should be employed, known as Ultimate Six Sigma.  While the writing is at times convoluted, the author does an adequate job of explaining an approach to Six Sigma that has eluded writers for years.  To assist the reader, the author provides a number of visuals including charts, checklists and graphs.  That said, this type of book is better suited for individuals who already have some background or experience with Six Sigma rather than the novice who is entirely ignorant of the terms used and structure of the program. MediaGab Reports:

3. Since there is no one perfect book on the topic of Six Sigma, and since it is always a good idea to keep learning, this book is well worth the money.  For those who buy this book and understand that it isn't a "how to" book on Six Sigma will be satisfied.

Read More: Power of Ultimate Six Sigma

Six Sigma in Supply Chain Yields $5m on Average

A recent report entitled, "The Supply Chain & the Impact of Quality Initiatives" found that the incorporation of quality initiatives achieves an average savings of $5 million.  Achieving such gains relies primarily upon companies focusing on demand/supply management and planning, production planning, and scheduling.  Additional considerations should also be inventory and warehouse management.   While the overall conclusions of this report are by no means surprising, as the benefits of programs like Six Sigma are widely touted, some specifics on what emphases pay off when implementing these programs were.  For example, the study cited that those companies who kept a better eye on the supply chain developments of competitors achieved much higher gains through the incorporation of programs like Six Sigma than those who did not.  IndustryWeek Reports:

Successful companies noted that keeping track of practices of peer company leaders and other industry leaders are critical to identifying the supply chain critical improvement opportunities.

Read More: Quality Initiatives In Supply Chain Have Large Pay-Offs

Study Reveals Just 38% of Companies Use Six Sigma

A recent survey by Optimize magazine of 156 business technology executieves revealed that fewer than 40% of companies are currently employing Six Sigma.  This rather surprising information is due to the fact that many executives do not believe that the nature of their business allows for incorporation of the Six Sigma efficiency program.  This is due to the notoriously cited statistic that Six Sigma aims to achieve a merre 3.4 defects for every product produced.  For those executives whose companies are not involved in manufacturing or who do not percieve the repetitions within their business model, there appears no advantages of the program.  The reality, however, is that every company, indeed every action, if broken down reveals a level of repitition that is duplicated thousands if not millions of times throughout the normal business practice.  InformationWeek Reports:

Achieving Six Sigma requires mastering several stages: defining the process in question, measuring its performance, analyzing its effectiveness, implementing improvements, and controlling improvements over the long term. 

Read More: Search For Improvement With Complex Six Sigma

Kennedy Space Center CFO Discusses 6 Lessons For Implementing Six Sigma

After being introduced to Six Sigma through a recommendation by IBM, the Kennedy Space Center's Consultant firm, the organization has launched two more Six Sigma initiatives.  This experience with such a large scale investment in the principles of Six Sigma has brought forth a number of helpful lessons which can aid anyone planning to implement the program.  The article outlines 6 key principles to follow when implementing the program including being open to fundamental changes in the business and organizational models, and having someone clearly responsible for the efficiency process implementation. FederalTimes.com Reports:

3. Pick the process owner early. Sure, the CFO or the chief executive officer owns the process. But that’s not what we mean. The process owner is the person who worries about process performance, is accessible every day and is the person the CFO looks to for process accountability. Process ownership is not a recognizable role in the CFO organization; it doesn’t fit anywhere in the standard position descriptions, and there’s no spot for it on the organization chart. After rigorous analysis, it was clear to us that unclear process ownership was one of our major problems.

Read More: The lessons of Six Sigma: Management tool helped refocus priorities

Six Sigma's "Fishbone" or Ishikawa Organizational Diagram Explained

The Six Sigma "fishbone" or Ishikawa diagram, originally designed to generate a comprehensive list of possible causes for steel manufacturing problems and defects, is now being applied to a wide variety of management structures.  Kent Bauer of DM Review explains the cababilities of the diagram, and how it can be applied to your business model.  DM Review.com Reports:

Read More: KPI Identification with Fishbone Enlightenment

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

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