Six Sigma and Organizational Size

— By Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer

Though the implementation of Six Sigma principles is fundamentally the same in all organizations, there are a few subtle differences during deployment.

Smaller companies with employees who are not very experienced face added expenses if they cannot afford to spare a full-time change agent. The lack of experience of employees also necessitates more training and coaching. The absence of a Master Black Belt on site may result in the project reaching a stand-still. At times, daily operations may have to be put on hold so that the larger good, i.e., the improvement through Six Sigma, can be realized.

Not all the differences between Six Sigma deployments in small and large organizations are negative though. Smaller companies adapt to cultural and organizational changes more easily. Introduction, and then implementation, of the new methods are therefore more successful. Employees at smaller concerns are usually jacks of all trades, which helps them understand the workings of most parts of their organizations rather than focusing on just their area of specialization.

Positive change is what Six Sigma is all about, and any organization that adapts to change quickly, is bound to be breeze through the deployment stage.