1886:
from a few that are detailed from the experience of leading organizations like GE and
Motorola, most cases are not documented in a systemic or academic manner. In fact, the majority are case studies illustrated on websites, and are, at best, sketchy. They provide no mention of any specific Six Sigma methods that were used to resolve the problems. It has been argued that by relying on the Six Sigma criteria, management is lulled into the idea that something is being done about quality, whereas any resulting improvement is accidental (Latzko 1995). Thus, when looking at the evidence put forward for Six Sigma's success, mostly by consultants and people with vested interests, the question that begs to be asked is: are we making a true improvement with Six Sigma methods or just getting skilled at telling stories? Everyone seems to believe that we are making true improvements, but there is some way to go to document these empirically and clarify the causal relations.
1144:
for this real-life increase in process variation over time, an empirically based 1.5 sigma shift is introduced into the calculation. Mikel Harry, the creator of Six Sigma, based the 1.5 sigma shift on the height of a stack of discs. He called this "Benderizing". He claimed that based on his stack, all processes shift 1.5 sigma every 50 samples. According to this idea, a process that fits 6 sigma between the process mean and the nearest specification limit in a short-term study will in the long term fit only 4.5 sigma – either because the process mean will move over time, or because the long-term standard deviation of the process will be greater than that observed in the short term, or both.
1175:
1832:, the use of Six Sigma is inappropriate in a research environment. Dodge states "excessive metrics, steps, measurements and Six Sigma's intense focus on reducing variability water down the discovery process. Under Six Sigma, the free-wheeling nature of brainstorming and the serendipitous side of discovery is stifled." He concludes "there's general agreement that freedom in basic or pure research is preferable while Six Sigma works best in incremental innovation when there's an expressed commercial goal."
356:
1816:
accepted Six Sigma scoring system thus cannot be equated to actual normal distribution probabilities for the stated number of standard deviations, and this has been a key bone of contention over how Six Sigma measures are defined. The fact that it is rarely explained that a "6 sigma" process will have long-term defect rates corresponding to 4.5 sigma performance rather than actual 6 sigma performance has led several commentators to express the opinion that Six Sigma is a
533:)—and the nearest specification limit. As process standard deviation goes up, or the mean of the process moves away from the center of the tolerance, fewer standard deviations will fit between the mean and the nearest specification limit, decreasing the sigma number and increasing the likelihood of items outside specification. According to a calculation method employed in process capability studies, this means that practically no items will fail to meet specifications.
1156:
of the 1.5 sigma shift, is commonly referred to as a 4.5 sigma process. The failure rate of a six sigma distribution with the mean shifted 1.5 sigma is not equivalent to the failure rate of a 4.5 sigma process with the mean-centered on zero. This allows for the fact that special causes may result in a deterioration in process performance over time and is designed to prevent underestimation of the defect levels likely to be encountered in real-life operation.
639:
546:
486:. The upper and lower specification limits (USL and LSL) are at a distance of 6σ from the mean. Normal distribution means that values far away from the mean are extremely unlikely—approximately 1 in a billion too low, and the same too high. Even if the mean were to move right or left by 1.5 standard deviations (also known as a 1.5 sigma shift, colored red and blue), there is still a safety cushion.
51:
744:
916:
a set of comparable certification standards for Lean
Certification. Criteria for Green Belt and Black Belt certification vary; some companies simply require participation in a course and a Six Sigma project. There is no standard certification body, and different certifications are offered by various quality associations for a fee. The
1529:
organization is not big enough to be able to afford black belts does not diminish its ability to make improvements using this set of tools and techniques. The infrastructure described as necessary to support Six Sigma is a result of the size of the organization rather than a requirement of Six Sigma itself.
1815:
The 1.5 sigma shift has also become contentious because it results in stated "sigma levels" that reflect short-term rather than long-term performance: a process that has long-term defect levels corresponding to 4.5 sigma performance is, by Six Sigma convention, described as a "six sigma process". The
1681:
described Six Sigma as "a basic version of quality improvement", stating that "there is nothing new there. It includes what we used to call facilitators. They've adopted more flamboyant terms, like belts with different colors. I think that concept has merit to set apart, to create specialists who can
1155:
will have 3.4 parts per million outside the limits, when the limits are six sigma from the "original" mean of zero and the process mean is then shifted by 1.5 sigma (and therefore, the six sigma limits are no longer symmetrical about the mean). The former six sigma distribution, when under the effect
915:
developed certification programs as part of their Six Sigma implementation. Following this approach, many organizations in the 1990s started offering Six Sigma certifications to their employees. In 2008 Motorola
University later co-developed with Vative and the Lean Six Sigma Society of Professionals
536:
One should also note that the calculation of sigma levels for a process data is independent of the data being normally distributed. In one of the criticisms of Six Sigma, practitioners using this approach spend a lot of time transforming data from non-normal to normal using transformation techniques.
1143:
Experience has shown that processes usually do not perform as well in the long term as they do in the short term. As a result, the number of sigmas that will fit between the process mean and the nearest specification limit may well drop over time, compared to an initial short-term study. To account
2923:
The nonconformance situation semiconductor suppliers found recently emerged from embracing the standard of "Six Sigma." This permits 3.4 defects per million components. Why anyone would want to do that is beyond me. But they are now paying the price. When even ordinary chips contain a million or
1718:
The use of "Black Belts" as itinerant change agents has fostered an industry of training and certification. Critics have argued there is overselling of Six Sigma by too great a number of consulting firms, many of which claim expertise in Six Sigma when they have only a rudimentary understanding of
879:
operate under Master Black Belts to apply Six Sigma to specific projects. They also devote all of their time to Six Sigma. They primarily focus on Six Sigma project execution and special leadership with special tasks, whereas
Champions and Master Black Belts focus on identifying projects/functions
593:
business culture. However, lean management primarily focuses on eliminating waste through tools that target organizational efficiencies while integrating a performance improvement system, while Six Sigma focuses on eliminating defects and reducing variation. Both systems are driven by data, though
1885:
One final criticism, probably more to the Six Sigma literature than concepts, relates to the evidence for Six Sigma’s success. So far, documented case studies using the Six Sigma methods are presented as the strongest evidence for its success. However, looking at these documented cases, and apart
1761:
Another comment refers to the oft-mentioned
Transfer Function, which seems to be a flawed theory if looked at in detail. Since significance tests were first popularized many objections have been voiced by prominent and respected statisticians. The volume of criticism and rebuttal has filled books
1749:
More direct criticism is the "rigid" nature of Six Sigma with its over-reliance on methods and tools. In most cases, more attention is paid to reducing variation and searching for any significant factors, and less attention is paid to developing robustness in the first place (which can altogether
1627:
This is a sector that has been highly matched with this doctrine for many years because of the nature of zero tolerance for mistakes and potential for reducing medical errors involved in healthcare. The goal of Six Sigma in healthcare is broad and includes reducing the inventory of equipment that
1795:
considers risk managers little more than "blind users" of statistical tools and methods. He states that statistics is fundamentally incomplete as a field as it cannot predict the risk of rare events—something Six Sigma is especially concerned with. Furthermore, errors in prediction are likely to
1618:
field, it is important to ensure that products are delivered to clients at the right time while preserving high-quality standards. By changing the schematic diagram for the supply chain, Six Sigma can ensure quality control on products (defect-free) and guarantee delivery deadlines, the two main
1565:
Although companies have considered common quality control and process improvement strategies, there's still a need for more reasonable and effective methods as all the desired standards and client satisfaction have not always been reached. There is still a need for an essential analysis that can
1757:
misconceptions is the false belief that the probability of a conclusion being in error can be calculated from the data in a single experiment without reference to external evidence or the plausibility of the underlying mechanism. One of the most serious but all-too-common misuses of inferential
893:
Some organizations use additional belt colors, such as "yellow belts", for employees that have basic training in Six Sigma tools and generally participate in projects, and "white belts" for those locally trained in the concepts but do not participate in the project team. "Orange belts" are also
1159:
The role of the sigma shift is mainly academic. The purpose of six sigma is to generate organizational performance improvement. It is up to the organization to determine, based on customer expectations, what the appropriate sigma level of a process is. The purpose of the sigma value is as a
873:, identified by Champions, act as in-house coaches on Six Sigma. They devote all of their time to Six Sigma, assisting Champions and guiding Black Belts and Green Belts. In addition to statistical tasks, they ensure that Six Sigma is applied consistently across departments and job functions.
1881:'s Centre for Business Performance is that while Six Sigma is a powerful approach, it can also unduly dominate an organization's culture; and they add that much of the Six Sigma literature – in a remarkable way (six-sigma claims to be evidence, scientifically based) – lacks academic rigor:
1528:
and John
Kullmann, companies with fewer than 500 employees are less suited to Six Sigma or need to adapt the standard approach to making it work for them. Six Sigma, however, contains a large number of tools and techniques that work well in small to mid-size organizations. The fact that an
597:
Six Sigma's implicit goal is to improve all processes but not necessarily to the 3.4 DPMO level. Organizations need to determine an appropriate sigma level for each of their most important processes and strive to achieve these. As a result of this goal, it is incumbent on management of the
1586:
Six Sigma has played an important role by improving the accuracy of allocation of cash to reduce bank charges, automatic payments, improving the accuracy of reporting, reducing documentary credit defects, reducing check collection defects, and reducing variation in collector performance.
1741:(which espouses a competing quality-improvement process)". The summary of the article is that Six Sigma is effective at what it is intended to do, but that it is "narrowly designed to fix an existing process" and does not help in "coming up with new products or disruptive technologies."
1750:
eliminate the need for reducing variation). The extensive reliance on significance testing and use of multiple regression techniques increase the risk of making commonly unknown types of statistical errors or mistakes. A possible consequence of Six Sigma's array of
324:
made it central to his business strategy. In 1998 GE announced $ 350 million in cost savings thanks to Six Sigma, which was an important factor in the spread of Six Sigma (this figure later grew to more than $ 1 billion). By the late 1990s, about two thirds of the
502:. Originally, it referred to the ability of manufacturing processes to produce a very high proportion of output within specification. Processes that operate with "six sigma quality" over the short term are assumed to produce long-term defect levels below 3.4
340:. The Lean Six Sigma methodology views lean manufacturing, which addresses process flow and waste issues, and Six Sigma, with its focus on variation and design, as complementary disciplines aimed at promoting "business and operational excellence".
860:
and other members of top management. They are responsible for setting up a vision for Six Sigma implementation. They also empower other stakeholders with the freedom and resources to transcend departmental barriers and overcome resistance to
1198:
These figures assume that the process mean will shift by 1.5 sigma toward the side with the critical specification limit. In other words, they assume that after the initial study determining the short-term sigma level, the long-term
1182:
showing a process that experienced a 1.5 sigma drift in the process mean toward the upper specification limit starting at midnight. Control charts help identify when a process should be investigated in order to find and eliminate
1299:
1223:= 0.33). Note that the defect percentages indicate only defects exceeding the specification limit to which the process mean is nearest. Defects beyond the far specification limit are not included in the percentages.
932:
Within the individual phases of a DMAIC or DMADV project, Six Sigma uses many established quality-management tools that are also used outside Six Sigma. The following list shows an overview of the main methods used.
680:
the data to investigate and verify cause and effect. Determine what the relationships are, and attempt to ensure that all factors have been considered. Seek out the root cause of the defect under investigation.
1758:
statistics is to take a model that was developed through exploratory model building and subject it to the same sorts of statistical tests that are used to validate a model that was specified in advance.
347:(ISO) published the first standard "ISO 13053:2011" defining a Six Sigma process. Other standards have been created mostly by universities or companies with Six Sigma first-party certification programs.
1649:
reported that more than 60% of projects fail. A review of academic literature found 34 common failure factors in 56 papers on Lean, Six Sigma, and LSS from 1995-2013. Among them are (summarized):
1160:
comparative figure to determine whether a process is improving, deteriorating, stagnant or non-competitive with others in the same business. Six Sigma (3.4 DPMO) is not the goal of all processes.
1574:
were reduced by 26.2% and 67% accordingly after adopting Six Sigma. Similarly, Six Sigma implementation was studied at one of the largest engineering and construction companies in the world:
1632:, which recorded an increase in examinations with no additional machines of 45% and a reduction in patients' preparation time of 40 minutes; from 45 minutes to 5 minutes in multiple cases.
274:
methods and by hiring people who serve as Six Sigma experts. Each Six Sigma project follows a defined methodology and has specific value targets, such as reducing pollution or increasing
1537:
After its first application at
Motorola in the late 1980s, other internationally recognized firms currently recorded high number of savings after applying Six Sigma. Examples include
3347:
1578:
Corporation, where after an initial investment of $ 30 million in a Six Sigma program that included identifying and preventing rework and defects, over $ 200 million were saved.
867:
take responsibility for Six Sigma implementation across the organization. The
Executive Leadership draws them from upper management. Champions also act as mentors to Black Belts.
285:
originates from statistical quality control, a reference to the fraction of a normal curve that lies within six standard deviations of the mean, used to represent a defect rate.
1773:
an article critical of Six Sigma noted: "The dangers of a single paradigmatic orientation (in this case, that of technical rationality) can blind us to values associated with
834:
One key innovation of Six Sigma involves professionalizing quality management. Prior to Six Sigma, quality management was largely relegated to the production floor and to
890:
According to proponents, special training is needed for all of these practitioners to ensure that they follow the methodology and use the data-driven approach correctly.
3901:
484:
432:
458:
1570:
cracks and slippage between concrete and steel. After conducting a case study on Tinjin Xianyi
Construction Technology, it was found that construction time and
1229:
400:
3078:
380:
3434:
3321:
2990:
2086:
1850:
718:, production boards, visual workplaces, and continuously monitor the process. This process is repeated until the desired quality level is obtained.
2804:
Albliwi, S.; Antony, J.; Halim Lim, S.A.; van der Wiele, T. (2014). "Critical failure factors of Lean Six Sigma: a systematic literature review".
1762:
with language seldom used in the scholarly debate of a dry subject. Much of the first criticism was already published more than 40 years ago (see
1643:
While there are many advocates for a Six Sigma approach for the reasons stated above, more than half of projects are unsuccessful: in 2010, the
886:
are the employees who take up Six Sigma implementation along with their other job responsibilities, operating under the guidance of Black Belts.
3831:
1628:
brings extra costs, altering the process of healthcare delivery in order to make it more efficient and refining reimbursements. A study at the
344:
903:
3351:
1796:
occur as a result of ignorance of or distinction between epistemic and other uncertainties. These errors are the biggest in time variant (
2722:
2317:
1594:
announced in 2004 that Six Sigma had helped it increase customer satisfaction by 10.4% and decrease customer issues by 24%; similarly,
924:
stating that they have completed two projects or one project combined with three years' practical experience in the body of knowledge.
227:
2702:
3703:
3376:
Going Lean: How the Best
Companies Apply Lean Manufacturing Principles to Shatter Uncertainty, Drive Innovation, and Maximize Profits
3047:
3024:
2232:
34:
2028:
567:
Achieving sustained quality improvement requires commitment from the entire organization, particularly from top-level management.
1812:
has dismissed the 1.5 sigma shift as "goofy" because of its arbitrary nature. Its universal applicability is seen as doubtful.
710:
the future state process to ensure that any deviations from the target are corrected before they result in defects. Implement
3634:
3576:
3385:
3264:
3159:
3105:
2608:
2542:
2478:
2445:
2412:
2374:
2268:
2146:
1976:
581:
Commitment to making decisions on the basis of verifiable data and statistical methods rather than assumptions and guesswork
564:
Manufacturing and business processes have characteristics that can be defined, measured, analyzed, improved, and controlled.
1917: – Japanese concept referring to continuous improvement – a philosophical focus on continuous improvement of processes
3082:
2658:
Dasgupta, Tirthankar (2003-05-01). "Using the six-sigma metric to measure and improve the performance of a supply chain".
2500:
1763:
1133:
1665:
Lack of awareness of the benefits of Lean/Six Sigma; Lack of technical understanding of tools, techniques, and practices
2363:
Harry, Mikel J.; Mann, Prem S.; De Hodgins, Ofelia C.; Hulbert, Richard L.; Lacke, Christopher J. (20 September 2011).
2747:
3789:
3663:
3605:
3544:
3513:
3477:
3448:
3416:
3301:
3188:
3130:
2571:
2350:
2301:
2216:
2116:
2012:
1312:
1212:
1192:
1148:
503:
1215:
figure given for 1 sigma assumes that the long-term process mean will be 0.5 sigma beyond the specification limit (C
106:
1064:
729:
step at the beginning, which is to recognize the right problem to work on, thus yielding an RDMAIC methodology.
1878:
1598:
eliminated non-received renewal credit cards. Other financial institutions that have adopted Six Sigma include
1184:
1068:
248:
220:
3438:
3696:
2946:
697:
or mistake proofing, and standard work to create a new, future state process. Set up pilot runs to establish
296:
pioneered Six Sigma, setting a "six sigma" goal for its manufacturing business. It registered Six Sigma as a
191:
3205:
1635:
Lean Six Sigma was adopted in 2003 at Stanford hospitals and was introduced at Red Cross hospitals in 2002.
2777:
2508:
1944:
1683:
917:
167:
121:
111:
3325:
838:
in a separate quality department. Formal Six Sigma programs adopt an elite ranking terminology similar to
626:
619:
3896:
3881:
3836:
1710:, which require the flawless etching of millions of tiny circuits onto a single chip, are all defective.
1519:
1058:
825:
the design, set up pilot runs, implement the production process and hand it over to the process owner(s).
715:
537:
It must be said that sigma levels can be determined for process data that has evidence of non-normality.
495:
3566:
3503:
2997:
1733:
article stated that "of 58 large companies that have announced Six Sigma programs, 91% have trailed the
3467:
1849:
had the effect of stifling creativity and reports its removal from the research function. It cites two
196:
671:
key aspects of the current process and collect relevant data; calculate the "as-is" process capability
3891:
3225:
The fourth quadrant: a map of the limits of statistics Nassim Nicholas Taleb, An Edge Original Essay
1629:
1013:
589:
and Six Sigma share similar methodologies and tools, including the fact that both were influenced by
434:
or sigma). The greater the standard deviation, the larger the spread of values; for the green curve,
302:
213:
2631:
Kwak, Young Hoon; Anbari, Frank T. (2006). "Benefits, obstacles, and future of six sigma approach".
329:
organizations had begun Six Sigma initiatives with the aim of reducing costs and improving quality.
3758:
3689:
3406:
1950:
1200:
988:
247:) is a set of techniques and tools for process improvement. It was introduced by American engineer
136:
116:
20:
3626:
Lean Six Sigma Service Excellence: A Guide to Green Belt Certification and Bottom Line Improvement
3595:
1524:
Six Sigma mostly finds application in large organizations. According to industry consultants like
662:
the system, the voice of the customer and their requirements, and the project goals, specifically.
3886:
3597:
Leading Six Sigma: A Step-by-Step Guide Based on Experience with GE and Other Six Sigma Companies
3308:
key bones of contention amongst the statistical experts about how Six Sigma measures are defined.
2782:
1797:
1687:
1169:
1053:
1659:
Poor project selection and prioritization; weak link to strategic objectives of the organization
557:
Continuous efforts to achieve stable and predictable process results (e.g., by reducing process
2832:
2563:
2082:
558:
263:
3469:
JURAN Institute's Six Sigma Breakthrough and Beyond – Quality Performance Breakthrough Methods
3293:
3150:
The Cult of Statistical Significance: How the Standard Error Costs Us Jobs, Justice, and Lives
2600:
2435:
2136:
2109:
JURAN Institute's Six Sigma Breakthrough and Beyond – Quality Performance Breakthrough Methods
3810:
3732:
2468:
2402:
2364:
2258:
1792:
1778:
1115:
1023:
920:, for example, requires Black Belt applicants to pass a written exam and to provide a signed
690:
275:
126:
2588:
1662:
Resistance to culture change; Poor communication; Lack of consideration of the human factors
3737:
3206:"Army Logistician (A Values-Based Critique of Lean and Six Sigma as a Management Ideology)"
2236:
1896:
1774:
1737:
since". The statement was attributed to "an analysis by Charles Holland of consulting firm
1653:
Lack of top management attitude, commitment, and involvement; lack of leadership and vision
1538:
1174:
1147:
Hence the widely accepted definition of a six sigma process is a process that produces 3.4
1120:
951:
946:
738:
463:
1911:– Data science and data analytics process designed to enhance data-driven decision-making
1905: – Data-driven improvement cycle used for improving and optimizing business processes
8:
3784:
3535:
The Six Sigma Way: How GE, Motorola, and Other Top Companies are Honing Their Performance
3288:
The Six Sigma Way: How GE, Motorola, and Other Top Companies are Honing Their Performance
3235:
2596:
2168:
1854:
1786:
1719:
the tools and techniques involved or the markets or industries in which they are acting.
1645:
1152:
1074:
1027:
961:
571:
Features that set Six Sigma apart from previous quality-improvement initiatives include:
417:
359:
85:
2032:
798:
uality), measure product capabilities, production process capability, and measure risks.
437:
3876:
3763:
3374:
3177:
3148:
2683:
2644:
1938:
1926:
1866:
1729:
1571:
1049:
956:
698:
514:
499:
411:
333:
271:
80:
385:
3669:
3659:
3640:
3630:
3611:
3601:
3582:
3572:
3550:
3540:
3533:
3519:
3509:
3483:
3473:
3454:
3444:
3422:
3412:
3381:
3297:
3286:
3260:
3252:
3184:
3155:
3126:
3101:
2914:
2873:
2675:
2604:
2589:
2567:
2538:
2474:
2441:
2408:
2370:
2346:
2297:
2291:
2264:
2212:
2142:
2112:
2008:
1956:
1809:
1656:
Lack of training and education; lack of resources (financial, technical, human, etc.)
1542:
607:
101:
3095:
2968:
2687:
1853:
professors who say that Six Sigma leads to incremental innovation at the expense of
3841:
3794:
2898:
2861:
2813:
2667:
2640:
2053:
1980:
1817:
1699:
1595:
998:
983:
976:
908:
777:
design goals that are consistent with customer demands and the enterprise strategy.
590:
365:
317:
267:
65:
42:
24:
846:
to define a hierarchy (and career path) that spans business functions and levels.
689:
or optimize the current process based upon data analysis using techniques such as
3727:
3653:
3624:
2206:
2002:
1702:
pointed out that the Six Sigma standard does not go far enough—customers deserve
1678:
1591:
1111:
1036:
971:
711:
586:
407:
75:
3064:
2671:
2817:
1932:
1920:
1842:
1603:
518:
410:, with the horizontal axis showing distance from the mean, denoted in units of
337:
70:
2512:
2366:
Practitioner's Guide to Statistics and Lean Six Sigma for Process Improvements
2138:
Connecting Knowledge and Performance in Public Services: From Knowing to Doing
355:
3870:
3644:
3554:
3505:
Six Sigma Deployment: A Guide for Implementing Six Sigma in Your Organization
2906:
2869:
2679:
1862:
1707:
1525:
1219:= –0.17), rather than 1 sigma within it, as it was in the short-term study (C
1179:
1004:
259:
3673:
3615:
3586:
3523:
3487:
3458:
3426:
2918:
2877:
1546:
3768:
3496:
The Impact of Six Sigma Improvement-A Glimpse into the Future of Statistics
1837:
1782:
1703:
1615:
1040:
839:
835:
510:. This figure is based on the tolerance in the height of a stack of discs.
297:
141:
1294:{\displaystyle {\text{DPMO}}=1,000,000\cdot (1-\phi ({\text{level}}-1.5))}
2910:
992:
966:
530:
507:
403:
326:
310:. In 2005 Motorola attributed over $ 17 billion in savings to Six Sigma.
262:
quality by identifying and removing the causes of defects and minimizing
162:
506:(DPMO). The 3.4 dpmo is based on a "shift" of ± 1.5 sigma explained by
3096:
Harlow, Lisa Lavoie; Stanley A. Mulaik; James H. Steiger, eds. (1997).
2935:
Lean Six Sigma: Cost Reduction Strategies, Ade Asefeso MCIPS MBA (2012)
1734:
1599:
1045:
629:) is used for projects aimed at creating new product or process designs
491:
332:
In recent years, some practitioners have combined Six Sigma ideas with
321:
50:
2467:
Coryea, R. Leroy; Cordy, Carl E.; Coryea, LeRoy R. (27 January 2006).
816:
an improved alternative, best suited per analysis in the previous step
622:) is used for projects aimed at improving an existing business process
3846:
2504:
1032:
1008:
921:
694:
313:
307:
172:
2537:. Rolling Meadows, Illinois: Motorola University Press. p. 25.
3440:
Implementing Six Sigma: Smarter Solutions Using Statistical Methods
2924:
more components, such a standard means that they are all defective.
2803:
1567:
1018:
912:
293:
252:
3681:
3494:
Hahn, G. J., Hill, W. J., Hoerl, R. W. and Zinkgraf, S. A. (1999)
1785:, workforce creativity and development, humanizing the workplace,
849:
Six Sigma identifies several roles for successful implementation:
1751:
1738:
1575:
743:
638:
606:
Six Sigma projects follow two project methodologies, inspired by
3531:
Pande, Peter S.; Neuman, Robert P.; Cavanagh, Roland R. (2001).
3284:
Pande, Peter S.; Neuman, Robert P.; Cavanagh, Roland R. (2001).
2903:
Quality Is Still Free: Making Quality Certain in Uncertain Times
1549:, which reported €30 million in savings in the first 10 months;
575:
Focus on achieving measurable and quantifiable financial returns
3815:
2135:
Walshe, Kieran; Harvey, Gill; Jas, Pauline (15 November 2010).
1914:
1554:
938:
157:
3498:, The American Statistician, Vol. 53, No. 3, pp. 208–215.
545:
3857:
3742:
3120:
2806:
International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management
1908:
1902:
1877:
One criticism voiced by Yasar Jarrar and Andy Neely from the
1105:
1079:
647:
522:
201:
3564:
3236:"Special Workshop on Risk Acceptance and Risk Communication"
320:
were also early adopters of Six Sigma. As GE's CEO, in 1995
3405:
Adams, Cary W.; Gupta, Praveen; Wilson, Charles E. (2003).
2730:
Statistica Applicata: Italian Journal of Applied Statistics
1550:
843:
611:
526:
3380:. AMACOM (a division of American Management Association).
2362:
1941: – Business process to aid consistent product fitness
3179:
Statistical Significance: Rationale, Validity and Utility
1195:
values corresponding to various short-term sigma levels.
1151:(DPMO). This is based on the fact that a process that is
857:
1108:
analysis (Customer centric version/perspective of SIPOC)
2083:"Six Sigma Survey: Breaking Through the Six Sigma Hype"
1846:
1693:
997:
Cause & effects diagram (also known as fishbone or
362:
underlies the statistical assumptions of Six Sigma. At
2996:. Sigma Breakthrough Technologies, Inc. Archived from
1959: – American engineer and statistician (1900–1993)
1869:'s 6 Sigma program did little to change its fortunes.
1606:, where customer satisfaction was the main objective.
466:
440:
420:
388:
368:
306:); on December 28, 1993, it registered Six Sigma as a
3348:"At 3M, a struggle between efficiency and creativity"
1232:
3655:
SIX SIGMA: SPC and TQM in Manufacturing and Services
2882:
Quality is measured by the price of nonconformance,
2558:
Gygi, Craig; DeCarlo, Neil; Williams, Bruce (2005).
2434:
Webber, Larry; Wallace, Michael (15 December 2006).
2257:
Webber, Larry; Wallace, Michael (15 December 2006).
2250:
2208:
SIX SIGMA: SPC and TQM in Manufacturing and Services
2004:
SIX SIGMA: SPC and TQM in Manufacturing and Services
1923: – Methodology of systematically removing waste
1226:
The formula used here to calculate the DPMO is thus
3530:
3283:
3257:
The Six Sigma Practitioner's Guide to Data Analysis
2557:
2396:
2394:
2392:
1935: – Pejorative term for organizational practice
1682:be very helpful. Again, that's not a new idea. The
594:Six Sigma is much more dependent on accurate data.
3532:
3373:
3285:
3176:
3147:
3146:McCloskey, Deirdre N.; Ziliak, Stephen T. (2008).
2891:
2660:Total Quality Management & Business Excellence
2401:Keller, Paul A.; Keller, Paul (16 December 2010).
2130:
2128:
1857:. This phenomenon is further explored in the book
1823:
1293:
1207:will turn out to be 0.5 less than the short-term C
478:
452:
426:
394:
374:
270:. This is done by using empirical and statistical
2466:
2427:
2343:Rath & Strong's Six Sigma Leadership Handbook
767:igma"), the DMADV methodology's five phases are:
598:organization to prioritize areas of improvement.
3902:Professional certification in quality management
3868:
3404:
2389:
3145:
3121:Morrison, Denton; Henkel, Ramon, eds. (2006) .
2460:
2134:
2125:
2111:. Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited.
1764:Statistical hypothesis testing § Criticism
1686:long ago established certificates, such as for
1560:
652:The DMAIC project methodology has five phases:
3292:. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. p.
2289:
1929: – Methodology used to improve production
1861:, which describes a related approach known as
1744:
1138:
561:) are of vital importance to business success.
345:International Organization for Standardization
3697:
3465:
3019:
3017:
2866:Quality and Me: Lessons from an Evolving Life
2778:"Where process-improvement projects go wrong"
2757:. Journal for Healthcare Quality · March 2006
2433:
2356:
2256:
2106:
1722:
1706:. For example, under the Six Sigma standard,
1007:/Control plan (also known as a swimlane map)/
904:List of Six Sigma certification organizations
578:Emphasis on management leadership and support
221:
3565:Pyzdek, Thomas & Paul A. Keller (2009).
3466:De Feo, Joseph A.; Barnard, William (2005).
3339:
2988:
2854:
2400:
2107:De Feo, Joseph A.; Barnard, William (2005).
1828:According to John Dodge, editor in chief of
1545:, which saved over $ 500 million as well as
786:and identify CTQs (characteristics that are
3278:
3276:
2775:
2141:. Cambridge University Press. p. 175.
1557:also reported successfully reducing waste.
3704:
3690:
3539:. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional.
3472:. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional.
3014:
2966:
2630:
2587:El-Haik, Basem; Suh, Nam P. (2005-04-15).
2586:
2551:
2233:"Motorola University Six Sigma Dictionary"
2200:
2198:
1947: – Maintenance management methodology
1541:, with $ 600 million of reported savings,
228:
214:
3594:Snee, Ronald D.; Hoerl, Roger W. (2002).
3593:
3433:
3411:. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.
3139:
3098:What If There Were No Significance Tests?
2318:"Six sigma support from upper management"
2290:Harry, Mikel; Schroeder, Richard (2000).
2196:
2194:
2192:
2190:
2188:
2186:
2184:
2182:
2180:
2178:
1149:defective parts per million opportunities
3658:. Aldershot, UK: Gower Publishing, Ltd.
3273:
3241:. Stanford University. 26–27 March 2007.
3197:
3114:
2755:www.researchgate.net/publication/7034272
2720:
2657:
2407:. McGraw-Hill Professional. p. 40.
2021:
1953: – Approach to business improvement
1872:
1173:
894:mentioned to be used for special cases.
742:
637:
544:
354:
3651:
3443:. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
3251:
3245:
2969:"The 'Six Sigma' Factor for Home Depot"
2776:Chakravorty, Satya (January 25, 2010).
2700:
2580:
2204:
2102:
2100:
2098:
2096:
2000:
1994:
1969:
1669:Others have provided other criticisms.
3869:
3622:
3501:
3219:
3089:
2944:
2897:
2860:
2470:Champion's Practical Six Sigma Summary
2225:
2175:
1713:
1672:
829:
16:Business process improvement technique
3685:
3568:The Six Sigma Handbook, Third Edition
3371:
3365:
3345:
3319:
3313:
3057:
2830:
2824:
2626:
2624:
2622:
2620:
2532:
2526:
2369:. John Wiley and Sons. pp. 30–.
2283:
2211:. Gower Publishing, Ltd. p. 25.
513:Specifically, say that there are six
258:Six Sigma strategies seek to improve
3629:. New York, NY: J. Ross Publishing.
3600:. Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT Press.
3228:
3203:
3174:
3168:
3040:
2982:
2967:Richardson, Karen (7 January 2007).
2947:"Tearing up the Jack Welch playbook"
2704:Sei Sigma per Docenti in 14 Capitoli
2093:
2080:
2076:
2074:
2072:
2070:
2007:. Gower Publishing, Ltd. p. 6.
1694:Inadequate for complex manufacturing
927:
3711:
2991:"Wall Street Journal SBTI Rebuttal"
2960:
2938:
2493:
2473:. Xlibris Corporation. p. 65.
2046:
1134:List of Six Sigma software packages
13:
3508:. Tucson, AZ: Quality Publishing.
3397:
3071:
2645:10.1016/j.technovation.2004.10.003
2617:
2161:
1899: – Business management method
1803:
807:to develop and design alternatives
14:
3913:
3790:Failure mode and effects analysis
3322:"3M Shelves Six Sigma in R&D"
3123:The Significance Test Controversy
2566:pp. Front inside cover, 23.
2067:
504:defects per million opportunities
494:, specifically from the field of
3320:Dodge, John (10 December 2007).
3154:. University of Michigan Press.
2701:Cascini, Egidio (30 July 2024).
2345:. John Wiley and Sons. pp 57–83
1845:'s introduction of Six Sigma at
1532:
1211:value. So, now for example, the
1191:The table below gives long-term
897:
601:
49:
3350:. Business Week. Archived from
3100:. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
3048:"Twelve P-value misconceptions"
2929:
2831:Paton, Scott M. (August 2002).
2797:
2769:
2740:
2714:
2694:
2651:
2535:The Nature of six sigma quality
2335:
2310:
2263:. For Dummies. pp. 42–43.
1865:and provides data to show that
1824:Stifling creativity in research
1704:defect-free products every time
1609:
1163:
1065:Quantitative marketing research
2989:Ficalora, Joe; Costello, Joe.
2945:Morris, Betsy (11 July 2006).
2833:"Juran: A Lifetime of Quality"
2748:"Lean Six Sigma in Healthcare"
2440:. For Dummies. pp. 292–.
1879:Cranfield School of Management
1566:control the factors affecting
1513:
1288:
1285:
1271:
1259:
1069:Enterprise Feedback Management
943:Statistical and fitting tools
490:The term Six Sigma comes from
336:to create a methodology named
1:
3571:. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
3324:. Design News. Archived from
3204:Paparone, Dr. Christopher R.
2723:"IN MEMORY OF EGIDIO CASCINI"
2721:Celegato, Alessandro (2017).
2054:"Six Sigma: Where is it now?"
1963:
1622:
150:Information and communication
3346:Hindo, Brian (6 June 2007).
2971:. Wall Street Journal Online
2872:: Jossey-Bass. p. 159.
2509:American Society for Quality
1977:"The Inventors of Six Sigma"
1945:Total productive maintenance
1684:American Society for Quality
1638:
1619:issues in the supply chain.
1561:Engineering and construction
918:American Society for Quality
350:
7:
3837:Statistical process control
2672:10.1080/1478336032000046652
2437:Quality Control for Dummies
2260:Quality Control for Dummies
2029:"About Motorola University"
1890:
1745:Over-reliance on statistics
1520:List of Six Sigma companies
1139:Role of the 1.5 sigma shift
1127:
1059:Quality Function Deployment
716:statistical process control
540:
496:statistical quality control
303:U.S. Service Mark 1,647,704
10:
3918:
3372:Ruffa, Stephen A. (2008).
3259:. SPC Press. p. 307.
2818:10.1108/IJQRM-09-2013-0147
1723:Potential negative effects
1581:
1517:
1167:
1131:
901:
736:
645:
288:
18:
3855:
3824:
3803:
3777:
3751:
3720:
3435:Breyfogle, Forrest W. III
3025:"Six Sigma Friend or Foe"
1783:organization adaptability
1630:MD Anderson Cancer Center
722:Some organizations add a
614:, each with five phases.
3759:Business process mapping
3502:Keller, Paul A. (2001).
2533:Harry, Mikel J. (1988).
1951:Total quality management
1789:, and strategy making."
1309:Sigma (with 1.5σ shift)
989:Business Process Mapping
732:
633:
553:Six Sigma asserts that:
21:Sigma 6 (disambiguation)
19:Not to be confused with
3652:Tennant, Geoff (2001).
3623:Taylor, Gerald (2008).
2783:The Wall Street Journal
2341:Bertels, Thomas (2003)
2205:Tennant, Geoff (2001).
2001:Tennant, Geoff (2001).
1185:special-cause variation
1054:Rolled throughput yield
612:Plan–Do–Study–Act Cycle
94:Industrial technologies
2564:Wiley Publishing, Inc.
1888:
1295:
1188:
748:
643:
625:DMADV ("duh-mad-vee",
618:DMAIC ("duh-may-ick",
550:
487:
480:
479:{\textstyle \sigma =1}
454:
428:
396:
376:
3811:Design of experiments
3733:Voice of the customer
3183:. SAGE Publications.
3175:Chow, Siu L. (1997).
3125:. AldineTransaction.
2560:Six Sigma for Dummies
2501:"Certification – ASQ"
2404:Six Sigma Demystified
2296:. Random House, Inc.
1883:
1873:Lack of documentation
1793:Nassim Nicholas Taleb
1779:learning organization
1539:Johnson & Johnson
1296:
1177:
1116:Taguchi Loss Function
1024:Design of experiments
1014:Cost–benefit analysis
751:Also known as DFSS ("
746:
691:design of experiments
641:
548:
481:
455:
429:
397:
377:
358:
276:customer satisfaction
266:in manufacturing and
58:Manufacturing methods
3738:Value-stream mapping
3559:Pande Six Sigma Way.
3408:Six Sigma Deployment
2505:Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1897:Design for Six Sigma
1800:) related failures.
1775:double-loop learning
1771:USA Army Logistician
1230:
1153:normally distributed
1121:Value stream mapping
952:General linear model
947:Analysis of variance
854:Executive Leadership
739:Design for Six Sigma
517:—represented by the
464:
438:
427:{\textstyle \sigma }
418:
386:
366:
3785:Root cause analysis
2597:John Wiley and Sons
1855:blue skies research
1769:In a 2006 issue of
1714:Role of consultants
1673:Lack of originality
1646:Wall Street Journal
1075:Root cause analysis
962:Regression analysis
957:ANOVA Gauge R&R
830:Professionalization
529:—represented by μ (
515:standard deviations
453:{\textstyle \mu =0}
360:Normal distribution
86:Agile manufacturing
3897:Quality management
3882:1986 introductions
3764:Process capability
3253:Wheeler, Donald J.
1939:Quality management
1927:Lean manufacturing
1841:article says that
1787:cultural awareness
1572:construction waste
1317:Percent defective
1291:
1189:
1050:Process capability
871:Master Black Belts
749:
747:DMADV's five steps
699:process capability
644:
642:DMAIC's five steps
551:
500:process capability
498:, which evaluates
488:
476:
450:
424:
412:standard deviation
392:
372:
334:lean manufacturing
300:on June 11, 1991 (
272:quality management
268:business processes
81:Lean manufacturing
3864:
3863:
3636:978-1-60427-006-8
3578:978-0-07-162338-4
3387:978-0-8144-1057-8
3266:978-0-945320-62-3
3161:978-0-472-05007-9
3107:978-0-8058-2634-0
2899:Crosby, Philip B.
2862:Crosby, Philip B.
2710:. RCE Multimedia.
2610:978-0-471-68273-8
2591:Axiomatic Quality
2544:978-1-56946-009-2
2480:978-1-4134-9681-9
2447:978-0-470-06909-7
2414:978-0-07-174679-3
2376:978-1-118-21021-5
2270:978-0-470-06909-7
2148:978-0-521-19546-1
1957:W. Edwards Deming
1810:Donald J. Wheeler
1808:The statistician
1543:Texas Instruments
1511:
1510:
1320:Percentage yield
1277:
1236:
928:Tools and methods
608:W. Edwards Deming
395:{\textstyle \mu }
251:while working at
238:
237:
3909:
3892:Business process
3795:Multi-vari chart
3706:
3699:
3692:
3683:
3682:
3677:
3648:
3619:
3590:
3561:
3538:
3527:
3491:
3462:
3430:
3392:
3391:
3379:
3369:
3363:
3362:
3360:
3359:
3343:
3337:
3336:
3334:
3333:
3317:
3311:
3310:
3291:
3280:
3271:
3270:
3249:
3243:
3242:
3240:
3232:
3226:
3223:
3217:
3216:
3214:
3213:
3201:
3195:
3194:
3182:
3172:
3166:
3165:
3153:
3143:
3137:
3136:
3118:
3112:
3111:
3093:
3087:
3086:
3081:. Archived from
3075:
3069:
3068:
3061:
3055:
3054:
3052:
3044:
3038:
3037:
3035:
3034:
3029:
3021:
3012:
3011:
3009:
3008:
3002:
2995:
2986:
2980:
2979:
2977:
2976:
2964:
2958:
2957:
2955:
2954:
2942:
2936:
2933:
2927:
2926:
2895:
2889:
2888:
2858:
2852:
2851:
2849:
2848:
2828:
2822:
2821:
2812:(9): 1012–1030.
2801:
2795:
2794:
2792:
2790:
2773:
2767:
2766:
2764:
2762:
2752:
2744:
2738:
2737:
2727:
2718:
2712:
2711:
2709:
2698:
2692:
2691:
2655:
2649:
2648:
2639:(5–6): 708–715.
2628:
2615:
2614:
2594:
2584:
2578:
2577:
2555:
2549:
2548:
2530:
2524:
2523:
2521:
2520:
2511:. Archived from
2497:
2491:
2490:
2488:
2487:
2464:
2458:
2457:
2455:
2454:
2431:
2425:
2424:
2422:
2421:
2398:
2387:
2386:
2384:
2383:
2360:
2354:
2339:
2333:
2332:
2330:
2328:
2314:
2308:
2307:
2287:
2281:
2280:
2278:
2277:
2254:
2248:
2247:
2245:
2244:
2235:. Archived from
2229:
2223:
2222:
2202:
2173:
2172:
2169:"ISO 13053:2011"
2165:
2159:
2158:
2156:
2155:
2132:
2123:
2122:
2104:
2091:
2090:
2081:Dusharme, Dirk.
2078:
2065:
2064:
2062:
2061:
2050:
2044:
2043:
2041:
2040:
2031:. Archived from
2025:
2019:
2018:
1998:
1992:
1991:
1989:
1988:
1979:. Archived from
1973:
1818:confidence trick
1700:Philip B. Crosby
1596:American Express
1303:
1302:
1300:
1298:
1297:
1292:
1278:
1275:
1237:
1234:
999:Ishikawa diagram
984:Axiomatic design
977:Chi-squared test
909:General Electric
628:
621:
549:Six Sigma symbol
485:
483:
482:
477:
459:
457:
456:
451:
433:
431:
430:
425:
414:(represented as
401:
399:
398:
393:
381:
379:
378:
373:
318:General Electric
305:
230:
223:
216:
66:Batch production
53:
43:Machine industry
30:
29:
25:5S (methodology)
3917:
3916:
3912:
3911:
3910:
3908:
3907:
3906:
3867:
3866:
3865:
3860:
3851:
3820:
3799:
3773:
3747:
3728:Project charter
3716:
3710:
3680:
3666:
3637:
3608:
3579:
3547:
3516:
3480:
3451:
3419:
3400:
3398:Further reading
3395:
3388:
3370:
3366:
3357:
3355:
3354:on June 9, 2007
3344:
3340:
3331:
3329:
3318:
3314:
3304:
3281:
3274:
3267:
3250:
3246:
3238:
3234:
3233:
3229:
3224:
3220:
3211:
3209:
3208:. Almc.army.mil
3202:
3198:
3191:
3173:
3169:
3162:
3144:
3140:
3133:
3119:
3115:
3108:
3094:
3090:
3077:
3076:
3072:
3063:
3062:
3058:
3050:
3046:
3045:
3041:
3032:
3030:
3027:
3023:
3022:
3015:
3006:
3004:
3000:
2993:
2987:
2983:
2974:
2972:
2965:
2961:
2952:
2950:
2943:
2939:
2934:
2930:
2913:. p. xiv.
2896:
2892:
2859:
2855:
2846:
2844:
2829:
2825:
2802:
2798:
2788:
2786:
2774:
2770:
2760:
2758:
2750:
2746:
2745:
2741:
2725:
2719:
2715:
2707:
2699:
2695:
2656:
2652:
2629:
2618:
2611:
2585:
2581:
2574:
2562:. Hoboken, NJ:
2556:
2552:
2545:
2531:
2527:
2518:
2516:
2499:
2498:
2494:
2485:
2483:
2481:
2465:
2461:
2452:
2450:
2448:
2432:
2428:
2419:
2417:
2415:
2399:
2390:
2381:
2379:
2377:
2361:
2357:
2340:
2336:
2326:
2324:
2316:
2315:
2311:
2304:
2288:
2284:
2275:
2273:
2271:
2255:
2251:
2242:
2240:
2231:
2230:
2226:
2219:
2203:
2176:
2167:
2166:
2162:
2153:
2151:
2149:
2133:
2126:
2119:
2105:
2094:
2079:
2068:
2059:
2057:
2052:
2051:
2047:
2038:
2036:
2027:
2026:
2022:
2015:
1999:
1995:
1986:
1984:
1975:
1974:
1970:
1966:
1893:
1875:
1826:
1806:
1804:1.5 sigma shift
1747:
1725:
1716:
1698:Quality expert
1696:
1679:Joseph M. Juran
1677:Quality expert
1675:
1641:
1625:
1612:
1592:Bank of America
1584:
1563:
1535:
1522:
1516:
1332:
1326:
1274:
1233:
1231:
1228:
1227:
1222:
1218:
1210:
1204:
1172:
1170:68–95–99.7 rule
1166:
1141:
1136:
1130:
1125:
1112:Taguchi methods
1067:through use of
1037:Pareto analysis
972:Scatter diagram
930:
906:
900:
832:
741:
735:
712:control systems
650:
636:
604:
587:lean management
543:
465:
462:
461:
439:
436:
435:
419:
416:
415:
387:
384:
383:
367:
364:
363:
353:
301:
291:
234:
184:Process control
76:Flow production
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
3915:
3905:
3904:
3899:
3894:
3889:
3887:Business terms
3884:
3879:
3862:
3861:
3856:
3853:
3852:
3850:
3849:
3844:
3839:
3834:
3828:
3826:
3822:
3821:
3819:
3818:
3813:
3807:
3805:
3801:
3800:
3798:
3797:
3792:
3787:
3781:
3779:
3775:
3774:
3772:
3771:
3766:
3761:
3755:
3753:
3749:
3748:
3746:
3745:
3740:
3735:
3730:
3724:
3722:
3718:
3717:
3709:
3708:
3701:
3694:
3686:
3679:
3678:
3664:
3649:
3635:
3620:
3606:
3591:
3577:
3562:
3545:
3528:
3514:
3499:
3492:
3478:
3463:
3449:
3431:
3417:
3401:
3399:
3396:
3394:
3393:
3386:
3364:
3338:
3312:
3302:
3272:
3265:
3244:
3227:
3218:
3196:
3189:
3167:
3160:
3138:
3131:
3113:
3106:
3088:
3085:on 2013-06-20.
3070:
3056:
3039:
3013:
2981:
2959:
2937:
2928:
2890:
2884:not by indexes
2853:
2837:Quality Digest
2823:
2796:
2768:
2739:
2713:
2693:
2666:(3): 355–366.
2650:
2616:
2609:
2579:
2572:
2550:
2543:
2525:
2492:
2479:
2459:
2446:
2426:
2413:
2388:
2375:
2355:
2334:
2309:
2302:
2282:
2269:
2249:
2224:
2217:
2174:
2160:
2147:
2124:
2117:
2092:
2087:Quality Digest
2066:
2056:. 24 June 2003
2045:
2020:
2013:
1993:
1967:
1965:
1962:
1961:
1960:
1954:
1948:
1942:
1936:
1933:Management fad
1930:
1924:
1921:Lean Six Sigma
1918:
1912:
1906:
1900:
1892:
1889:
1874:
1871:
1851:Wharton School
1843:James McNerney
1825:
1822:
1805:
1802:
1746:
1743:
1724:
1721:
1715:
1712:
1708:semiconductors
1695:
1692:
1674:
1671:
1667:
1666:
1663:
1660:
1657:
1654:
1640:
1637:
1624:
1621:
1611:
1608:
1604:JPMorgan Chase
1583:
1580:
1562:
1559:
1534:
1531:
1518:Main article:
1515:
1512:
1509:
1508:
1505:
1502:
1499:
1496:
1493:
1490:
1486:
1485:
1480:
1475:
1470:
1465:
1460:
1455:
1449:
1448:
1445:
1442:
1439:
1436:
1433:
1430:
1426:
1425:
1422:
1419:
1416:
1413:
1410:
1407:
1403:
1402:
1399:
1396:
1393:
1390:
1387:
1384:
1380:
1379:
1376:
1373:
1370:
1367:
1364:
1361:
1357:
1356:
1353:
1350:
1347:
1344:
1341:
1338:
1334:
1333:
1330:
1327:
1324:
1321:
1318:
1315:
1310:
1307:
1290:
1287:
1284:
1281:
1273:
1270:
1267:
1264:
1261:
1258:
1255:
1252:
1249:
1246:
1243:
1240:
1220:
1216:
1208:
1202:
1165:
1162:
1140:
1137:
1132:Main article:
1129:
1126:
1124:
1123:
1118:
1109:
1103:
1077:
1072:
1062:
1056:
1043:
1030:
1028:Stratification
1021:
1016:
1011:
1002:
995:
986:
981:
980:
979:
974:
969:
964:
959:
954:
949:
941:
935:
929:
926:
902:Main article:
899:
896:
888:
887:
881:
880:for Six Sigma.
874:
868:
862:
831:
828:
827:
826:
817:
808:
799:
778:
737:Main article:
734:
731:
720:
719:
702:
681:
672:
663:
646:Main article:
635:
632:
631:
630:
623:
603:
600:
583:
582:
579:
576:
569:
568:
565:
562:
542:
539:
525:)—between the
475:
472:
469:
449:
446:
443:
423:
391:
375:{\textstyle 0}
371:
352:
349:
338:Lean Six Sigma
290:
287:
236:
235:
233:
232:
225:
218:
210:
207:
206:
205:
204:
199:
194:
186:
185:
181:
180:
179:
178:
175:
170:
165:
160:
152:
151:
147:
146:
145:
144:
139:
134:
129:
124:
119:
114:
109:
104:
96:
95:
91:
90:
89:
88:
83:
78:
73:
71:Job production
68:
60:
59:
55:
54:
46:
45:
39:
38:
37:of articles on
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
3914:
3903:
3900:
3898:
3895:
3893:
3890:
3888:
3885:
3883:
3880:
3878:
3875:
3874:
3872:
3859:
3854:
3848:
3845:
3843:
3840:
3838:
3835:
3833:
3830:
3829:
3827:
3825:Control phase
3823:
3817:
3814:
3812:
3809:
3808:
3806:
3804:Improve phase
3802:
3796:
3793:
3791:
3788:
3786:
3783:
3782:
3780:
3778:Analyse phase
3776:
3770:
3767:
3765:
3762:
3760:
3757:
3756:
3754:
3752:Measure phase
3750:
3744:
3741:
3739:
3736:
3734:
3731:
3729:
3726:
3725:
3723:
3719:
3714:
3707:
3702:
3700:
3695:
3693:
3688:
3687:
3684:
3675:
3671:
3667:
3665:0-566-08374-4
3661:
3657:
3656:
3650:
3646:
3642:
3638:
3632:
3628:
3627:
3621:
3617:
3613:
3609:
3607:0-13-008457-3
3603:
3599:
3598:
3592:
3588:
3584:
3580:
3574:
3570:
3569:
3563:
3560:
3556:
3552:
3548:
3546:0-07-135806-4
3542:
3537:
3536:
3529:
3525:
3521:
3517:
3515:0-930011-84-8
3511:
3507:
3506:
3500:
3497:
3493:
3489:
3485:
3481:
3479:0-07-142227-7
3475:
3471:
3470:
3464:
3460:
3456:
3452:
3450:0-471-26572-1
3446:
3442:
3441:
3436:
3432:
3428:
3424:
3420:
3418:0-7506-7523-3
3414:
3410:
3409:
3403:
3402:
3389:
3383:
3378:
3377:
3368:
3353:
3349:
3342:
3328:on 2010-03-05
3327:
3323:
3316:
3309:
3305:
3303:0-07-135806-4
3299:
3295:
3290:
3289:
3279:
3277:
3268:
3262:
3258:
3254:
3248:
3237:
3231:
3222:
3207:
3200:
3192:
3190:0-7619-5205-5
3186:
3181:
3180:
3171:
3163:
3157:
3152:
3151:
3142:
3134:
3132:0-202-30879-0
3128:
3124:
3117:
3109:
3103:
3099:
3092:
3084:
3080:
3074:
3066:
3060:
3049:
3043:
3026:
3020:
3018:
3003:on 2007-10-25
2999:
2992:
2985:
2970:
2963:
2948:
2941:
2932:
2925:
2920:
2916:
2912:
2908:
2904:
2900:
2894:
2887:
2885:
2879:
2875:
2871:
2870:San Francisco
2867:
2863:
2857:
2842:
2838:
2834:
2827:
2819:
2815:
2811:
2807:
2800:
2785:
2784:
2779:
2772:
2756:
2749:
2743:
2735:
2731:
2724:
2717:
2706:
2705:
2697:
2689:
2685:
2681:
2677:
2673:
2669:
2665:
2661:
2654:
2646:
2642:
2638:
2634:
2627:
2625:
2623:
2621:
2612:
2606:
2602:
2598:
2593:
2592:
2583:
2575:
2573:0-7645-6798-5
2569:
2565:
2561:
2554:
2546:
2540:
2536:
2529:
2515:on 2009-12-17
2514:
2510:
2506:
2502:
2496:
2482:
2476:
2472:
2471:
2463:
2449:
2443:
2439:
2438:
2430:
2416:
2410:
2406:
2405:
2397:
2395:
2393:
2378:
2372:
2368:
2367:
2359:
2352:
2351:0-471-25124-0
2348:
2344:
2338:
2323:
2319:
2313:
2305:
2303:0-385-49437-8
2299:
2295:
2294:
2286:
2272:
2266:
2262:
2261:
2253:
2239:on 2006-01-28
2238:
2234:
2228:
2220:
2218:0-566-08374-4
2214:
2210:
2209:
2201:
2199:
2197:
2195:
2193:
2191:
2189:
2187:
2185:
2183:
2181:
2179:
2170:
2164:
2150:
2144:
2140:
2139:
2131:
2129:
2120:
2118:0-07-059881-9
2114:
2110:
2103:
2101:
2099:
2097:
2088:
2084:
2077:
2075:
2073:
2071:
2055:
2049:
2035:on 2005-12-22
2034:
2030:
2024:
2016:
2014:0-566-08374-4
2010:
2006:
2005:
1997:
1983:on 2005-11-06
1982:
1978:
1972:
1968:
1958:
1955:
1952:
1949:
1946:
1943:
1940:
1937:
1934:
1931:
1928:
1925:
1922:
1919:
1916:
1913:
1910:
1907:
1904:
1901:
1898:
1895:
1894:
1887:
1882:
1880:
1870:
1868:
1864:
1863:lean dynamics
1860:
1856:
1852:
1848:
1844:
1840:
1839:
1833:
1831:
1821:
1819:
1813:
1811:
1801:
1799:
1794:
1790:
1788:
1784:
1780:
1776:
1772:
1767:
1765:
1759:
1756:
1754:
1742:
1740:
1736:
1732:
1731:
1720:
1711:
1709:
1705:
1701:
1691:
1689:
1685:
1680:
1670:
1664:
1661:
1658:
1655:
1652:
1651:
1650:
1648:
1647:
1636:
1633:
1631:
1620:
1617:
1607:
1605:
1601:
1597:
1593:
1590:For example,
1588:
1579:
1577:
1573:
1569:
1558:
1556:
1552:
1548:
1544:
1540:
1533:Manufacturing
1530:
1527:
1526:Thomas Pyzdek
1521:
1506:
1503:
1500:
1497:
1494:
1491:
1488:
1487:
1484:
1481:
1479:
1476:
1474:
1471:
1469:
1466:
1464:
1461:
1459:
1456:
1454:
1451:
1450:
1446:
1443:
1440:
1437:
1434:
1431:
1428:
1427:
1423:
1420:
1417:
1414:
1411:
1408:
1405:
1404:
1400:
1397:
1394:
1391:
1388:
1385:
1382:
1381:
1377:
1374:
1371:
1368:
1365:
1362:
1359:
1358:
1354:
1351:
1348:
1345:
1342:
1339:
1336:
1335:
1328:
1322:
1319:
1316:
1314:
1311:
1308:
1305:
1304:
1301:
1282:
1279:
1268:
1265:
1262:
1256:
1253:
1250:
1247:
1244:
1241:
1238:
1224:
1214:
1206:
1196:
1194:
1186:
1181:
1180:control chart
1176:
1171:
1161:
1157:
1154:
1150:
1145:
1135:
1122:
1119:
1117:
1113:
1110:
1107:
1104:
1101:
1097:
1093:
1089:
1085:
1081:
1078:
1076:
1073:
1071:(EFM) systems
1070:
1066:
1063:
1060:
1057:
1055:
1051:
1047:
1044:
1042:
1038:
1034:
1031:
1029:
1025:
1022:
1020:
1017:
1015:
1012:
1010:
1006:
1005:Control chart
1003:
1000:
996:
994:
990:
987:
985:
982:
978:
975:
973:
970:
968:
965:
963:
960:
958:
955:
953:
950:
948:
945:
944:
942:
940:
937:
936:
934:
925:
923:
919:
914:
910:
905:
898:Certification
895:
891:
885:
882:
878:
875:
872:
869:
866:
863:
859:
856:includes the
855:
852:
851:
850:
847:
845:
842:systems like
841:
837:
836:statisticians
824:
822:
818:
815:
813:
809:
806:
804:
800:
797:
793:
789:
785:
783:
779:
776:
774:
770:
769:
768:
766:
762:
758:
754:
745:
740:
730:
728:
726:
717:
713:
709:
707:
703:
700:
696:
692:
688:
686:
682:
679:
677:
673:
670:
668:
664:
661:
659:
655:
654:
653:
649:
640:
624:
617:
616:
615:
613:
609:
602:Methodologies
599:
595:
592:
588:
580:
577:
574:
573:
572:
566:
563:
560:
556:
555:
554:
547:
538:
534:
532:
528:
524:
520:
516:
511:
509:
505:
501:
497:
493:
473:
470:
467:
447:
444:
441:
421:
413:
409:
405:
389:
369:
361:
357:
348:
346:
343:In 2011, the
341:
339:
335:
330:
328:
323:
319:
315:
311:
309:
304:
299:
295:
286:
284:
279:
277:
273:
269:
265:
261:
260:manufacturing
256:
254:
250:
246:
242:
231:
226:
224:
219:
217:
212:
211:
209:
208:
203:
200:
198:
195:
193:
190:
189:
188:
187:
183:
182:
176:
174:
171:
169:
166:
164:
161:
159:
156:
155:
154:
153:
149:
148:
143:
140:
138:
135:
133:
130:
128:
125:
123:
120:
118:
115:
113:
110:
108:
105:
103:
100:
99:
98:
97:
93:
92:
87:
84:
82:
79:
77:
74:
72:
69:
67:
64:
63:
62:
61:
57:
56:
52:
48:
47:
44:
41:
40:
36:
32:
31:
26:
22:
3832:Control plan
3769:Pareto chart
3721:Define phase
3712:
3654:
3625:
3596:
3567:
3558:
3534:
3504:
3495:
3468:
3439:
3407:
3375:
3367:
3356:. Retrieved
3352:the original
3341:
3330:. Retrieved
3326:the original
3315:
3307:
3287:
3256:
3247:
3230:
3221:
3210:. Retrieved
3199:
3178:
3170:
3149:
3141:
3122:
3116:
3097:
3091:
3083:the original
3073:
3059:
3042:
3031:. Retrieved
3005:. Retrieved
2998:the original
2984:
2973:. Retrieved
2962:
2951:. Retrieved
2940:
2931:
2922:
2902:
2893:
2883:
2881:
2865:
2856:
2845:. Retrieved
2840:
2836:
2826:
2809:
2805:
2799:
2787:. Retrieved
2781:
2771:
2759:. Retrieved
2754:
2742:
2733:
2729:
2716:
2703:
2696:
2663:
2659:
2653:
2636:
2633:Technovation
2632:
2590:
2582:
2559:
2553:
2534:
2528:
2517:. Retrieved
2513:the original
2495:
2484:. Retrieved
2469:
2462:
2451:. Retrieved
2436:
2429:
2418:. Retrieved
2403:
2380:. Retrieved
2365:
2358:
2342:
2337:
2325:. Retrieved
2321:
2312:
2292:
2285:
2274:. Retrieved
2259:
2252:
2241:. Retrieved
2237:the original
2227:
2207:
2163:
2152:. Retrieved
2137:
2108:
2058:. Retrieved
2048:
2037:. Retrieved
2033:the original
2023:
2003:
1996:
1985:. Retrieved
1981:the original
1971:
1884:
1876:
1858:
1838:BusinessWeek
1836:
1834:
1829:
1827:
1814:
1807:
1791:
1770:
1768:
1760:
1752:
1748:
1728:
1726:
1717:
1697:
1690:engineers."
1676:
1668:
1644:
1642:
1634:
1626:
1616:supply-chain
1613:
1610:Supply chain
1589:
1585:
1564:
1536:
1523:
1501:99.9999981%
1482:
1477:
1472:
1467:
1462:
1457:
1452:
1323:Short-term C
1306:Sigma level
1225:
1197:
1190:
1164:Sigma levels
1158:
1146:
1142:
1099:
1095:
1091:
1087:
1083:
1041:Pareto chart
931:
907:
892:
889:
883:
876:
870:
864:
853:
848:
840:martial arts
833:
820:
819:
811:
810:
802:
801:
795:
791:
787:
781:
780:
772:
771:
764:
760:
756:
752:
750:
724:
723:
721:
705:
704:
684:
683:
675:
674:
666:
665:
657:
656:
651:
627:/də.ˈmæd.vi/
620:/də.ˈmeɪ.ɪk/
605:
596:
584:
570:
552:
535:
519:Greek letter
512:
489:
406:) marks the
342:
331:
312:
298:service mark
292:
282:
280:
257:
244:
240:
239:
131:
3065:"important"
2911:McGraw-Hill
1830:Design News
1798:reliability
1735:S&P 500
1688:reliability
1514:In practice
1498:0.0000019%
1329:Long-term C
993:Check sheet
967:Correlation
884:Green Belts
877:Black Belts
508:Mikel Harry
327:Fortune 500
264:variability
3871:Categories
3358:2007-06-06
3332:2013-04-02
3212:2012-02-10
3033:2012-02-10
3007:2007-10-15
2975:2007-10-15
2953:2006-11-26
2847:2009-04-01
2843:(8): 19–23
2736:: 107–110.
2599:. p.
2519:2011-09-09
2486:2011-09-20
2453:2011-09-20
2420:2011-09-20
2382:2011-11-15
2276:2012-05-16
2243:2006-01-29
2154:2011-08-22
2060:2008-05-22
2039:2006-01-28
1987:2006-01-29
1964:References
1859:Going Lean
1623:Healthcare
1600:GE Capital
1547:Telefónica
1168:See also:
1086:uppliers,
1082:analysis (
1046:Pick chart
1033:Histograms
1009:Run charts
492:statistics
322:Jack Welch
249:Bill Smith
3877:Six Sigma
3847:Poka-yoke
3713:Six Sigma
3645:271773742
3555:647006794
2949:. Fortune
2761:22 August
2680:1478-3363
2327:March 11,
2322:6sigma.us
2293:Six Sigma
1639:Criticism
1473:99.99966%
1280:−
1269:ϕ
1266:−
1257:⋅
1102:ustomers)
922:affidavit
865:Champions
695:poka yoke
585:In fact,
559:variation
468:σ
442:μ
422:σ
390:μ
351:Etymology
314:Honeywell
308:trademark
283:Six Sigma
281:The term
255:in 1986.
241:Six Sigma
173:IEC 62264
132:Six Sigma
3674:44391556
3616:51048423
3587:51194565
3524:47942384
3488:52937531
3459:50606471
3437:(1999).
3427:50693105
3255:(2004).
2919:32820340
2907:New York
2901:(1996).
2878:40444566
2864:(1999).
2688:34848457
1891:See also
1777:and the
1568:concrete
1468:0.00034%
1441:99.977%
1366:308,538
1343:691,462
1128:Software
1098:utputs,
1094:rocess,
1019:CTQ tree
913:Motorola
790:ritical
727:ecognize
714:such as
591:Japanese
541:Doctrine
294:Motorola
253:Motorola
35:a series
33:Part of
2789:May 23,
1739:Qualpro
1730:Fortune
1614:In the
1582:Finance
1576:Bechtel
1438:0.023%
1418:99.38%
1389:66,807
1090:nputs,
861:change.
289:History
3816:Kaizen
3672:
3662:
3643:
3633:
3614:
3604:
3585:
3575:
3553:
3543:
3522:
3512:
3486:
3476:
3457:
3447:
3425:
3415:
3384:
3300:
3263:
3187:
3158:
3129:
3104:
3079:"y-FX"
2917:
2876:
2686:
2678:
2607:
2570:
2541:
2477:
2444:
2411:
2373:
2349:
2300:
2267:
2215:
2171:. ISO.
2145:
2115:
2011:
1915:Kaizen
1755:-value
1555:Boeing
1495:0.019
1415:0.62%
1412:6,210
1395:93.3%
1355:−0.17
939:5 Whys
805:nalyze
784:easure
755:esign
708:ontrol
687:mprove
678:nalyze
669:easure
163:ISA-95
158:ISA-88
3858:DMAIC
3743:SIPOC
3715:tools
3239:(PDF)
3051:(PDF)
3028:(PDF)
3001:(PDF)
2994:(PDF)
2751:(PDF)
2726:(PDF)
2708:(PDF)
2684:S2CID
1909:BADIR
1903:DMAIC
1507:1.83
1504:2.33
1447:1.17
1444:1.67
1424:0.83
1421:1.33
1398:1.00
1392:6.7%
1378:0.17
1375:0.67
1352:0.33
1340:−0.5
1276:level
1205:value
1106:COPIS
1080:SIPOC
1061:(QFD)
823:erify
814:esign
775:efine
733:DMADV
660:efine
648:DMAIC
634:DMAIC
523:sigma
202:SCADA
177:B2MML
3670:OCLC
3660:ISBN
3641:OCLC
3631:ISBN
3612:OCLC
3602:ISBN
3583:OCLC
3573:ISBN
3551:OCLC
3541:ISBN
3520:OCLC
3510:ISBN
3484:OCLC
3474:ISBN
3455:OCLC
3445:ISBN
3423:OCLC
3413:ISBN
3382:ISBN
3298:ISBN
3261:ISBN
3185:ISBN
3156:ISBN
3127:ISBN
3102:ISBN
2915:OCLC
2874:OCLC
2791:2021
2763:2020
2676:ISSN
2605:ISBN
2568:ISBN
2539:ISBN
2475:ISBN
2442:ISBN
2409:ISBN
2371:ISBN
2347:ISBN
2329:2015
2298:ISBN
2265:ISBN
2213:ISBN
2143:ISBN
2113:ISBN
2009:ISBN
1867:Ford
1602:and
1553:and
1551:Sony
1492:5.5
1478:2.00
1435:233
1432:3.5
1409:2.5
1401:0.5
1386:1.5
1372:69%
1369:31%
1363:0.5
1349:31%
1346:69%
1313:DPMO
1235:DPMO
1213:DPMO
1193:DPMO
911:and
844:judo
527:mean
460:and
408:mean
316:and
3294:229
2814:doi
2668:doi
2641:doi
1766:).
1483:1.5
1463:3.4
1458:4.5
1283:1.5
1254:000
1248:000
858:CEO
763:ix
759:or
610:'s
521:σ (
197:DCS
192:PLC
168:ERP
137:TQM
127:TOC
122:QRM
117:VDM
112:TPM
107:RCM
102:PLM
23:or
3873::
3842:5S
3668:.
3639:.
3610:.
3581:.
3557:.
3549:.
3518:.
3482:.
3453:.
3421:.
3306:.
3296:.
3275:^
3016:^
2921:.
2909::
2905:.
2880:.
2868:.
2841:22
2839:.
2835:.
2810:31
2808:.
2780:.
2753:.
2734:29
2732:.
2728:.
2682:.
2674:.
2664:14
2662:.
2637:26
2635:.
2619:^
2603:.
2601:10
2595:.
2507::
2503:.
2391:^
2320:.
2177:^
2127:^
2095:^
2085:.
2069:^
1847:3M
1835:A
1820:.
1781:,
1727:A
1489:7
1429:5
1406:4
1383:3
1360:2
1337:1
1331:pk
1325:pk
1221:pk
1217:pk
1209:pk
1203:pk
1178:A
794:o
693:,
531:mu
404:mu
382:,
278:.
245:6σ
142:ZD
3705:e
3698:t
3691:v
3676:.
3647:.
3618:.
3589:.
3526:.
3490:.
3461:.
3429:.
3390:.
3361:.
3335:.
3282:*
3269:.
3215:.
3193:.
3164:.
3135:.
3110:.
3067:.
3053:.
3036:.
3010:.
2978:.
2956:.
2886:.
2850:.
2820:.
2816::
2793:.
2765:.
2690:.
2670::
2647:.
2643::
2613:.
2576:.
2547:.
2522:.
2489:.
2456:.
2423:.
2385:.
2353:.
2331:.
2306:.
2279:.
2246:.
2221:.
2157:.
2121:.
2089:.
2063:.
2042:.
2017:.
1990:.
1753:p
1453:6
1289:)
1286:)
1272:(
1263:1
1260:(
1251:,
1245:,
1242:1
1239:=
1201:C
1187:.
1114:/
1100:C
1096:O
1092:P
1088:I
1084:S
1052:/
1048:/
1039:/
1035:/
1026:/
1001:)
991:/
821:V
812:D
803:A
796:Q
792:T
788:C
782:M
773:D
765:S
761:S
757:F
753:D
725:R
706:C
701:.
685:I
676:A
667:M
658:D
474:1
471:=
448:0
445:=
402:(
370:0
243:(
229:e
222:t
215:v
27:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
