SIGMA workshop

SIX SIGMA is a set of practices originally developed by Motorola to systematically improve processes by eliminating defects. A defect is defined as nonconformity of a product or service to its specifications.

While the particulars of the methodology were originally formulated by Bill Smith at Motorola in 1986, Six Sigma was heavily inspired by six preceding decades of quality improvement methodologies such as quality control, TQM, and Zero Defects. Like its predecessors, Six Sigma asserts the following:

• Continuous efforts to reduce variation in process outputs is key to business success
• Manufacturing and business processes can be measured, analyzed, improved and controlled
• Succeeding at achieving sustained quality improvement requires commitment from the entire organization, particularly from top-level management

he term "SIX SIGMA" refers to the ability of highly capable processes to produce output within specification. In particular, processes that operate with six sigma quality produce at defect levels below 3.4 defects per (one) million opportunities (DPMO). Six Sigma's implicit goal is to improve all processes to that level of quality or better.

Six Sigma is a registered service mark and trademark of Motorola, Inc. Motorola has reported over US$17 billion in savings from Six Sigma as of 2006.

In the 1970s, products if they reach 2 Sigma reach the standards. But in the 1980s, the quality requirement has been raised to 3 Sigma. This means that products pass rate has reached 99.73% level of only 0.27% for substandard. Or explain products for every 1,000 goods only 2.7 for faulty. Many people think that the level of products to this point has been very successful. However, according to Evans and Lindsay book, if products reached 99.73% pass rate, then the following events will continue in the United States:

• Each of 20000 dispensing error medicine incident
• Every year more than 15,000 babies were born at the ground will be thrown
• Annual average nine hours without water, electricity and heating supply
• Every week 500 wrong surgery incident
• An hour a 2000 letter sent wrong

Although the pass rate has reached 99.73% level, but I am sure you readers to the above requirements are not satisfied with the quality. So many companies have asked the "six sigma" quality management. That is to say, their quality requirement is "3 Sigma" doubled. Their pass rate of 99.99966%, every 1 million kinds of products, only 3.4 is faulty (very close to zero defects requirements). In contrast, 3 Sigma allow the 1 million products in 2700 faulty. In fact, Japan has "six sigma" quality requirements become their targets.