 It is a business management strategy, initially

implemented by Motorola.
 Six sigma today enjoys widespread
application in many sectors of industry.
 Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of
process outputs by identifying and removing
the causes of defects(errors) and variation in
manufacturing and business processes.
 Uses a set of quality management methods,
including statistical methods, and creates a
special infrastructure of people within the
organisation(Black Belts etc) who are experts
in these methods.
 Each Six Sigma project carried out within an
organisation follows a defined sequence of
steps and has quantified financial targets.
 Six Sigma has two methods.
 DMAIC and DMADV.
 Both these methods are inspired by
Deming`s Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle.
 DMAIC-To improve an existing business
process.
 DMADV- To create new product or process
designs.
 DMAIC-Define-Measure,-Analyse-Improve-
Control.
 Define high level project goals and the
current process.
 Preparing a business charter(rationale for
project)
 Understanding the relationships between
suppliers, inputs, processes, output, and
customers(SIPOC Analysis.)
 Gathering and analyzing voice of customer
data to identify the critical to quality
characteristics(CTQs).
 Measure key aspects of the current process
and collect relevant data.
 Measure the existing system.
 Analyse the data to verify cause and effect
relationship.
 Determine what the relationships are and
attempt to ensure that all factors have been
considered.
 Identify gaps between the current
performance of the system and the target
aimed at.
 Improve or optimize the process based upon
data analysis using techniques like Design
experiments.
 To fill up the gap identified in the previous
step, focus on improving the system by
adopting creativity to do things in a better,
cheaper and faster manner.
 Use statistical tools to inspect improvement.
 To ensure that any deviations from target are
corrected before they result in defects.
 Set up pilot runs to establish process
capability, move on to production, set up
control mechanisms and continuously
monitor the process.
 Five Steps.
 Define
 Measure
 Analyze
 Design
 Verify.
 Define design goals that are consistent with
customer demands and the enterprise
strategy.
 Measure and identify CTQs(characteristics
that are critical to quality) ,product
capabilities, production process capability
and risks.
 Analyze to develop and design alternatives,
create high-level design and evaluate design
capability to select the best design.
 Design details, optimize the design, and plan
for design verification.
 This phase may require simulations.
 Verify the design, set up pilot runs,
implement the production process, and hand
it over to process owners.
 Improved communication.
 Improved process flows.
 Reduced cycle times.
 Enhanced knowledge and enhanced ability to
manage that knowledge.
 Higher levels of customer satisfaction.
 Higher levels of employee satisfaction.
 Increased productivity.
 Reduced total defects.
 Decreased work-in-progress.
 Improved quality and reliability.
 Reduced inventory.
 Reduced costs or increased revenues.
 Training time costs .
 Material costs.
 Training manual development costs.
 Administrative and operating costs for
DMAIC projects.
 Infrastructure costs .
 Case study 2
 Statement of the problem: “A mouse is
found in passenger aircraft. It can damage
electrical and electro-mechanical
components which can cause a
catastrophe.” Here protection the aircraft
from mouse is the CTQ parameter. But
unlike case I, the mathematical modelling
is intricate.
 While it might be possible to find suitable
mathematical model for such problems we
need not wait till the mathematical model
is actually developed. The improvement
actions can very well begin to move
towardsachieving Six sigma.
 7.1 Reduction of process variability
 To draw the Cause-and-effect diagram the
following
 possible questions may be answered.
 Sources from where mouse can come to the
aircraft
 How to block all the paths from where mouse
can enter
 What can be done at the sources to get rid
from mice
 Even if a mouse enters the aircraft it should
not be able to reach the critical systems
 What systems should be installed to keep
mice away from the aircraft
 What training be provided to crew members
 What cooperation is required from the
passengers (customers)
 A Cause-and-effect diagram is drawn (Fig. 9)
keeping into consideration the above points.
 By drawing, studying and analysing the
Cause-and-effect
 diagram the potential causes are identified.
After that
 corrective / improvement actions are taken.
As the causes
 are eliminated one after another the process
tends closer to
 Six Sigma
 2 Process centring
 The process can be centred by planned
allocation of
 resources. The activities can be classified on
the basis of
 importance / criticality the most important
activity being
 the Key activity.
 The Key activity is allocated the
 maximum resources for the purpose of
process centring.
 Table 2 gives the classification of activities on
the basis of
 importance. Activity A is the key activity
 Activity Description
 A Protection of critical components (Key
activity)
 B To block all possible sources of mouse
 C CCTV surveillance
 D Training of crew members
 E Customer training
 Allocation of resources to the Key activity and
 the other activities
 What systems should be installed to keep
mice away
 from the aircraft
 What training be provided to crew members
 What cooperation is required from the
passengers
 (customers)
 A Cause-and-effect diagram is drawn (Fig. 9)
keeping into
 consideration the above point
 Senior Executive.
 Executive Committee.
 Black Belt.
 Green Belt.
 Master Black Belt.
 Champion
 Process owner.
 Provides the direction and the re- alignment
necessary for the ultimate success of six
sigma management.
 Leads the Executive Committee.
 Monitors and balances all six sigma activities.
 Conducts periodical reviews .
 Policy management.
 Provides the necessary resources.
 Full-Time change agent.
 Master of the Change process.
 Supervises the Green Belts.
 Serves as the team leader for Six sigma
projects because of his expertise in six-sigma
theory, tools and methods.
 Jack Welch former CEO of General Electric is a
Black Belt and devoted about 25 % of his time
to Six Sigma management.
 Serve as team member on six sigma projects.
 Select team members.
 Communicate with the champion, black belt,
and process owner concerning the status of
the project.
 Provides training in six sigma tools and
methods.
 Proven team leader and technical expert.
 A teacher and mentor of black belts and
green belts.
 Ambassador of six sigma management.
 Works to improve and innovate the Six Sigma
managemet process.
 Member of the executive commiittee.
 Active leadership and sponsorship role in six
sigma management.
 Removes obstacles to the effective and
efficient functioning of the six sigma project
teams under the auspices.
 Has the ultimate authority to change a
process.
 Works with six sigma project teams.
 Manages the project after completion of the
six sigma project to sustain the gains made
by the six sigma project team.