Explain what factors need to be present for Six Sigma to be an effective business process?
as opposed to a marketing fad
Your question has a very specific key component to it – that being an "effective business process"!
There have been many processes/projects/buzz words over the past 60 plus years (Fusion Management by Marish identified over 120 different programs) dealing with quality improvement. Parts of many of them can be found in Six Sigma, but, Six Sigma (and Lean Six Sigma) have proven to be lasting longer than anyone predicted that it would.
The key reasons:
- Management is engage (really forced into being involved) in the projects and are responsible for selecting the projects to be worked on.
- Six Sigma uses the Cost of Quality (Cost of Poor Quality or Cost of Current Quality) as the bases for evaluating the amount of improvement that is really achieved. This give a commonized benchmark that everyone can be with you and relate to.
- Because of the Cost values, even the accountants are forced to be involved in the process. Thus the financial departments can show a value to making the improvements in the organizations.
- Everyone in the establishment is suppose to learn the language of Six Sigma so the communication process becomes apparent to everyone in the company.
Based on these four foundations, the Six Sigma process is achieving more than what might have been expected.
Now the other side of your question. Not each company who uses Six Sigma is successful in make many improvement. From the organizations that I have personally seen or read about, it is always a factor of one of the four elements state above not being followed.
This might help.
http://www.helium.com/items/1364847-quality-management-with-six-sigma
References :
Your question has a very specific key component to it – that being an "effective business process"!
There have been many processes/projects/buzz words over the past 60 plus years (Fusion Management by Marish identified over 120 different programs) dealing with quality improvement. Parts of many of them can be found in Six Sigma, but, Six Sigma (and Lean Six Sigma) have proven to be lasting longer than anyone predicted that it would.
The key reasons:
- Management is engage (really forced into being involved) in the projects and are responsible for selecting the projects to be worked on.
- Six Sigma uses the Cost of Quality (Cost of Poor Quality or Cost of Current Quality) as the bases for evaluating the amount of improvement that is really achieved. This give a commonized benchmark that everyone can be with you and relate to.
- Because of the Cost values, even the accountants are forced to be involved in the process. Thus the financial departments can show a value to making the improvements in the organizations.
- Everyone in the establishment is suppose to learn the language of Six Sigma so the communication process becomes apparent to everyone in the company.
Based on these four foundations, the Six Sigma process is achieving more than what might have been expected.
Now the other side of your question. Not each company who uses Six Sigma is successful in make many improvement. From the organizations that I have personally seen or read about, it is always a factor of one of the four elements state above not being followed.
References :
http://www.asq.org
http://www.isixsigma.com
http://www.asq.org/quality-press/spectacle-item/index.html?item=H1325&xvl=76080004
http://www.asq.org/quality-press/spectacle-item/index.html?item=H1290&xvl=76BK_H1290