You are here: Lean Six Sigma Home » Six Sigma

Six Sigma Case Studies, Examples, and Training Material

Following the definition of Six Sigma below are articles on Six Sigma below show examples, applications, and a comprehensive definitions and application of its tools.

What is Six Sigma?

Six Sigma originated as a set of practices designed to improve manufacturing processes and eliminate defects, but its application was subsequently extended to other types of business processes as well. In Six Sigma, a defect is defined as any process output that does not meet customer specifications, or that could lead to creating an output that does not meet customer specifications.

Bill Smith first formulated the particulars of the methodology 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, based on the work of pioneers such as Shewhart, Deming, Juran, Ishikawa, Taguchi and others.

The term “Six Sigma” comes from a field of statistics known as process capability studies. 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 defects per million opportunities (DPMO). Six Sigma’s implicit goal is to improve all processes to that level of quality or better.

In recent years, some practitioners have combined Six Sigma ideas with lean manufacturing to yield a methodology named Lean Six Sigma.

Lean Six Sigma: Elements of IMPROVE

by Pete Abilla on December 29, 2010

In previous posts, we discussed the DMAIC Methodology in Six Sigma. We discuss the previous phases of DMAIC here: Define Phase, DMAIC Measure Phase, DMAIC Analyze Phase, DMAIC And in this post, we’ll discuss the Improve Phase of DMAIC. Let’s revisit, from a high-level, the DMAIC storyboard: In Define, we discuss the problem and make [...]

{ 0 comments }

Action Plan

by Pete Abilla on December 10, 2010

In the DMAIC methodology of Six Sigma, parts of it are managed with standard project management tools, but within the context of an improvement project. The Action Plan, also called a Gantt Chart, is usually used in the Improve Phase, where the root causes are identified and the countermeasures have been decided. Within the context [...]

{ 0 comments }

Solution Selection Matrix

by Pete Abilla on December 9, 2010

As key tool in the Six Sigma DMAIC Methodology is the use of the Solution Selection Matrix. By contrast, this same approach in Lean Manufacturing is typically called a Countermeasures Matrix, which shows all the potential countermeasures for each root cause. A solution selection matrix will contain the following: The problem we’re trying to solve. [...]

{ 0 comments }

Lean Six Sigma: Elements of ANALYZE

by Pete Abilla on November 29, 2010

The third Phase in the 6 Sigma DMAIC methodology is Analyze. Previously, we discussed the steps in the DMAIC Define Phase and Measure Phase. In the Define Phase, the focus is on agreement of what the problem is, it’s impact on customers, the firm, and with initial quantification of the “pain.” In the DMAIC Measure Phase of [...]

{ 0 comments }

Lean Six Sigma: Contingency Table and Chi Square Test

by Pete Abilla on November 22, 2010

Part of the Analyze Phase in the DMAIC Six Sigmas Methodology is to verify the potential root causes with hypothesis testing. One common hypothesis test is an application of the Chi Square Test called a Contingency Table, also called a Present / Not Present Matrix. What is a Contingency Table For something to be a [...]

{ 0 comments }

Lean Six Sigma in India and United States

by Pete Abilla on November 8, 2010

This article is a follow-up to my article on Justin Bieber and Six Sigma. To the extent that search terms is a measure of intention and interest, Google Trends is helpful in identifying, by geography, the general interest of that population given the search term. Out of curiosity, I decided to search on the term “Lean [...]

{ 1 comment }

Where Six Sigma is More Popular Than Justin Bieiber

by Pete Abilla on November 1, 2010

Note: If you arrived here searching for Justin Bieber, I’m sorry but you’ll see geeky stuff about Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma instead. But, in the hope that I don’t dissappoint you, skip to the bottom of this article and you can get your Justin Bieber fix with him performing “Baby”. On to other News [...]

{ 1 comment }

The Deming Chain

by Pete Abilla on October 8, 2010

Producing high quality products and services is key for any organization that wishes to stay in business. Yet, from my individual experience (probably your experience as well), not enough priority is given to quality. An important goal for any organization is to produce trouble-free products and services and delightful products and services. An important goal [...]

{ 0 comments }