Quality Support Services

    Business Process Improvement

      Six Sigma

Six Sigma is a methodology for reducing or eliminating errors and defects in a process. It derives its name from the goal of controlling a process to the point where plus-to-minus six standard deviations (sigma) of the measured dimension or output fit within the acceptable limits of a “good” product or service. Achieving this level of quality means that the process is only producing 3.4 defects per million products.

Although some have said that this level of quality is unachievable, when it really counts, people have always found a way to achieve it. An unimproved process usually runs about 3-sigma, which translates into 2,700 defects per million or another way of putting it, 99.7% of the products being acceptable. Now if your child told you that they got a 99.7% on their test at school, you would be elated. But if we look at the process of major airline take-offs and landings, at a 3-sigma level that would mean an aircraft would crash on take-off or landing every ten minutes. Even at a 6-sigma level, one would crash about every 5 days. Thankfully, the FAA and airlines are running at much higher sigma levels. So when lives are on the line, we find a way to ensure safety.

Why don’t we just make every process that good? Usually the excuse is that it costs too much to improve quality to that point. And the reality is that by trial and error methods, that statement is probably true. However, Six Sigma philosophies outline a process for improving quality known as the DMAIC process (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control). Using statistical methods with these gets one to the root cause of the issues and solves them much quicker and without a lot of expense. Additionally, if the root cause has really been addressed, then the issue will never surface again. This drastic reduction in the cost of solving the issue means that a higher level of quality can be achieved for the same (or lower) investment of time and resources.

Companies that truly espouse a Six Sigma culture actually take this a step further and apply these techniques during the design phases of a new product or service. It has been shown that about 80% of the opportunities to cause a defect are actually designed into the product, process or service. Using Design for Six Sigma ensures that the customers experience a quality product the first time and every time.

Project Masters and its strategic partners have been helping companies learn and apply the Six Sigma methodologies for many years. Project Masters has the experience to help with everything from a particularly difficult issue to transforming how a business designs, produces, and delivers their products and services using Six Sigma techniques. Businesses from manufacturing to hospital to service industries have all benefited. Those businesses that are the first in their industry to deploy these methods will reap the rewards in customer satisfaction and loyalty, lower error (defect) rates, higher efficiencies, and lower costs.

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Project Masters offers the following courses:

Basic Problem Solving (3-day)

Teach your teams the basic problem solving techniques and how to apply them to their issues. Each team will bring an actual problem to the course and work on it during the class.

The course covers how to:

• Clearly define the issue so that it can be measured
• Write a team charter to ensure buy-in and support from the stakeholders
• Use the strengths of each team member (team dynamics)
• Measure and collect baseline data on the issue
• Use problem solving techniques such as Pareto Charts, Run Charts, Control, Charts, Radar Charts, Affinity Diagrams, Decision Matrix, Brainstorming, Histograms, Force Field Analysis, and Root Cause Analysis
• Pilot the proposed solutions and get stakeholder buy-in
• Keep the process in control

Who should attend?

• Teams who have been given an issue to resolve
• Managers, supervisors, and team leaders who are responsible to lead successful teams
• Although some basic statistics are covered in this class, attendees do not have to possess a strong math or statistics acumen

Statistical Process Control (5-day)

Six Sigma Greenbelt (Four 3-day classes over 4 months with a project)

Six Sigma Blackbelt (Five weeklong classes over 6 months with a major project)

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