Abstract

Even if using Total Quality Management as the main quality program represents prevalent facts in nowadays industry, many companies are extending this kind of initiatives to incorporate strategic and financial issue. Among these initiatives, one such methodology is known as Six Sigma, which originated from the Motorola Corporation.

The Six Sigma strategy involves extensive use of statistical techniques such as control charts, design of experiments, response surface methodology etc. in order to minimize process variations and product/service defects. These techniques need to be applied in a structured manner.

While reporting the process improvement, Six Sigma teams use certain numeric values, known as Six Sigma Metrics. The most common metrics are 'Defects per Million Opportunities (DPMO)', 'Sigma Quality Level', and 'Yield'.

Introduction of Six Sigma

Total Quality Management has become a buzzword in the business management field all over the world. Its philosophy and approach seem to have caught the imagination of organizational managers to find themselves in the midst of intense competition and are thus concerned with their survival. The concept however has not appeared overnight but has evolved over a period of time.

Six sigma can be defined as "a Business process that allows organization to drastically improve the bottom line by designing and monitoring everyday business activities in ways that minimize waste and resources while increasing customers stratifications". Sigma is a Greek letter used to represent standard deviation in statistics and six sigma stands for six standard deviations from mean. It provides the techniques and tools to improve the capability and reduce the defects in any process.

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About the Author

The author is lecturer in Dept. of Textile Processing in A.J.K.K.S.A Polytechnic College, Erode, Tamil Nadu.