As Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, once asserted, "Six Sigma is the most important initiative GE has ever undertaken." This insight is the culmination of successful implementation of Six Sigma Project management, which is a statistical representation of 3.4 defects per million opportunities. Dabbling further into this management practice, we’ll tackle the keys to its effective deployment, and how it can drive Operational Excellence.
Understanding Six Sigma
A result of decades of evolutionary thinking in management science, Six Sigma Project management is at heart a business strategy aimed at improving the quality of process outputs. Its main goal is to identify and eliminate "cause of defects" (errors) and minimize variability in manufacturing and business processes. The right deployment of Six Sigma strategy can be a catalyst to achieving Operational Excellence, boosting organizational performance and increasing value for stakeholders.
Key Principles of a Six Sigma Project
Implementing a successful Six Sigma Project requires the adoption of five key principles:
Focus on the Customer: The end goal should always be customer satisfaction. Identifying what the customer needs and aligning process improvements to meet those needs are paramount.
Data and Statistical Analysis: Six Sigma projects involve a significant amount of data collection and statistical analysis. This allows to find out the root cause of problems.
Proactive Management: Six Sigma projects call for proactive management. Employees are empowered to take the initiative and ownership of process improvements.
Collaboration: Cross-functional collaboration is necessary for the seamless working of a Six Sigma project. Teamwork helps tackle issues that extend beyond the scope of individual departments.
Continual Improvement: Unlike traditional project management, a Six Sigma project is geared towards continual improvement. The aim is not just to fix problems but to redefine processes to achieve better results.
Best Practices for Successful Six Sigma Implementation
While each organization is unique, a few best practices have been recognized in Six Sigma implementation. These may serve as guidance for organizations looking to adopt this strategy:
Leadership Commitment: A crucial element guaranteeing the success of the Six Sigma Project is strong, visible, active, and sustained leadership support. Six Sigma should be a strategic initiative embraced at all levels.
Effective Communication: Regular and effective communication is key in clarifying roles, overcoming resistance to change, and keeping everyone obsessively focused on customer requirements and process improvement.
Training: Providing necessary training to the employees involved in the Six Sigma projects helps in identifying, analyzing, and solving quality problems.
Integrating Six Sigma with Business Strategy: Six Sigma works best when integrated with overall business objectives, performance measures, and strategy. It should be tailored to fit the specific needs and culture of the organization.
Six Sigma as a Vital Tool for Strategic Management
Conceptualizing Six Sigma as a tool for Strategic Management allows for maximal utilization of resources and improved processes. It can be instrumental in guiding the organization towards its short term and long term goals. By leveraging the principles and practices of Six Sigma Project management, we can create a framework for operationalising business strategies efficiently and effectively.
Leveraging Six Sigma for Digital Transformation
The power of Six Sigma extends to the realm of Digital Transformation as well. By using a data-driven, systematic approach, it can provide significant value in managing the risks and complexities inherent in a digital transformation initiative. The benefits of implementing Six Sigma for Digital Transformation include increased efficiency, faster speed to market, and improved customer satisfaction.
While Six Sigma Project Management is indeed a potent tool, its ultimate success depends on how it is wielded. The blend of strategic outlook and a meticulous understanding of the principles and best practices can equip any organization to harness the full potential of Six Sigma and navigate towards Operational Excellence.
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS
"[Flevy] produces some great work that has been/continues to be of immense help not only to myself, but as I seek to provide professional services to my clients, it give me a large "tool box" of resources that are critical to provide them with the quality of service and outcomes they are expecting."
– Royston Knowles, Executive with 50+ Years of Board Level Experience
"The wide selection of frameworks is very useful to me as an independent consultant. In fact, it rivals what I had at my disposal at Big 4 Consulting firms in terms of efficacy and organization."
– Julia T., Consulting Firm Owner (Former Manager at Deloitte and Capgemini)
"I have used Flevy services for a number of years and have never, ever been disappointed. As a matter of fact, David and his team continue, time after time, to impress me with their willingness to assist and in the real sense of the word. I have concluded in fact that it is not at all just a repository of documents/resources but, in the way that David and his team manage the firm, it is like dealing with consultants always ready to assist, advise and direct you to what you really need, and they always get it right.
I am an international hospitality accomplished senior executive who has worked and lived during the past 35 years in 23 countries in 5 continents and I can humbly say that I know what customer service is, trust me.
Aside from the great and professional service that Flevy's team provide, their wide variety of material is of utmost great quality, professionally put together and most current.
Well done Flevy, keep up the great work and I look forward to continue working with you in the future and to recommend you to a variety of colleagues around the world."
– Roberto Pelliccia, Senior Executive in International Hospitality
"As an Independent Management Consultant, I find Flevy to add great value as a source of best practices, templates and information on new trends. Flevy has matured and the quality and quantity of the library is excellent. Lastly the price charged is reasonable, creating a win-win value for the customer, Flevy and the various authors. This is truly a service that benefits the consulting industry and associated clients. Thanks for providing this service. "
– Jim Schoen, Principal at FRC Group
"My FlevyPro subscription provides me with the most popular frameworks and decks in demand in today’s market. They not only augment my existing consulting and coaching offerings and delivery, but also keep me abreast of the latest trends, inspire new products and service offerings for my practice, and educate me in a fraction of the time and money of other solutions. I strongly recommend FlevyPro to any consultant serious about success."
– Bill Branson, Founder at Strategic Business Architects
"I have found Flevy to be an amazing resource and library of useful presentations for lean sigma, change management and so many other topics. This has reduced the time I need to spend on preparing for my performance consultation. The library is easily accessible and updates are regularly provided. A wealth of great information."
– Cynthia Howard RN, PhD, Executive Coach at Ei Leadership
"I have used FlevyPro for several business applications. It is a great complement to working with expensive consultants. The quality and effectiveness of the tools are of the highest standards."
– Moritz Bernhoerster, Global Sourcing Director at Fortune 500
"As a niche strategic consulting firm, Flevy and FlevyPro frameworks and documents are an on-going reference to help us structure our findings and recommendations to our clients as well as improve their clarity, strength, and visual power. For us, it is an invaluable resource to increase our impact and value."
– David Coloma, Consulting Area Manager at Cynertia Consulting
SELECT CUSTOMERS
Since 2012, we have provided best practices to over 10,000 businesses and organizations of all sizes across the world—in over 130 countries.
Below is just a very small sample of our customer base.
Did you know?
The average daily rate of a McKinsey consultant is $6,625 (not including expenses). The average price of a Flevy document is $65.
Download our free compilation of 50+ Strategy & Transformation slides and templates. Frameworks include McKinsey 7-S Strategy Model, Balanced Scorecard, Disruptive Innovation, BCG Experience Curve, and many more.
Download our free compilation of 50+ Strategy & Transformation slides and templates. Frameworks include McKinsey 7-S Strategy Model, Balanced Scorecard, Disruptive Innovation, BCG Experience Curve, and many more.