What Is Six Sigma (6 sigma) ?

What Is Six Sigma (6 sigma) ?

Six Sigma is a highly disciplined and data-driven approach to process improvement and quality management. It was originally developed by Motorola in the mid-1980s and popularized by companies like General Electric (GE) in the 1990s. The term "Six Sigma" refers to a statistical measure of how far a process deviates from perfection. The goal of Six Sigma is to reduce process variation and defects to achieve near-perfect quality levels.

Six Sigma Concept Explained in less than 8 minutes hashtag#sixsigmaexplained. Why we have 6 sigma and not 5 sigma or 7 Sigma and what is this 3.4 defect parts per million (PPM) opportunities in this video.

The core principle of Six Sigma is to identify and eliminate defects in processes, products, or services by using statistical analysis and data-driven decision-making. The methodology follows a structured problem-solving approach called DMAIC, which stands for:


  1. Define: Clearly define the problem or the project goals. Understand the customer requirements and expectations.
  2. Measure: Collect data and measure the current performance of the process. Identify key metrics and process capabilities.
  3. Analyze: Analyze the data to identify the root causes of defects and process variations. Use statistical tools to understand the sources of the problem.
  4. Improve: Develop and implement solutions to address the identified root causes. Optimize the process to meet customer requirements.
  5. Control: Establish control mechanisms to sustain the improvements and monitor the process to prevent future defects.


The application of Six Sigma can benefit various industries and organizations, including manufacturing, services, healthcare, finance, and more. Some of the key benefits of Six Sigma implementation include:


  1. Improved quality: By reducing defects and process variations, Six Sigma improves product or service quality and enhances customer satisfaction.
  2. Increased efficiency: Streamlining processes leads to reduced waste, improved productivity, and lower costs.
  3. Data-driven decision-making: Six Sigma relies on data analysis, which helps in making informed and objective decisions.
  4. Customer focus: Understanding customer needs and aligning processes accordingly ensures better customer experience.
  5. Organizational culture: Six Sigma encourages a culture of continuous improvement and empowers employees to contribute to the success of the organization.
  6. Competitive advantage: Organizations implementing Six Sigma successfully often gain a competitive edge in the market due to their superior quality and efficiency.


Overall, Six Sigma is a powerful methodology for organizations seeking to enhance their processes, improve quality, and achieve business excellence. It requires trained and certified professionals, known as Six Sigma Green Belts and Six Sigma Black Belts, to lead projects and ensure successful implementation throughout the organization.

5 Key Principles of Six Sigma

The Five Key Principles of Six Sigma are the foundational elements that guide the methodology's application and success. These principles form the basis of the Six Sigma approach to process improvement and quality management. Here are the five key principles of Six Sigma:


  1. Focus on the customer: Six Sigma places a strong emphasis on understanding customer needs, expectations, and requirements. The ultimate goal of process improvement is to deliver products or services that meet or exceed customer expectations. Organizations should identify critical customer requirements and align their processes to meet those requirements effectively.
  2. Data-driven decision-making: Six Sigma relies heavily on data and statistical analysis to drive decision-making. Data is used to measure the current performance of processes, identify root causes of defects, and validate the effectiveness of improvement efforts. Data-driven decision-making ensures that actions are based on objective evidence rather than subjective opinions.
  3. Process focus: Six Sigma views business processes as a series of interconnected activities that ultimately deliver value to the customer. By understanding and optimizing these processes, organizations can improve efficiency, reduce waste, and deliver better-quality products or services.
  4. Continuous improvement: The principle of continuous improvement is at the heart of Six Sigma. Organizations are encouraged to view improvement as an ongoing journey rather than a one-time effort. Through the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) approach, Six Sigma practitioners systematically work on identifying and addressing issues to achieve sustainable results.
  5. Collaboration and involvement: Six Sigma promotes a collaborative approach to problem-solving. It involves cross-functional teams and encourages employees at all levels to actively participate in improvement initiatives. Engaging employees in the process not only enhances their problem-solving skills but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement within the organization.


By adhering to these five key principles, organizations can effectively implement Six Sigma and achieve significant improvements in process performance, customer satisfaction, and overall business success.

Is it 6 Sigma (6σ) or 4.5 Sigma (4.5σ)?

The standard reference for Six Sigma is indeed 6 Sigma (6σ), not 4.5 Sigma (4.5σ). The term "Six Sigma" specifically refers to a level of process performance that aims to achieve an extremely low defect rate of 3.4 defects per million opportunities (DPMO). In statistical terms, it means that the process has a capability of producing 99.99966% defect-free outputs.

The concept of Six Sigma is centered around the idea of reducing process variation and defects to achieve a high level of quality and efficiency. It uses statistical tools and methodologies to identify and eliminate sources of variation in processes, thereby improving the overall performance and customer satisfaction.

While organizations can certainly aim for lower defect rates than 3.4 DPMO, the term "Six Sigma" itself pertains specifically to that level of performance. Going beyond Six Sigma would typically involve reaching even higher levels of quality and process control.


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Allen Scott

Management / Quality Consultant “The measure of quality, no matter what the definition of quality may be is a variable.” (Shewhart, 1931)

1 年

It is utter nonsense even the few bits that made sense it tried to incorporate were made into a mess.

Six Sigma is a destructive scam based on pure farce.?? 91 % of Six Sigma companies have trailed the S&P 500 (Qualpro survey).?A long term study of hundreds of Six Sigma projects at Ford showed an average of 1 in 5 parts defective AFTER improvement for “successful” Six Sigma projects. "Six Sigma Champions are con men"? “All you have is smoke and mirrors”? "Six Sigma is a snow job" - Creator of Six Sigma, Mikel Harry

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Al Smith

Retired / Management Consulting

1 年

Six-sigma is a quality fad that has a high long term failure rate, it assures an effective improvement culture never exists. Its popularity was driven by a self-confessed Con man. It has only has two totally. unique features: colored belts and the moronic allowable process shifts. If one desires to understand industrial statistics and their proper use study Dr. Wheeler an actual expert and not a belted one or a Snake Oil Salesman.

Dr Unathi Thango

PhD Operations Management; Winner 3MT (2023); Unisa Research and Innovation Showcase (2022)

1 年
joseph turcott

Automotive Professional

1 年

3.25 deffects in 1 million opportunities.

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