It is a process improvement methodology. Six Sigma includes a set of techniques and tools. A 'Six Sigma Process' is statistically expected to produce defect free features in the target part(s). Originally conceived for manufacturing in an engineering environment it is not adapted to achieve virtually defect free business processes, service and product engineering alike.
Can Six Sigma produce a Zero Defect Result?
In a Six Sigma environment, the company’s performance is measured by Sigma levels achieved. Ultimate goal is 3.4 defects per million opportunities, which in practical environment is near-zero defect.
Applying Six Sigma reduces the amount of variation and brings objectivity in performance measurement, especially from a customer delivery perspective.
Research shows that both manufacturing and service organizations incur cost of poor quality. In some instances, it may be as high as 50% of the budgets for service organizations. Analysis reveals that less than 10% of process cycle time is “productive work”. The remaining is waste, re-work and other non-value added activities.
A keen interest towards quality customer delivery, challenging status quo continuously and basic knowledge of statistics are desired to be a Six Sigma professional!
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