The purpose of this book is to provide the practitioner with the necessary tools and techniques with which to implement a systematic approach to process improvement initiatives using the Six Sigma methodology.

In order to stay competitive, organizations need to continuously improve their processes. The purpose of this book is to provide the practitioner with the necessary tools and techniques with which to implement a systematic approach to process improvement initiatives using the Six Sigma methodology. While there are many self-help books out there, here the topics are discussed in a way so as to remove the fear out of Six Sigma and statistics. This guide takes readers through the five phases of the Six Sigma methodology, Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC), in five clearly written and easy-to-understand sections. You learn each phase’s purpose and what activities to perform in each. Numerous examples are included throughout and all statistics are described to the exact level of understanding necessary. Each of the five sections then concludes with a checklist to ensure that all of the phase’s activities have been completed. Following the systematic approach outlined in this book will ensure that customer needs and functional area needs are understood and met; knowledge of subject matter experts (SMEs) and team members to improve the process is leveraged; team consensus is reached on the root cause(s) for problems; and risk is managed by addressing all compliance issues. Author Webinar Series: "https://asq.webex.com/asq/lsr.php?RCID=57f5326bc0d05d791507f1b6ad92f99d" as the author provides a thorough introduction to this book and its key deliverables.

Best Practices in Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement reveals how to refocus lean/six sigma processes on what author Richard Schonberger—world-renowned process improvement pioneer—calls "the Golden Goals": better quality, quicker response, greater flexibility, and higher value. This manual shows you how it can be done, employing success stories of over 100 companies including Apple, Illinois Tool Works, Dell, Inc., and Wal-Mart, all of which have established themselves as the new, global "Kings of Lean," surpassing even Toyota in long-term improvement.

Six Sigma has arisen in the last two decades as a breakthrough Quality Management Methodology. With Six Sigma, we are solving problems and improving processes using as a basis one of the most powerful tools of human development: the scientific method. For the analysis of data, Six Sigma requires the use of statistical software, being R an Open Source option that fulfills this requirement. R is a software system that includes a programming language widely used in academic and research departments. Nowadays, it is becoming a real alternative within corporate environments. The aim of this book is to show how R can be used as the software tool in the development of Six Sigma projects. The book includes a gentle introduction to Six Sigma and a variety of examples showing how to use R within real situations. It has been conceived as a self contained piece. Therefore, it is addressed not only to Six Sigma practitioners, but also to professionals trying to initiate themselves in this management methodology. The book may be used as a text book as well.

Thousands of companies have discovered the value of Six Sigma in streamlining operations, cutting costs, improving quality, and increasing profitability. A Guide to Lean Six Sigma and Process Improvement for Practitioners and Students, Second Edition gives green belts, black belts, champions, and students a complete executive framework for understanding quality and implementing Lean Six Sigma. Building on the widely praised first edition, top Six Sigma experts Howard Gitlow and Richard Melnyck add today's most recent and important lean and process control system applications. Step by step, they systematically walk you through the five-step DMAIC implementation process, with detailed examples and many real-world case studies. You'll find practical coverage of Six Sigma statistics and management techniques, and realistic solutions for many common implementation obstacles. Coverage includes: A realistic overview of Six Sigma Management Six Sigma roles, responsibilities, and terminology Managing Six Sigma with Dashboards and Control Charts Mastering each DMAIC phase: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control Understanding foundational Six Sigma statistics: probability, probability distributions, sampling distributions, and interval estimation Testing hypotheses and designing experiments Pursuing Six Sigma Champion or Green Belt Certification, and more

In the new millennium the increasing expectation of customers and products complexity has forced companies to find new solutions and better alternatives to improve the quality of their products. Lean and Six Sigma methodology provides the best solutions to many problems and can be used as an accelerator in industry, business and even health care sectors. Due to its flexible nature, the Lean and Six Sigma methodology was rapidly adopted by many top and even small companies. This book provides the necessary guidance for selecting, performing and evaluating various procedures of Lean and Six Sigma. In the book you will find personal experiences in the field of Lean and Six Sigma projects in business, industry and health sectors.

This book offers a comprehensive guide to implementing a company-wide management system (CWMS), utilising up-to-date methodologies of lean-six sigma in order to achieve high levels of business excellence. It builds the foundation for quality and continuous improvement, which can be implemented in any organization. The book begins with an introduction to and an overview of CWMSs, and reviews the existing literature on various management systems. It then discusses the integration and implementation of lean-six sigma in supply chain management. The integration approach presented highlights the link between the existing management systems and shows how continuous improvement methodologies are incorporated. The book then examines the components of CWMS, comparing them to other systems. It also explores Kano-based six sigma and concludes with further recommendations for reading. This book covers five management systems integrated into one novel approach that can be followed by organizations wishing to achieve quality and business excellence. Covering lean-six sigma – an essential element of management systems – it is a valuable resource for practitioners and academics alike.

"In this book, I have found answers to key questions and misconceptions about the relationship between Six Sigma and the Capability Maturity Model Integration [CMMI]....Among my key takeaways is that the relationship between Six Sigma and CMMI exemplifies one of the principles of S4/IEE: CMMI provides process infrastructure that is needed to support a successful Six Sigma strategy." —Forrest W. Breyfogle III, CEO, Smarter Solutions, Inc. "Finally, a book that bridges the software and hardware process tool set. To date, there have been hardware and software engineers who for one reason or another have not communicated their process methods. And so, myths formed that convinced the hardware community that CMMI was only for software and likewise convinced the software community that Six Sigma was only for hardware. It is both refreshing and thought provoking to dispel these myths." —Jack Ferguson, Manager, SEI Appraisal Program, Software Engineering Institute CMMI and Six Sigma represent two of the best-known process improvement initiatives. Both are designed to enhance work quality and thereby produce business advantages for an organization. It's a misconception that the two are in competition and cannot be implemented simultaneously. Practitioners originally trained in either CMMI or Six Sigma are now finding that the two initiatives work remarkably well together in the pursuit of their common goal. CMMI® and Six Sigma: Partners in Process Improvement focuses on the synergistic, rather than competitive, implementation of CMMI and Six Sigma—with synergy translating to "faster, better, cheaper" achievement of mission success. Topics range from formation of the value proposition to specific implementation tactics. The authors illustrate how not taking advantage of what both initiatives have to offer puts an organization at risk of sinking time, energy, and money into "inventing" a solution that already exists. Along the way they debunk a few myths about Six Sigma applications in software. While the authors concentrate on the interoperability of Six Sigma and CMMI, they also recognize that organizations rarely implement only these two initiatives. Accordingly, the discussion turns to the emerging realm of "multimodel" process improvement and strategies and tactics that transcend models to help organizations effectively knit together a single unified internal process standard. Whether you work in the defense industry, for a commercial organization, or for a government agency—wherever quality and efficiency matter—you'll find this book to be a valuable resource for bridging process issues across domains and building an improvement strategy that succeeds.

Although the Six Sigma Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) methodology is a widely accepted tool for achieving efficient management of all aspects of operations, there are still many unwarranted concerns about its perceived complexity and implementation costs. Dispelling these myths, Six Sigma for Powerful Improvement: A Green Belt DMAIC Training System with Software Tools and a 25-Lesson Course clarifies the long-accepted statistical and logical processes of Six Sigma and provides you with tools you can use again and again in your own "real world" projects—removing any doubts regarding their simplicity and "doability.". Not only does the book provide you with reasons for using the tools, it reveals the underlying doctrines, formulas, and steps required. Although the tools and techniques presented are specifically associated with the DMAIC philosophy, they are applicable across a wide range of management and improvement scenarios. Explaining Six Sigma processes in language that's easy to understand, the book starts with an overview, followed by specific techniques and procedures. It presents detailed, illustrated lesson segments that include an agenda, roadmap, objectives, and a list of takeaway concepts. It also: Provides seven separate Excel tool templates—each with its own user guide and additional smaller tools Presents completed Excel sample workbooks for each tool to facilitate your comprehension and utilization confidence Includes downloadable resources with a PowerPoint-based DMAIC training course, the aforementioned Excel-based Six Sigma tools and workbooks, and extensive instructor’s notes embedded in each lesson Trained as and employed as a Black Belt and later as a Master Black Belt, the author presents doctrines and procedures with a strong pedigree and history of success. The book uses hundreds of figures and tables to illustrate key concepts and also makes them available in full-color on the downloadable resources. This is also true of the figures in the user guides that document the accompanying tools. For each of the tools, the book includes a completed sample workbook. The PowerPoint and Excel lessons and tools are provided in both 2007 and 97-2003 versions.

Proven techniques for improving software and process quality with Six Sigma This practical, in-depth guide explains how to apply Six Sigma to solve common product and process improvement challenges in the software and IT industry. Six Sigma Software Quality Improvement covers Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC), Lean Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), and Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Verify (DMADV). Featuring more than 20 success stories from Motorola, IBM, Cisco, Seagate, Xerox, Thomson Reuters, TCS, EMC, Infosys, and Convergys, the book offers first-hand accounts of corporate Six Sigma programs and explains how these companies are successfully leveraging Six Sigma for software process and quality improvement. The success stories reveal how: Motorola minimized business risk before changing business-critical applications TCS improved fraud detection for a global bank Infosys improved software development productivity for a large multinational bank IBM reduced help desk escalations and overhead activities EMC improved development productivity Motorola realized significant cost avoidance by streamlining processes and project documentation Xerox achieved high-speed product development Seagate reduced application downtime and improved availability to 99.99% Cisco successfully reinvented its Six Sigma program Convergys injected Six Sigma into the company's DNA Thomson Reuters' Six Sigma program gathered significant momentum in a short time Six Sigma was successfully applied in many other projects for defect reduction, cycle time reduction, productivity improvement, and more