A practical application of ‘six sigma’ to port operations

Abstract

The quality of the services provided by a port is important. However, few ports evaluate and improve the quality of services using scientific quality assurance methods based on customer satisfaction. In this paper, a study based on a systematical quality assurance framework, namely, Six Sigma, is conducted. The methodology is applied to demonstrate its practicality using a real case study. Based on Six Sigma, the quality of current performance can be measured and appreciated. By virtue of the process capability analysis, the process centering and process variation can be determined and any unusual patterns or trends in the data can then be located. The levels of dispersion and centeredness of the process can also be evaluated. In addition, a successful Six Sigma application to ports requires the identification of the measuring indices based on the attributes of services provided and establishment of a thorough data collection regime. © 2010 2010 Taylor and Francis Group LLC.