The evolution of six sigma

Abstract

The Six Sigma approach to quality improvement has had a profound impact on the mode of operation and the profitability of the companies that have embraced it. Moreover, in some form or other, it is the wave of the future for all organizations. We briefly review Six Sigma and provide references for further information. However, our major focus will be on how Six Sigma has evolved - especially its broadening from internal criteria, such as scrap reduction, to external ones, such as complete customer satisfaction. This has led to a change in focus from mainly manufacturing to everything we do and especially to product design and commercial operations. We also comment on some lessons learned. Although our discussion is based mainly on our experience in GE, we believe it has general relevance.