What is Six Sigma?

Six Sigma started in the '80s, when Motorola introduced an improvement methodology based on statistically proven results.

Six Sigma became the collective name for a variety of methods and tools associated with improvement efforts, most tools are represented in other improvement strategies and the core of Six Sigma is to measure and analyze and thereafter base any change on proven facts.

Six Sigma has a considerable foothold in the Western world and many of the world's largest companies as Texas Instruments and IBM hooked early on the trend. During the 90s also companies such as ABB, General Electric, Nokia and Ericsson joined the movement.

Just Six Sigma or 6 sigma means in practice "no fault". The process should be as secure or the boundaries of the "approved" to be so generous to the normal process variation that a fault "never" occur. Now, however, is "no fault" or "never" a truth with modification. 6 sigma means in theory that 3,4 errors may occur by 1 million oppurtunities - this is considered good enough. Six sigma has been considered a good name for this approach based on proven facts. Naturally, not all projects in this manner will result in a maximum of 3.4 defects per million opportunities, but the name is simply a name designed to statistical methods.

Within Six Sigma has chosen to "certify" the knowledge level of improvement leaders using the same scale as Asian martial arts uses and "Six Sigma Black Belt" is to show that improvement or project leaders master the most difficult tools. Many companies have also "Green Belt" or "Yellow Belt" or "White belt" levels of knowledge in their improvement structure. These colors are primarily an internal "career ladder" and it is only the "Black Belt" level that can be considered to follow an international standard with an internationally accepted level of degree.
Six sigma is now spreading also to the design stage, and constructors and terms such as "Design for Six Sigma" is increasingly applied.

When you encounter errors in which the solution is not too obvious or when implemented several simple improvement steps as eg PDCA the "Six Sigma" methodology is absolutely unbeatable when it comes to achieving the highest process safety.

It is nowdays not unusual to hear combination och the LEAN philosophy and the Six Sigma Philosophy under names as LEAN Six Sigma etc.The companies that in this way manage to combine Lean Production and Six Sigma are able to take advantage of the very best of both worlds. .