Step 1: Top Management Gains Understanding and Commits

Six Sigma has been successfully applied in small to medium sized companies, as well as companies such as GE and Motorola world-wide. However, top management needs to understand how Six Sigma would work in their organization, and the resources (training and human resources) required to adequately implement Six Sigma and to create realistic expectations for results. Once this full understanding is achieved, management should commit their organization's resources and communicate the needs of the program to the workforce. Optimum results are often achieved by applying selected Lean tools alongside the Six Sigma methodology.

Step 2: Training

TCIE's training program presents a curriculum that will address executive and management level roles in Six Sigma implementation, introduce the concepts and tools of Six Sigma across the organization's workforce, and bring ten or more employees (depending upon the organization's size) to the Green Belt level of Six Sigma practice. The program is designed to help companies engage Six Sigma methodologies for a reasonable commitment, in terms of both the fees and the opportunity costs of training.

Companies that have completed this program will have the staff to support third-party Black Belt projects or may choose to pursue Phase II implementation to bring three to ten employees to the Black Belt level of Six Sigma practice.

A key component of Step 2 involves learning about the process for evaluating and then choosing among the various specific candidate projects. Application of the following structured, implemented methodology increases the probability of success:

• Define the customer's requirements
• Develop a problem statement using “SMART” criteria
• Identify champion, process owner, and team
• Define resources
• Develop project plan and milestones
• Implement

© 2004 University at Buffalo. All rights reserved.