| Six Sigma is one of the major buzzwords in the | | | | originally developed by Motorola in 1987 and since then |
| corporate world and implementing the Six Sigma in the | | | | it has been applied to almost all kinds of manufacturing |
| respective organizations has become the priority for | | | | and service industries. As a quality concept, this |
| Quality controllers and the QAD (Quality Assurance | | | | principle aims for the highest standards of process |
| Departments) in these organizations. What exactly is | | | | excellence. |
| meant by Six Sigma and what are the benefits that | | | | The people implementing Six Sigma are classified as |
| implementing it brings to the table? In statistical | | | | Black Belts, Green Belts and Master Black Belt. Let us |
| terminology, Six Sigma refers to "six" standard | | | | look at what each of these terms mean. The green |
| deviations from the mean and indicates the margin of | | | | belt is a person or a player who is a member of the |
| error while inspecting the good or services produced | | | | Six Sigma process improvement team and is trained in |
| by an Organization. | | | | the Six Sigma methodology. This is the basic level for |
| What this principle means is that there can be a | | | | which all potential Six Sigma practitioners aspire. |
| tolerance of about two defects per billion samples. In | | | | The Black Belt is a leader in the implementation |
| jargon free language this means that a manufacturing | | | | methodology for process improvements and is |
| process cannot go beyond producing more than two | | | | someone who can act as a guide to the process |
| defects per billion of manufactured goods. While this | | | | improvement teams. These Black Belts also advise |
| may seem impossible to attain in practice, it is | | | | the management on how to go about implementing the |
| nonetheless a feat that has been achieved by many | | | | Six Sigma methodology. This is the intermediate level |
| organizations. The reason that this principle has | | | | which one gets after attaining the Green Belt and it is |
| captured the imagination of the quality controllers is | | | | not uncommon to find people who are certified as |
| because if this principle is implemented successfully, it is | | | | Black Belts in senior positions in the management. |
| the nearest that the organization can get to perfection | | | | Finally, the highest level is the Master Black Belt. The |
| in its processes. | | | | person who has achieved this status acts as the |
| While the debate whether there can be a | | | | Program Manager or Director and leads the Six Sigma |
| manufacturing process free of errors or a software | | | | implementation effort in the organization. He or she |
| without bugs rages on, many organizations are turning | | | | checks all the processes for compliance and is the |
| to this principle to aid them in their efforts to make their | | | | one whom the Black Belts turn to for advice and |
| processes free of errors. This is a concept that was | | | | guidance in implementing the Six Sigma effort. |