| Although Six Sigma has its roots in manufacturing, it | | | | are the opinions, behaviors and decisions made by |
| works just as effectively in service industries. It's no | | | | people. Analyzing and modifying human performance in |
| secret that service environments, such as financial | | | | service environments is as complex as any |
| organizations, healthcare providers, retail companies, | | | | manufacturing situation. Six Sigma achieves |
| and hospitality organizations have a harder time | | | | documented bottom-line strategic business results by |
| applying Six Sigma principles. However, the core | | | | initiating an organization-wide culture shift. Until a |
| principles of Six Sigma allow it to cost-effectively | | | | process focus-rather than a task focus-is developed, |
| translate manufacturing-oriented Six Sigma tools into | | | | the scope and endurance of improvements will be |
| the service delivery process. | | | | limited. Analyzing and modifying human performance in |
| Service organizations have different root causes of | | | | these environments is complex, but Six Sigma |
| problems and a unique set of processes and metrics. | | | | provides the tools and methodology required to |
| Thus, the tools and methodology required to achieve | | | | achieve significant long-term improvements. |
| the improvements of Six Sigma are significantly | | | | Service managers trained in Six Sigma become skilled |
| different. While problems in the manufacturing setting | | | | at advanced process analysis and problem solving |
| may lie within a process, the issue in a service | | | | techniques relevant to the "real world" of service |
| environment often is the process itself. Service | | | | environments. They learn to identify and eliminate poor |
| industries are full of waste--and ripe for the benefits of | | | | decision-making processes, standardize practices, |
| Six Sigma. It is easy to apply relatively simple statistical | | | | reduce cycle times and manage the risk of the |
| and lean tools that will reduce costs and achieve | | | | extensive changes required for breakthrough process |
| greater speed with less waste in service processes. | | | | improvement in people-oriented transactional |
| There are numerous case studies that demonstrate | | | | processes. Successful Six Sigma services projects will |
| how Six Sigma can be used in service organizations | | | | lead to improved customer satisfaction, increased |
| just as effectively as in manufacturing-and with even | | | | profit margins, reduced costs, and lower turnover. Six |
| faster results. | | | | Sigma tools can be used in many service |
| In a service organization, the critical factors in quality | | | | environments, even service areas within a non-service |
| and efficiency are flow of information and interaction | | | | industry. Areas such as procurement, call centers, |
| between people, especially interactions with customers. | | | | surgical suites, government offices, R&D, and |
| Transforming the process of these flows will yield | | | | many more will all receive benefits from implementing |
| quality results. At the heart of every service business | | | | Six Sigma process improvement. |