Zack Swinney

Practitioners must learn when and how to calculate the sigma level of a process. Many people hear about the Six Sigma quality methodology and immediately want to calculate their own process sigma to determine how close (or far) they are from six sigma. My immediate response to them is twofold: Are you currently measuring your […]

Consider a power company for illustration purposes: A power company measures their performance in uptime of available power to their grid. Here is the five-step process to calculate your process sigma. Step 1: Define Your Opportunities An opportunity is the lowest defect noticeable by a customer. This definition, of course, is debatable within the Six Sigma […]

Why do people buy shoes from Nordstrom, when they can get a similar pair of similar quality for less money at other major department or clothing stores? Most stores carry a similarly large selection of shoes – large enough for most people to browse and make a selection. All stores have sales people, mirrors to […]

A project charter is the first step in the Six Sigma methodology. It takes place in the Define step of DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control), and the charter can make or break a successful project. It can make it by specifying necessary resources and boundaries that will in turn ensure success; it can break […]

Why is 6 sigma 3.4 ppm, not 2 ppb? The calculation of process sigma after a process improvement project should be reported as short-term sigma.

What is Six Sigma? Why do we need Six Sigma? Explaining Six Sigma is no easy task, but as a Quality professional we are expected to clearly articulate the benefits and necessity. If you can’t, you risk losing believers within your business. Use this simple 3 step explanation to help guarantee your success.