Dear Lisa,
“Why can’t Six Sigma be the same everywhere?”
There are a number of reasons. While SS has been a big earner for Motorola and the SS Academy, most quality consultancies have jumped on the bandwagon, each with their own versions. Many have seen the flaws in SS and even teach SS under a TQM banner, simply because the name “six sigma” is trendy and sells well.
Even within the Motorola and the Academy, SS has changed. As Andy U pointed out, it was initially simply a logo that was placed on their existing material. Even the foundations of SS has changed, as the statistical flaws in the derivations have become public.
As SS has waned, Lean has become the new flavour of the month.
The result are a great many varieties of SS, ranging from straight Deming and TQM to all sorts of things.
I suggest finding a consultancy that gives a straighforward approach that you can easily understand, rather than going to the Academy.
A simple test: If a consultancy advocates 3.4 DPMO – go elsewhere.
.
