Improving business processes with Six Sigma

Six Sigma is a process-focused, statistically-based approach to business improvement that companies such as Motorola, Allied-Signal and General Electric have used to produce millions of dollars in bottom-line improvements. To date Six Sigma initiatives have been primarily focused on improving the performance of manufacturing processes. There is a growing awareness that additional gains in efficiency and operational performance can be achieved by widening the scope of Six Sigma to include the improvement of non-manufacturing, administrative and service functions. The economic advantage of such efforts are potentially very significant because (a) the administrative component of modem manufacturing is large and has a great influence on overall economic performance, and (b) the service industry is in a modem society well over two-thirds of the entire economy. In this session we discuss with presentations and case studies how Six Sigma can be used to improve non-manufacturing, administrative and service processes. We also discuss how the increasing use of computers and network communication in administrative and service functions opens up new possibilities for using data and statistical methods.