Perspective of Six Sigma to the Future

Elizabeth M. Keim

ASQ Past President

Mexico City, November 28, 2007

History of Quality

• Shewhart

• Juran

• Deming

• Crosby

• Feigenbaum

• Ishikawa

• Taguchi

1960’sInspectionControl

1980’sTQ ManagementImprovement

Recent History of Quality

• Baldrige and Six Sigma–Management philosophies–Enhance performance–Increase profitability –Improve quality

Origins of Lean Six Sigma

• Six sigma integrated many quality tools developed in the last 60 – 70 years

–“Old wine in a new bottle”

• Lean tools developed after WW II, but different priorities

• Lean Six Sigma – holistic approach

Current Business Environment

• Globalization – India, China

• Changing customer requirements

• Increasing speed of change

Six Sigma Business Model

Core Principles of Six Sigma• Rolled Throughput Yield versus Yield• Definition of ‘six sigma’

–Scientific approach to problem solving– ‘Six’ may not be the goal

• Cost• Complexity• Competition

–Economic point of diminishing returns• Not a SWAT team, JIT OJT• Improvement one project at a time• Measure results, not activity

Ongoing Changes in Six Sigma

• Integration of Lean

• DFSS–Products and services–Methods of provision–Methods of delivery–Markets

• Project management

• Changes management

Longer-term Predictions for Six Sigma

• Systematic Innovation–Economic engine for growth

• TRIZ –Theory of Inventive Problem Solving

• Axiomatic Design Principles–(independence axiom): maintain the

independence of the functional requirements–(information axiom): minimize the

information content of the design