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