ArticlesBase.com - Free Articles Directory
Free Online Articles Directory
10.10.2008 Sign In Register Hello Guest
Email:
Password:
Remember Me 
forgot your password?


Six Sigma Assessment

Author: Tony Jacowski Author Ranking Gold Featured Author | Posted: 23-06-2006 | Comments: 0 | Views: 292 | Rating:  (50) Article Popularity - Green (?) Got a Question? Ask.
Sign Up Now!

Assessing Six Sigma is not end-of-the-process post implementation, although an analysis of a failed Six Sigma project points out the lack of commitment by upper management and lack of attention to the cultural and business investment required for accomplishing and sustaining new tiers of performance. It is in this context that assessment of Six Sigma becomes necessary, especially when new attempts by companies on improvement projects, reveal that the journey will be long and hard.

Assessing The Different Implementation Stages of Six Sigma

The key to the success of Six Sigma implementation lies in assessing the status quo at various stages. Assessments reveal the deviations the implementation efforts have taken from the intended line of progress. As the deployment of Six Sigma is signified by emphasis on accomplishing benchmarks in process optimization and control to render progressively higher degrees of quality, performance efficiency and timeliness, a system of assessment needs to be inbuilt which puts in place an appropriate set of checks and balances.

Six Sigma Assessment Procedures

There has not been a single assessment procedure either devised or used by any one company which applies to all processes and industries. Companies successful at their Six Sigma implementation have developed and adopted their own assessment procedures. Some of them have used their own internal audit teams with their own criteria to assess the progress of Six Sigma implementation. Even using the audit procedures developed by Malcolm Baldrige Quality Awards is not new and unique. Many Six Sigma companies have actually gone ahead with evolving a custom developed audit system based on ISO 9000.

The Assessment Categories in Six Sigma

The fundamental premise of assessment in Six Sigma is identifying and reading the gaps between ‘as is' and ‘should be' conditions of the process stages. The ‘should be' list of conditions is what is established at the beginning of the deployment described in great length for each category. The categories for assessment are listed below:

1. Leadership 2. Communication and Implementation in Everyday Activities 3. Project Effectiveness and Efficiency 4. Organizational Transformation 5. Customer Impact

The requirements of these top level categories are the customized topics needed for achieving overall objectives. The method of assessment contains written tests and interviews starting with top level managers down to line employees, in addition to meetings and seminars.

The overall results are shown as applicable to the core business process. The results of leadership assessments that show possible areas for improvements are essentially helpful in chalking out a course correction plan. The results also show weaknesses that are to be assessed as the first step toward fine tuning the exercise for needed changes.

The need for assessment may be fulfilled whenever it is warranted. In the normal course, where the results take 4-6 months to show, the assessment can be scheduled as an annual exercise. Experience from successful implementation of Six Sigma has shown that major roadblocks in changing an organizational mind set lies in sustaining the gains made.

Rate this Article: Current: 5 / 5 stars - 1 vote(s).

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/six-sigma-assessment-36864.html

Print this Article Print article   Email to a Friend Send to friend   Publish this Article on your Website Publish this Article   Send Author Feedback Author feedback  
About the Author:
Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.
Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Comment on this article Comment on this article
Your Name
Your Email:
Comment Body
Enter Validation Code: Captcha


Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do six sigma continuous improvement concepts ...
By: john | 05-06-2008
why do six sigma continuous improvement concepts help business organisations to survive longer?

Limitation Six Sigma
By: Xoc | 09-12-2007
What are some of the limitation of the Six-Sigma approach when there is subjectivity in the metrics used?

Q&A Powered by:
Powered by Yedda 

Latest Management Articles

How to Choose the Right Management Consultant?
By: Editor-123 | 10/10/2008
Often managers face difficulties while selecting services of the right consultant for their respective needs. Choosing the best help from an outsider is a complex process, which requires special skills to ensure the end results. In this article, we'll discuss the main criterion to select a consultant for a growing company.

Should You Conduct Paid Surveys?
By: Ryan J Bell | 10/10/2008
Organizations that conduct surveys can benefit from the valuable information they provide. They can offer unique insight into customer perceptions, market opinions, employee morale, and daily operational issues. Aside from the proper design and execution of a survey, one of the main challenges is getting people to participate. Over the...

Why is it Generating Passive Income is Easy?
By: Trisha Rich | 08/10/2008
Generate passive income and work with your home based business using the advantage of world wide web technology.

Freeze Drying Services: Restoring Your Archives
By: Ben Anton | 08/10/2008
Museums, libraries and other organizations have the important and vital job of preserving historical archives and books for future generations. The best way for institutions like these to prevent document and archive loss is to implement storage techniques that will protect valuable articles against such catastrophes as flood or mold...

No One Wants to Hear They Have an Ugly Baby
By: TLS | 08/10/2008
It’s time to admit you have an, “Ugly Baby!” Or, in distribution terminology, “Admit your warehouse is in shambles!” If your warehouse has returns that sit around for days without being processed, “Your warehouse is in shambles.” If your warehouse has receiving that does not get received for days, then once it is received it sits again before it is put away, “Your warehouse is in shambles!”

Business Plans For Tough Times-5 Keys to Success
By: Maryann Shank | 08/10/2008
Do existing businesses need money? Probably. Is this a time to start a business? Maybe. In either case, the business plan you write today will be different than the one you wrote five years ago. Five years ago money was available. It is still there, but it is a lot harder to...

Service, Thy Name is Customer
By: Richard Laermer | 08/10/2008
Hello to you, the service person. Yes, sure, we are all about service. It’s a funny word that has had more than a few crazy meanings. When someone says “I’m servicing” another, I immediately think something dirty.

Sorry, Big Doesn't Get the Job Done
By: Richard Laermer | 08/10/2008
The CEO of a fast-growing Web company recently asked me why he should hire RLM PR, an 18-person firm, instead of a so-called name firm. Having been in a self-owned service business for 17 years, I was confused by this query. What's a name? Never one to say "no" to a challenge, I am herewith answering him in public.

More from Tony Jacowski

Lean: Six Steps With Review Points
By: Tony Jacowski | 30/09/2008 | Management
Lean Six Sigma is a philosophy that aims at the improvement in value provision to the customer, improvement in process flows and elimination of waste. Lean deals with waste by shortening the time gap between the order and the shipment. The organization is based on six steps for continuous improvement. These steps are value, value stream, flow, pull, perfection and replication.

How to Research Your Career before Deciding on a Suitable One
By: Tony Jacowski | 30/09/2008 | Careers
You may need to conduct some research for selecting a career at different times during your life and for different reasons. It may be required when you need to pursue a career for the first time or when you are considering a career change.

Hoshin Planning: Making the Strategic Plan Work
By: Tony Jacowski | 30/09/2008 | Management
In the current business scenario, organizations strive towards exceeding the customer's expectations and achieving a competitive edge over rivals. This comes as an outcome of the long term planning, an achievable vision towards the goal and continuous improvement in the processes.

Career Moves For Older People
By: Tony Jacowski | 30/09/2008 | Careers
People make career moves for various reasons and under various circumstances in their lives. When older people change their jobs of their own free-will, it is a pleasant experience for them; but when the circumstances of life force them to look for a new job, it may be a very painful experience.

How To Raise The Stakes To Get That Raise
By: Tony Jacowski | 30/09/2008 | Careers
Many people don't know how to ask for a raise. The fact that you need more money to support your lifestyle is not reason enough.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Making a Lateral Career Move
By: Tony Jacowski | 30/09/2008 | Careers
Consciously or unconsciously, many of us wonder whether we have already found our dream job or have just settled for something in the absence of anything better. It is pretty much like a teen with the first flash of youthfulness looking for his or her soul mate.

How To Handle The First Month Of Your New Job
By: Tony Jacowski | 30/09/2008 | Careers
While we all eagerly look forward to a fresh start in a new job, most of us are unwilling to find out how to conduct ourselves appropriately in a new workplace. It is not just about putting on a broad smile all the time or keeping our bosses in a good humor.

Cutting-Edge Methods Help Target Call Center Waste
By: Tony Jacowski | 30/09/2008 | Management
There are different activities undertaken in call centers; planning, call routing, after-call operations, research operations on unresolved calls, reporting and staff scheduling. The most important function is the handling of calls, inbound as well as outbound. This function is repeated a number of times throughout the day and needs lots of improvement.

Article Categories






Give Feedback

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below