The Six Sigma Way: How GE, Motorola, and Other Top Companies are Honing Their Performance

Written by Peter S. Pande, Robert P. Neuman and Roland R. Cavanagh

Narrated by John Lescault

An implementation blueprint for SIX SIGMA!

"The Six Sigma Way demystifies Six Sigma with a real-world 'how-to 'guide. A good investment for any business planning to launch Six Sigma."

­­John Biedry, VP Quality amp; Compliance, Sears Home Services.

Cost reduction...productivity improvement...customer retention...these are the promises of the Six Sigma quality management system. The Six Sigma Way reveals how GE, Motorola, and numerous other companies are successfully using Six Sigma to fine-tune products and processes, improve performance, and increase profits. Now you can read the roadmap for implementing Six Sigma in your manufacturing or service organization.

The authors­­who have worked with some of the most visible Six Sigma companies including GE­­provide step-by-step guidance and practical implementation guidelines. Whether your goal is to fix a process problem or implement Six Sigma company-wide, The Six Sigma Way will help you develop an approach customized for your company's needs and the challenges of the twenty-first century business environment. The Six Sigma Way:

Addresses the challenges and politics of launching, leading, and training people for Six Sigma.

Focuses on implementing the major steps and quality improvement tools in the Six Sigma system.

Features insights, comments, and examples from business leaders and managers using Six Sigma in their organizations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: McGraw Hill-Ascent Audio
• Release date: May 18, 2000
• ISBN: 9781639295432

Reviews for The Six Sigma Way

[mohammedkb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Six Sigma Way puts in your hand an easy-to-follow 5-step roadmap to implement Six Sigma in your organization, department or section. The roadmap starts high-level then is broken down to tools and techniques used as needed in the project.What makes this book remarkable is the integration of Six Sigma in the overall system of the organization. Unlike many books, it does not start immediately with DMAIC, it rather starts with identifying the core processes and key customers of the business, defining customer requirements, measuring the current performance, prioritizing improvement initiatives and implementing them (which is the main play of Six Sigma), and last by expanding and integrating the Six Sigma system.The authors tried to debunk several myths that haunted Six Sigma system. They emphasize the applicability of Six Sigma in service industries even more than in manufacturing. They tried to dispel fears about heavy statistics in Six Sigma projects. And they showed how tools and techniques should be used only when needed and where feasible and useful throughout the project life cycle.Although it was not explicitly mentioned in the book, authors integrated Lean concepts with Six Sigma. Mapping the process and classifying each step as value-adding, non-value-adding, or enabler is a key concept in Lean to get rid of wastes (Lean) ahead of variation reduction (Six Sigma). Besides, sustaining a solution in the Control phase by standardizing procedures and using mistake-proofing techniques is all about Lean.In support of the 5-step roadmap the book contains checklists for each of the DMAIC phases. One can use these checklists as gateway checks to move to the next phase. Dedicated sections for Advanced Tools in Six Sigma and for Glossary are a great help for both novice and experienced Six Sigma practitioners.The bottom line, I highly recommend this book for any Six Sigma professional as a reference and as a training material for Six Sigma newbies.

[leestubbs · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought that this book provides a pretty good grounding in 6 Sigma. I really enjoyed seeing how the authors made the between the philosophy and the practical tools and techniques associated with the concept.The only thing I did not enjoy was that the book was trying to distance itself from the Total Quality Movement of the 80s and the Process Reengineering movement of the 90s. I would prefer to see the authors acknowledge the learnings and acknowledge the development of the concepts that have led to 6 Sigma as an approach.