Using Six Sigma quality management systems, Motorola became the first company to achieve near-perfect business processes that did not have more than 3.4 defects per million events that potentially existed for such defects to occur.

What is worth mentioning is that Motorola developed such systems for use in the manufacturing sector; and at that time, nobody in the company ever thought that these systems will one day play an equally important role in the services sector as well.

With the development of new concepts and techniques, Six Sigma quality management systems are now being used widely in the services sector that includes everything from healthcare to Information Technology, Telecommunications and many others.

All this is enough to prove the versatility and compatibility of the Six Sigma quality methodology.

The Changing Face Of Six Sigma Quality Management Systems

As far as the basic concepts are concerned, not much has actually changed over the years. Significant changes have however happened in the way these systems are utilized. From being used as a standalone quality improvement technique in their early years, these systems are now being increasingly integrated with the overall management framework that might exist in an organization.

What this basically means is that these systems can now easily be deployed across all the functional departments of an organization, which may include everything from sales to purchase, production, inventory, accounts, and others.

Quite a lot of businesses have already achieved this feat, and the wide ranging benefits that they have derived and are deriving are enough to prove the reliability of such systems.

The Deployment Process

The deployment process starts with an assessment of the existing quality levels in an organization. Existing quality levels are described in terms of Six Sigma quality levels that can be anywhere between sigma 1 and sigma 6 depending on the organization.

Whatever the existing level, the main objective is to move on from there and gradually achieve the highest quality level, i.e. Six Sigma. It may seem as if the deployment process ends at Six Sigma quality levels, but it is not so because Six Sigma quality levels just signify the near-perfect defect rate of 3.4.

Other important objectives such as cost reductions and operational efficiency improvements have no such limitations - and this is why the deployment process never actually ends, even though it may seem so.

Apart from cost and defect rate reductions, the Six Sigma methodology also aims at reducing the work load of employees and improving their immediate work environment. It does so by stressing the use of advanced IT tools and techniques and by standardizing work processes.

All this helps in creating a motivated and dedicated workforce, which is essential for ensuring the long-term success of any organization.