Six Sigma is a mathematical term that essentially means three point four defects per every one million opportunities, and for those who follow the method, it becomes a goal for optimum performance. Having a goal of ‘Six Sigma’ is to reduce variability in a controlled, predictable and efficient manner. It is the ability to know your process is capable to meet the needs of the customer or end user regardless of what you produce or provide and to do it in the most efficient way possible. In the paragraphs below, we are going to look into Six Sigma 101.

Six Sigma was discovered by the Motorola Company in the 1980s. Honeywell and General Electric both implement this method throughout their companies. By the late nineteen nineties, two-thirds of the Fortune Five Hundred companies were utilizing this process to become more efficient and, therefore, increasing their profits while spending less to manufacture their products or services.

There is a method that is at the basis of the six sigma methodology and it is called DMAIC, which is an acronym for define, measure, analyze, improve and control. First you define the problem set forth by the customer and the goals of the project. Next, measure key parts of the process and collect pertinent data.  You also need to analyze your data and study cause and effect relationships in order to make sure everything aspect of the process has been considered. Find the cause of the defects. Then, improve your current process by using the analyzed data. Control future processes to ensure there are no deviations from set goals.

To reach the mark, there are over forty Six Sigma ‘tools’ that companies can implement. For instance there is the "five ways" where you approach a problem and continue to ask, “Why?”. Why the process failed is one of those questions you would ask yourself. This process continues until an answer is reached.

Then, there are check sheets. There are five basic types of tally sheets. Classification charts record and keep track of trait tally sheets. Location charts keep track of physical locations of defects. Frequency charts list number of occurrences. A master checklist keeps track of all items to be performed. Another statistical tool used is a control chart or behavior process chart, which are used to determine whether or not a manufacturing process is in a state of statistical control.

Within the Six Sigma Process, there are key leadership roles, arranged into a hierarchy. The first is the Champion level and this is reserved for CEO's or management level employees. Their role in the process is to set the vision for the process. Next comes the Master Black Belt who is chosen by the champion. This person becomes the in-house coach who is one hundred percent of the time dedicated to the program. The Master Black Belt advises the Black Belts who apply the specific program parameters and specific processes throughout the company via the use of 6 Sigma Projects. Green belts, under the direct supervision of black belts, implement the process as well as their regular jobs throughout the organization Some organizations use other belt colors like yellow for employees with only basic Six Sigma training. All of the above ‘belts’ have been trained and tested on their knowledge in order to gain their Six Sigma Certification.