The most important part of any Six Sigma Process or Project is collecting data about the product or service that is being studied. Without carefully collected data, the entire process is for not.  This is because of the statistical nature of this particular business management and quality improvement process.

When the quality control method called Six Sigma was first used by Motorola about 20 years ago, it was developed to improve production and eliminate mistakes and waste that were costing the company in the form of lost profits. The method has now been expanded to all aspects of business.  It is a methodical way to statistically measure how effective a process is in order to discover ways in which it could be improved through a series of tools and tests.

To analyze how efficient an operation is, a great deal of data must first be gathered.  This is arguably the most important part of the entire process. If you are conducting a review of a manufacturing process, you will want information on production lines, down time, excess inventory, and product variance. You will also want information on customer satisfaction and sales figures. All of this information will help the Six Sigma black belt in charge gain a better understanding of what it takes to manufacture the product and then get it to the customer flawlessly and in a more than reasonable amount of time.

Even though some of the things to be considered are not as quantifiable as sales figures and inventory, it is very important that they be given a value for the purpose of statistical computations. This requires the collection of interactional data that can be imported into an equation. Customer surveys, for example, are an excellent way to find out where the company may be coming up short. Surveys with detailed questions that can identify potential problems are a valuable piece of interactional data which can be used to improve operations.

A good way to survey customers is to have them rate your company on various functions to see if you are meeting expectations. If there are low ratings for on time delivery, then the people leading the review know this is an area that merits special attention. The survey might find that the customers think your price is out of line or the product does not completely meet their needs.  Both of these items must  be addressed in order to stay successful.

Data that is gathered through interaction with others is just as important as the finite sales numbers. What you are looking for during a Six Sigma Process are any flaws in the process that need to be eliminated and the more information that is gathered, the better. The Six Sigma approach is a holistic one with the customer at the center.