The key concepts of Six Sigma are the fundamental principles and methods for improving process performance, systematically reducing defects, and reducing variation.
Six sigma can be seen as a comprehensive system which is used to achieve and maintain business success which is based on use of data and facts, dedicated intelligence to improve, managing and designing business functions and attaining a clear understanding of client’s or customer’s needs and requirements.
The key concepts of Six Sigma are:
Process Control
This is also called process standardization or stable functioning of operations. The purpose of process control is to make sure that the improvements. Which are made in operations should be maintained or sustained over the period of time.
The main work of process control is to focus on final service or product CTQ’s (also known as critical to quality) which directly affects the final service or product. In spite of focusing on error detection the process control focuses on error prevention.
Defect
A defect can be defined as a measurable or countable characteristic of service or a product which is not able to meet customer’s requirement.
Six Sigma identifies and eliminates these defects in order to save the time which is spent on rectifying the defect and to make sure that an error free service or product is delivered to the customer or client.
CTQ or Critical to Quality
The Critical to Quality or CTQ identifies those elements of service or process. Which is going to affect the output of the service or product significantly and are vital to end customer’s or clients of that particular service or product.
For instance, if a car manufacturer is selling a car which is very good and cheap in price. But it is running out of stock so the customers will end up buying the car of other manufacturer who is offering same quality but with more price.
However, there can be more than one step or process in the product or service outcome. But there will be some key processes, which are important for the outcome of the product or service.
The job of six sigma is to identify and improve these vital yet few processes. Which are critical to quality factor of the product or service.
Design for Six Sigma
The purpose of design to six sigma is to develop new processes rather than just keep on improving existing processes.
Design from sigma is also known as DMADV which means Define, Measure, Analyse and Design and verify.
Design for Six Sigma can also be used for a complete redesigning of processes involved in a product or service. Like other concepts of Six Sigma DMADV is customer’s critical to quality or CTQ requirements driven.
Variation
The Variation is termed as a radical change in the process which directly affects the expected outcome. Variation is a gap between the actual output and the standard output of the process.
It is been consider that there will always be some variations in a process. The key issue is that whether the made variations affects the customer’s critical to quality requirements. The final outcome or not.