Six Sigma Under Attack: Where Do You Draw the Line?

Attacks on the Six Sigma methodology are nothing new, but the subject has come up again amidst the recession. In particular, some media outlets have brought up the question as to why companies that employ Six Sigma for process improvement, such as GE, Motorola and Caterpillar, appear to be no better off than companies that don’t.

In this Profit through Process podcast, Genna Weiss of Six Sigma IQ speaks with Steven Jones, Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt for Siemens IT Solutions and Services’ Quality & Continuous Improvement team; Lt. Dennis Narlock, AIRSpeed Officer for Fleet Readiness Center Southwest; and Jim Kuhn, Global Delivery Manager for Xerox, who discuss the question: Is there is a direct correlation between the deployment of Six Sigma and these companies’ recent troublesome performances?

[inlinead]Jones, Narlock and Kuhn discuss the history of attacks on Six Sigma and the reasons why Six Sigma is once again being targeted by the media. They reveal the faulty logic of the media’s attacks on Six Sigma companies and factors beyond Six Sigma that could be attributed to the latest company performances. They reveal what Six Sigma should be held accountable for within an organization and offer suggestions for how to convince organizations to stay the course with Six Sigma deployment. In addition, they explain how companies such as Siemens, Xerox and Fleet Readiness Center Southwest have learned from the mistakes of companies that have deployed Six Sigma.