{"id":962,"date":"2022-05-17T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/?p=962"},"modified":"2026-02-11T07:22:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T07:22:11","slug":"six-sigma-project-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/pt\/project-management\/six-sigma-project-management\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is the Six Sigma Methodology? The Ultimate Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"translation-block\">At first glance, the Six Sigma methodology may look extremely complex. But after reading this guide, you\u2019ll be able to navigate its complexities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Whether you are already somewhat familiar with the Six Sigma project management methodology or you\u2019ve just stopped by to brush up on your knowledge \u2014 you are at the right place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In this guide, we will cover the following topics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">The definition and purpose of Six Sigma,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">What Six Sigma is used for,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">What Lean Six Sigma is,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma principles and approaches,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma belts, champions, and executives,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">An example of Six Sigma,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma benefits, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">The difference between PMP\u00ae and Six Sigma.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">So, let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Six-Sigma-project-management-cover.png\" alt=\"Six Sigma project management - cover\" class=\"wp-image-7221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Six-Sigma-project-management-cover.png 1200w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Six-Sigma-project-management-cover-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Six-Sigma-project-management-cover-1024x512.png 1024w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Six-Sigma-project-management-cover-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Six-Sigma-project-management-cover-18x9.png 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-is-six-sigma-methodology\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">What is Six Sigma methodology?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>In simple terms<\/strong><strong>, Six Sigma is a statistical and data-driven methodology businesses use to reduce or eliminate defects and improve processes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Two engineers, Bill Smith (often called the \u2018Father of Six Sigma\u2019) and Mikel Harry, developed the Six Sigma methodology in 1986 while working at Motorola.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">According to <em>An Overview of Six Sigma<\/em> by Montgomery and Woodall, after the Six Sigma implementation, Motorola managed to reduce defects on semiconductor devices by 94% between 1987 and 1993.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">The same article highlights that the main objective of Six Sigma is <em>\u201creducing variability in key product quality characteristics around specified target values to the level at which failure or defects are extremely unlikely.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"six-sigma-whats-behind-the-name\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Six Sigma: What&#8217;s behind the name?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">As explained in <em>Six Sigma: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide<\/em>, <em>\u201c6\u03c3 is a statistical representation for what many experts call a perfect process.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Now, let\u2019s explain why this methodology is called \u201cSix Sigma\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">\u201cSigma\u201d (sometimes represented with the lower-case Greek letter <strong>\u03c3<\/strong>) in the Six Sigma methodology means <strong>standard deviation<\/strong>, while \u201cSix\u201d represents <strong>6 standard deviations between average and acceptable specification limits.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">The more standard deviations fit between process average and acceptable process limits, the less likely the process is to perform above acceptable limits and cause a defect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In a Six Sigma process (6\u03c3), there are only 3.4 defects per million opportunities. In other words, out of 1.000.000 opportunities for things to go wrong, only 3.4 things do go wrong.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In percentages, it means that 99.99966% of the products from a Six Sigma process are without defects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">At just one Sigma level below (i.e. 5\u03c3), 99.977% of the products are defect-free, and there are 233 defects per million opportunities (DPMO).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">The lower the number of \u03c3 (standard deviations), the higher the number of defects, and by extension, the higher the number of unsatisfied customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Let\u2019s take a look at the table that displays the universal Six Sigma scale:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Sigma level<\/strong><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Defects per Million Opportunities (DPMO)<\/strong><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Percent Defects (%)<\/strong><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Percent Success (Yield %)<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1 Sigma<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">691,462&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">69<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">31<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">2 Sigma<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">308,538&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">31<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">69<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">3 Sigma<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">66,807&nbsp;<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">6.7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">93.3<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">4 Sigma<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">6,210<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">0.62<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.38<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">5 Sigma<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">233<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">0.023<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.977<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">6 Sigma<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">3.4<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">0.00034<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.99966<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">At very low Sigma levels, a process is unlikely to be profitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">We will elaborate further on how to identify the Sigma level of your process and provide a more detailed Six Sigma scale in the Six Sigma example section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"six-sigma-definitions-what-experts-say\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Six Sigma definitions: What experts say<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">To explain Six Sigma in simpler terms, we\u2019ve turned to experts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">One of our contributors is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lynnkelleychange\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">D. Lynn Kelley, Ph.D.<\/a>, a Senior Advisor to Brown Brothers Harriman Capital Partners, a member of the Board of Directors at Precision Terminal Logistics and Lean Enterprise Institute, as well as the author of the upcoming book <em>Change Questions<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">As a Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Dr. Kelley defines Six Sigma in the following way:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns pro-blockquote is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D.jpg\" alt=\"D. Lynn Kelley, Ph.D\" class=\"wp-image-3530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D.jpg 800w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><em>\u201cSix Sigma is a sequential approach with each step adding value to the work done in the prior steps. Six Sigma\u2019s foundation is the tried-and-true scientific method, giving Six Sigma credibility as a robust way to examine organizational problems. The focus while using Six Sigma is on the customer and all aspects of operational excellence. What differentiates Six Sigma from most continuous improvement methodologies is the emphasis on statistical analysis, making mini statisticians out of ordinary people.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Another expert we\u2019ve talked to is <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/marcosclowes\/\" target=\"_blank\">Marcos Clowes<\/a>, a Chartered Fellow at The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and a Six Sigma Black Belt. Here\u2019s how Marcos defines Six Sigma:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns pro-blockquote is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"399\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes.jpg\" alt=\"Marcos Clowes\" class=\"wp-image-3531\" srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes.jpg 399w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><em>\u201cSix Sigma is a disciplined and data-driven approach aimed at minimizing variations, defects, and errors in processes to achieve high levels of quality and efficiency. It involves using statistical analysis, problem-solving methodologies, and process improvement techniques to identify the root causes of issues and implement effective solutions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-is-six-sigma-mainly-used-for\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">What is Six Sigma mainly used for?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma is mostly used for increasing customer satisfaction and profitability by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Streamlining operations,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Enhancing quality, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Eliminating defects in an organization\u2019s processes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">According to Dr. Kelley, you can use Six Sigma for a variety of other purposes and industries, however, the method should be chosen with care as different projects call for different methods:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns pro-blockquote is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D.jpg\" alt=\"D. Lynn Kelley, Ph.D\" class=\"wp-image-3530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D.jpg 800w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><em>\u201cSix Sigma applies to any industry, organization, or function and its reach extends well beyond the manufacturing industry. However, it does not apply to all types of projects. Applying Six Sigma to highly qualitative projects can result in elaborate contortions to squeeze a qualitative problem into something that is better met with anthropological\/qualitative\/observational methods. In addition, simple or straightforward problems can result in over-engineering either the analysis, the solution, or both.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Clowes also claims that Six Sigma is a methodology suitable for various sectors and projects, listing some of them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns pro-blockquote is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"399\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes.jpg\" alt=\"Marcos Clowes\" class=\"wp-image-3531\" srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes.jpg 399w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><em>\u201cIndustries such as [the following] have adopted Six Sigma to improve:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><em>Healthcare,&nbsp;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><em>Finance,&nbsp;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><em>Information technology,&nbsp;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><em>Logistics, and&nbsp;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><em>Service sectors.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-is-lean-six-sigma\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">What is Lean Six Sigma?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">As explained in <em>An Overview of Six Sigma<\/em>, there\u2019s an obvious connection between<em> <\/em>Six Sigma and Lean, as Lean manufacturing systems are designed to eliminate waste, such as rework or scrap, often resulting from excess variability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">A close connection between these 2 approaches results in the combination of the 2, i.e. the Lean Six Sigma concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Here\u2019s how our contributor, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/simonelias\/\" target=\"_blank\">Simon Elias<\/a>, the Director of LCS (Lean Competency System), explains the basic Lean Six Sigma terms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns pro-blockquote is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Simon-Elias.jpg\" alt=\"Simon Elias\" class=\"wp-image-3532\" srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Simon-Elias.jpg 450w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Simon-Elias-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Simon-Elias-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Simon-Elias-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><em>&#8220;The term <\/em><strong><em>&#8216;Lean Thinking&#8217; <\/em><\/strong><em>covers the overall continuous improvement philosophy and Six Sigma is one of the methodologies that you can choose as an improver.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong><em>Six Sigma<\/em><\/strong><em> has its roots in manufacturing, many improvers see it as too narrow to use on its own \u2014 hence the term <\/em><strong><em>&#8216;Lean Six Sigma&#8217; <\/em><\/strong><em>has arisen, which combines the best of both approaches.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><em>By combining the two methods, you end up with a comprehensive toolset with greater results than can ordinarily be achieved by using Lean or Six Sigma individually.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">So,<em> <\/em>Lean Six Sigma is a data-driven approach that aims at improving performance by preventing defects and systematically reducing variation and waste.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group pro-tip\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\">\ud83d\udca1<strong>Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">To learn more about Lean, take a look at our comprehensive guide:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/project-management\/lean-project-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What Is Lean Project Management?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-are-the-six-sigma-principles\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">What are the Six Sigma principles?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">By following certain methodology principles, organizations can impact their Sigma level.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">The most common Six Sigma principles include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Focus on the customer,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Understand how work gets done,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Focus on continuous process improvement,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Reduce the variation,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Eliminate waste,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Provide training,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Be flexible, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Control the process.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Let\u2019s explain them in further detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"principle-1-focus-on-the-customer\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Principle #1: Focus on the customer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">The primary principle of Six Sigma is focusing on the customer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">By analyzing its offerings from the customer\u2019s perspective, companies can improve the quality of their products.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">As explained in <em>Six Sigma: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide<\/em>, the knowledge of customers\u2019 needs combined with statistics, measurements, and process improvement methods may result in an increase in the following areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Customer satisfaction,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Customer retention,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Customer loyalty, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Overall sales and profit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"principle-2-improve-your-data-gathering-process\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Principle #2: Improve your data-gathering process<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">You should trace the process steps to determine waste areas and gather data to discover any specific problem areas you need to handle or transform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">But before you start gathering data, you need the following information first:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Clearly defined goals for data collection,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Purposes for data gathering, and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Expected insights.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">It is also necessary to ensure the accuracy of measurements and establish a standardized data collection system.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">You can ensure measurement accuracy by verifying the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Whether the data enables you to achieve your goals,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Whether or not the data needs to be refined, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Whether you need any additional information.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Also, you can use <a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/project-management\/what-is-project-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">project management<\/a> software such as <a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plaky<\/a> to keep track of all defects.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"740\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Tracking-defects-in-Plaky-1-1024x740.png\" alt=\"Tracking defects in Plaky\" class=\"wp-image-5577\" srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Tracking-defects-in-Plaky-1-1024x740.png 1024w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Tracking-defects-in-Plaky-1-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Tracking-defects-in-Plaky-1-768x555.png 768w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Tracking-defects-in-Plaky-1-18x12.png 18w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Tracking-defects-in-Plaky-1.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tracking defects in Plaky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Using project management software allows you to organize all your business processes and track how well they\u2019re performing and quickly determine which processes need your attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"principle-3-focus-on-continuous-process-improvement\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Principle #3: Focus on continuous process improvement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma methodology is based on the concept of continuous improvement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In other words, an organization practicing Six Sigma never stops improving.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Once it has improved one area, it instantly moves to another.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">The goal is to reach the highest possible Sigma level for organizational processes \u2014 the Six Sigma level \u2014 with an accuracy of 99.99966%, while still maintaining other goals and requirements, such as financial stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">The closer you are to the Six Sigma level, the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"principle-4-reduce-the-variation\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Principle #4: Reduce the variation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Simply said, variation is a lack of consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Reducing variations improves the process leading to a more consistent customer experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Here\u2019s an example to make the variation concept clearer:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Imagine running a burger bar and having 25 different burgers on the menu.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Your workers must know which ingredient combination goes into each burger and how many ingredients to use.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">With many ingredient options available, there is a higher chance of errors occurring.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">To reduce the variation, you can instruct your employees to use a certain amount of each ingredient for every burger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Moreover, ingredients should always come from the same suppliers to avoid burgers tasting differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">This way, you can ensure consistency in the final product as well as a more consistent customer experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"principle-5-eliminate-waste\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Principle #5: Eliminate waste<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Eliminating waste implies removing what\u2019s unnecessary to improve the process outcome, and it may relate to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">People,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Actions, or&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Items.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Simply put, we should remove everything in the process that does not add to the customer\u2019s value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Eliminating waste reduces:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Costs,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Processing time, and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Chances of errors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">At this point, you might be wondering how exactly are you supposed to know what should be eliminated.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">To answer that question, take a look at the following example.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Imagine running a small pizza place.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">To eliminate waste in your operations, you can ask yourself the following questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><em>Do I need 5 people to put the pizza together and serve it, or can <\/em><em>a single <\/em><em>person prepare a pizza while the others serve the customers?<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><em>How many suppliers do I really need?<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><em>Which pizza options are the most popular?<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><em>Can I optimize the process by including only the best-selling pizzas in the menu and eliminating those nobody ordered in the previous <\/em><em>3 <\/em><em>months?<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><em>How much money do I spend on the ingredients for pizzas that are rarely ordered?<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><em>How much money do I get from the best-selling pizzas compared to other pizza options I currently offer?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">By identifying what is critical for your pizzeria, you will be able to find out what you can eliminate without compromising quality (and gain).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">\n<div class=\"banner banner-dark plaky-gradient-landing-3\">\n    <div class=\"banner-text lg:pr-[6rem]\">\n        <h2 class=\"translation-block text-2xl !mb-4\">Free project management software<\/h2>\n        <p class=\"translation-block !text-sm\">Eliminate waste and improve project productivity using Plaky.<\/p>\n\n        <div class=\"banner-buttons d-flex space-x-4 translation-block\">\n            <a class=\"rounded-md px-6 py-2 bg-white\" href=\"https:\/\/app.plaky.com\/signup\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up<\/a>\n\n                            <a class=\"button-2\" href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\" target=\"_blank\">Learn more<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"banner-image banner-image-middle \">\n        <picture>\n            <source srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-learn\/src\/images\/plaky\/banners\/landing-3@2x.png 2x\" alt=\"Illustration\"  media=\"(min-width: 1022px)\" \/>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-learn\/src\/images\/plaky\/banners\/landing-3.png\"  alt=\"Illustration\" \/>\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"principle-6-provide-training\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Principle #6: Provide training<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">The people on the team need to be trained and have knowledge of the Six Sigma methods of operation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Forming a <a href=\"https:\/\/pumble.com\/learn\/collaboration\/cross-functional-collaboration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cross-functional team<\/a> consisting of team members with various skills and expertise will help identify any variation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Experts in different domains can analyze the processes from several angles as well as point out potential defects and discover solutions for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"principle-7-be-flexible\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Principle #7: Be flexible<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma requires adaptability and having a flexible and responsive system.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Changes will inevitably happen as you eliminate faulty or inefficient processes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Employees from all departments involved in the process should be able to adapt to these changes easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">So, processes should be designed in a way that enables rapid and easy adoption.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">For example, breaking down the processes into steps is a great practice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">This way, we can apply changes to the step that needs our attention, without having to change or adjust the entire process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"principle-8-control-the-process\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Principle #8: Control the process<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">As Six Sigma improvements deal with processes that are out of control, the goal is to bring those processes back within the state of statistical control.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">After implementing improvements to your process, you can use certain tools to make sure the process remains in control, e.g.:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Measurements,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Statistics, or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Other Six Sigma tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-are-the-2-six-sigma-methodologies\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">What are the 2 Six Sigma methodologies?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">According to <em>Six Sigma: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide<\/em>, Six Sigma teams usually use the following 2 methodologies to make improvements and develop process controls:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>DMAIC <\/strong>(<strong>D<\/strong>efine, <strong>M<\/strong>easure, <strong>A<\/strong>nalyze, <strong>I<\/strong>mprove, and <strong>C<\/strong>ontrol), and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>DMADV<\/strong> (<strong>D<\/strong>efine, <strong>M<\/strong>easure, <strong>A<\/strong>nalyze, <strong>D<\/strong>esign, and <strong>V<\/strong>erify).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Let\u2019s explain what each methodology entails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"approach-1-dmaic\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Approach #1: DMAIC<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">DMAIC is a Six Sigma approach to improving company processes, which doesn&#8217;t involve a complete redesign of the processes \u2014 only readjustments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">DMAIC in Six Sigma incorporates the following 5 phases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Define <\/strong>the problem, opportunities for improvement, project goals, and customer requirements,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Measure <\/strong>how the process performs,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Analyze <\/strong>the process to determine what causes poor performance (i.e. defects) and identify areas of improvement,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Improve<\/strong> process performance by addressing and removing the causes of poor performance, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Control<\/strong> how the process is implemented in the future.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"686\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DMAIC-\u2014-Six-Sigma.png\" alt=\"DMAIC \u2014 Six Sigma\" class=\"wp-image-10166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DMAIC-\u2014-Six-Sigma.png 1200w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DMAIC-\u2014-Six-Sigma-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DMAIC-\u2014-Six-Sigma-1024x585.png 1024w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DMAIC-\u2014-Six-Sigma-768x439.png 768w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DMAIC-\u2014-Six-Sigma-18x10.png 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">DMAIC \u2014 Six Sigma<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">As Six Sigma is a data-driven methodology, the American Society for Quality recommends utilizing certain tools and techniques for the DMAIC process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Let\u2019s take a look at these tools in the following table:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>DMAIC&nbsp;<\/strong><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Tools and techniques<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Define<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">\u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/project-management\/project-charter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Project charter<\/a><br>\u2013 Voice of the customer<br>\u2013 Value stream map<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Measure<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">\u2013 Process map<br>\u2013 Capability analysis<br>\u2013 Pareto chart<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Analyze<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">\u2013 Root cause analysis (RCA)<br>\u2013 Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA)<br>\u2013 Multi-vari chart<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Improve<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">\u2013 Design of experiments (DOE)<br>\u2013 Kaizen event<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Control<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">\u2013 Quality control plan&nbsp;<br>\u2013 Statistical process control (SPC)&nbsp;<br>\u2013 5S&nbsp;<br>\u2013 Mistake proofing (poka-yoke)&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"approach-2-dmadv\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Approach #2: DMADV<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">As sometimes, fixing or improving a process doesn\u2019t solve the problem, organizations must instead completely replace or redesign processes to achieve desired goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In such cases, when developing a new product, service, or process, organizations may use a modified version of DMAIC called \u2014 DMADV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">The first 3 process steps of DMADV are similar to DMAIC, however, DMADV\u2019s last 2 steps are oriented toward rolling out and testing a completely new process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">So, DMADV incorporates the following 5 steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Define<\/strong> the purpose of a product, service, or project,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Measure<\/strong> and determine the product, service, or process characteristics that are critical for their quality, including risk and production capabilities,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Analyze<\/strong> the data you have to find the best design,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Design<\/strong> the product, service, or process and test the prototype, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Verify<\/strong> the effectiveness of the design via simulations and a pilot program.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"686\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DMADV-\u2014-Six-Sigma.png\" alt=\"DMADV \u2014 Six Sigma\" class=\"wp-image-10168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DMADV-\u2014-Six-Sigma.png 1200w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DMADV-\u2014-Six-Sigma-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DMADV-\u2014-Six-Sigma-1024x585.png 1024w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DMADV-\u2014-Six-Sigma-768x439.png 768w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DMADV-\u2014-Six-Sigma-18x10.png 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">DMADV \u2014 Six Sigma<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Now, let\u2019s take a look at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qimacros.com\/lean-six-sigma\/DMADV\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tools and techniques most frequently used for DMADV<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>DMADV&nbsp;<\/strong><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Tools and techniques<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Define&nbsp;<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">\u2013 Project Charter<br>\u2013 Critical to Quality (CTQ) measures<br>\u2013 Voice of the customer<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Measure<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">\u2013 Control chart&nbsp;<br>\u2013 Pareto chart<br>\u2013 Histogram<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Analyze<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">\u2013 QFD<br>\u2013 Prioritization matrix<br>\u2013 FMEA&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Design<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">\u2013 Design of experiments<br>\u2013 Action plan&nbsp;<br>\u2013 TRIZ<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Verify<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">\u2013 Control chart<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"six-sigma-belts-champions-and-executives\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Six Sigma belts, champions, and executives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma has nothing to do with martial arts, though they have a couple of terms in common.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Namely, Six Sigma practitioners hold different color belts corresponding to the ones used in martial arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">There are 5 types of Six Sigma certification levels and belts, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma White Belt,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma Yellow Belt,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma Green Belt,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma Black Belt, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma Master Black Belt.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In addition to belts, there are 2 more Six Sigma roles that serve for setting the direction for selecting and deploying projects, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma Champions, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma Executives.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Now, let\u2019s analyze the belts and roles in more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"six-sigma-white-belt\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Six Sigma White Belt&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">White Belt holders are those with an elementary level of Six Sigma training.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">A White Belt training is an excellent option for auxiliary staff members as it can help them understand why <a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/project-management\/project-roles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">project teams<\/a> work in a particular way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">According to the American Society for Quality, White Belts <em>\u201ccan work on local problem-solving teams that support overall projects, but may not be part of a Six Sigma project team\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"six-sigma-yellow-belt\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Six Sigma Yellow Belt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">The Yellow Belt certification is one step above the White Belt certification. Also, it\u2019s an introductory position within Six Sigma.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Yellow Belts are regular <a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/project-management\/project-roles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">project team members<\/a> responsible for identifying processes that need improvement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">They work under the guidance of those with higher belt ranking \u2014 Green and Black Belts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"six-sigma-green-belt\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Six Sigma Green Belt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Certified Green Belts are Six Sigma team members who supervise the Yellow Belts and are usually under the supervision of Black Belts or Master Black Belts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">They assist with data gathering and analysis for Black Belt projects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">However, unlike Yellow Belts, they can lead smaller projects as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"six-sigma-black-belt\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Six Sigma Black Belt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Certified Black Belts are Six Sigma project team leaders. They train and coach project teams.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Black Belts have the following responsibilities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Explain Six Sigma principles, including the supporting systems and tools,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Demonstrate team leadership,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Understand team dynamics,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Delegate team member roles and responsibilities,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Understand all aspects of the DMAIC model, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Have basic knowledge of Lean enterprise concepts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">As Marcos Clowes explains, Six Sigma Black Belts are also involved in data analysis and problem-solving:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns pro-blockquote is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"399\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes.jpg\" alt=\"Marcos Clowes\" class=\"wp-image-3531\" srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes.jpg 399w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><em>\u201cBlack Belts are skilled in statistical analysis and problem-solving techniques. They use data-driven methodologies to identify root causes of problems, analyze process performance, and make informed decisions based on the results.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Marcos adds that Black Belts are also concerned with <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/change-management-vs-project-management\/\" target=\"_blank\">change management<\/a>:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns pro-blockquote is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"399\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes.jpg\" alt=\"Marcos Clowes\" class=\"wp-image-3531\" srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes.jpg 399w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Marcos-Clowes-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><em>\u201cBlack Belts facilitate change management efforts by effectively communicating with stakeholders, managing resistance, and ensuring the successful implementation of process improvements.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">And, as Dr. Kelley highlights,<em> \u201cmore effort must be placed on the change management side of the equation\u201d<\/em> within organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"six-sigma-master-black-belt\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Six Sigma Master Black Belt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Master Belts are the highest level Six Sigma in-house authorities who train and coach Green and Black Belts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">They are experts in the methodology, resources, and practices of Six Sigma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">As a Black Belt and Master Black Belt, Dr. Kelley shared some of the responsibilities she held within certain organizations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns pro-blockquote is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D.jpg\" alt=\"D. Lynn Kelley, Ph.D\" class=\"wp-image-3530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D.jpg 800w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><em>\u201cI ran operational excellence\/continuous improvement activities in 2 Fortune 200 companies, reporting directly to the CEO in both organizations. My role in the hundreds of ongoing projects in these organizations was to motivate, mentor, and demonstrate real results from Six Sigma and Lean. This included tracking metrics from all projects until they demonstrated at least six months of sustained improvement (at or above the project closure metric). From this, we calculated overall sustainment percentages and saw sustainment increase steadily until it reached 90% at one of the companies and 95% at the other.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"six-sigma-champions\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Six Sigma Champions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma Champions are business leaders who translate the company\u2019s mission, vision, and values into a Six Sigma deployment strategy that supports the company\u2019s goals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In addition, the champions have the following responsibilities:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Guide the team,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Remove obstacles that could hinder process success,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Ensure the project is aligned with the company\u2019s goals,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Maintain team focus, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Ensure projects are completed on time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"six-sigma-executives\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Six Sigma Executives<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma Executives have the most training and experience. They hold the highest level in the Six Sigma hierarchy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">According to the American Society for Quality, Six Sigma Executives <em>\u201cprovide overall alignment by establishing the strategic focus of the Six Sigma program within the context of the organization\u2019s culture and vision.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group pro-tip\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\">\ud83d\udca1<strong> Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Interested in project management certifications? Check our comprehensive guide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/project-management\/project-management-certifications\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Project Management Certifications<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Now that you have mastered the Six Sigma basics, it\u2019s time to show you how to determine the Sigma level of your process \u2014 with the help of an example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"an-example-of-six-sigma-in-project-management\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">An example of Six Sigma in project management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Suppose you run an online clothing shop and want to determine your current Sigma level.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Your company has received 11 customer complaints out of 580 orders made last week in total.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In that case, the number of orders is <strong>your sample size (580)<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">The number of complaints is <strong>the<\/strong><strong> number of defects (11)<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">The complaints may be grouped based on the nature of each complaint, e.g.:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Wrong color,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Wrong size, or&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Wrong product type shipped.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">All these categories represent <strong>opportunities for defects<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Now, let\u2019s calculate your Sigma level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"calculating-your-sigma-level\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Calculating your Sigma level<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">We can use the following formulas for the Sigma level calculations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Defects per unit<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background translation-block\" style=\"background-color:#e5f6fe\">DPU = number of defects \/ number of units<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Defects per opportunity<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background translation-block\" style=\"background-color:#e5f6fe\">DPO = number of defects \/ (number of units x opportunities per unit)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Defects per million opportunities<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background translation-block\" style=\"background-color:#e5f6fe\">DPMO = [number of defects \/ ( number of units x defect opportunities per unit)] x 1,000,000 or&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background translation-block\" style=\"background-color:#e5f6fe\">DPO x 1,000,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Yield \u2014 the ability of a process to produce defect-free units<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background translation-block\" style=\"background-color:#e5f6fe\">Yield = 1 &#8211; DPO<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Now, let\u2019s calculate the values based on the data we have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Number of units: <\/strong>580&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Number of defects: <\/strong>11<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Opportunities per unit: <\/strong>3<strong> <\/strong>(size, color, clothing type)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background translation-block\" style=\"background-color:#e5f6fe\">DPU = number of defects \/ number of units<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">DPU = 11 \/ 580&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">DPU = 0.019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background translation-block\" style=\"background-color:#e5f6fe\"><strong>DPO = number of defects \/ (number of units x opportunities per unit)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">DPO = 11 \/ ( 580 x 3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>DPO = 0.0063218391<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background translation-block\" style=\"background-color:#e5f6fe\"><strong>DPMO = DPO x 1,000,000<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">DPMO = 0.0063218391 x 1,000,000&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>DPMO = 6,321.8391<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Yield = 1 &#8211; DPO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Yield = 1 &#8211; 0.0063218391&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Yield = 0.9936781609<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Yield (%) = 99.36781609<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Next, we have to take a look at the Yield to Sigma conversion table and identify our process Sigma level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Yield %<\/strong><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Sigma<\/strong><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Defects Per Million Opportunities<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9997<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">6.00<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">3.4<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9995<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">5.92<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9992<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">5.81<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">8<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9990<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">5.76<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">10<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9980<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">5.61<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">20<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9970<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">5.51<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9960<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">5.44<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">40<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9930<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">5.31<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">70<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9900<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">5.22<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">100<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9850<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">5.12<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">150<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9770<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">5.00<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">230<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9670<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">4.91<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">330<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9520<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">4.80<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">480<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9320<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">4.70<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">680<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.9040<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">4.60<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">960<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.8650<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">4.50<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1,350<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.8140<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">4.40<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1,860<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.7450<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">4.30<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">2,550<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.6540<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">4.20<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">3,460<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">99.5340<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">4.10<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">4,660<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>99.3790<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>4.00<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>6,210<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>99.1810<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>3.90<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>8,190<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">98.9300<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">3.80<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">10,700<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">98.6100<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">3.70<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">13,900<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">98.2200<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">3.60<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">17,800<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">97.7300<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">3.50<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">22,700<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">97.1300<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">3.40<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">28,700<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">96.4100<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">3.30<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">35,900<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">95.5400<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">3.20<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">44,600<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">94.5200<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">3.10<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">54,800<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">93.3200<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">3.00<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">66,800<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">91.9200<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">2.90<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">80,800<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">90.3200<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">2.80<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">96,800<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">88.5000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">2.70<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">115,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">86.5000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">2.60<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">135,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">84.2000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">2.50<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">158,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">81.6000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">2.40<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">184,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">78.8000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">2.30<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">212,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">75.8000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">2.20<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">242,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">72.6000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">2.10<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">274,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">69.2000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">2.00<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">308,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">65.6000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1.90<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">344,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">61.8000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1.80<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">382,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">58.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1.70<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">420,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">54.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1.60<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">460,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">50.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1.50<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">500,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">46.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1.40<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">540,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">43.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1.32<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">570,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">39.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1.22<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">610,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">35.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1.11<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">650,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">31.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1.00<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">690,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">28.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">0.92<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">720,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">25.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">0.83<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">750,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">22.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">0.73<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">780,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">19.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">0.62<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">810,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">16.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">0.51<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">840,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">14.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">0.42<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">860,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">12.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">0.33<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">880,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">10.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">0.22<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">900,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">8.0000<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">0.09<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">920,000<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isixsigma.com\/sigma-level\/yield-to-sigma-conversion-table\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">iSixSigma<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Based on <\/strong><strong>the table above<\/strong><strong>, our Sigma level is between 3.90 and 4.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">That means we can take certain actions to reduce the number of defects and achieve the best-case scenario, i.e. 3.4 DPMO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Now, let\u2019s calculate the number of defects for the Six Sigma process using the data we have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Units: <\/strong>580&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Defect opportunities per unit:<\/strong> 3 (size, color, clothing type)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">At the Six Sigma level, the number of DPMO (defects per million opportunities) is 3.4.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">So, we can calculate the DPO (defects per opportunity) by using the formula for DPMO, as we already know the value for DPMO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>DPMO = 3.4<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background translation-block\" style=\"background-color:#e5f6fe\"><strong>DPMO = DPO x 1,000,000<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">3.4 = DPO x 1,000,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">DPO = 3.4 \/ 1,000,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">DPO = 0.0000034<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Now, we have the value for DPO, and we can use the formula for DPO to calculate the total number of defects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background translation-block\" style=\"background-color:#e5f6fe\"><strong>DPO = number of defects \/ (number of units x opportunities per unit)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Defects = (units x opportunities per unit) x DPO<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Defects = (580 x 3) x 0.0000034<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Defects = 0.005916<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Let\u2019s compare our process performance at the current Sigma level to the one at the Six Sigma level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table responsive\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Defects per million opportunities at the <\/strong><strong>Current Sigma level (between 3.90 and 4)<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Defects per million opportunities at the <\/strong><strong>Six Sigma level<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>DPMO = 6,321.8391 &nbsp;<\/td><td>DPMO = 3.4&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">As we can see from the table, the number of DPMO is significantly lower at the Six Sigma level than the one we are currently at (between 3.90 and 4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">This further means that we might want to use the DMAIC approach to improve the process and try to reach the Six Sigma level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-are-the-benefits-of-six-sigma\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">What are the benefits of Six Sigma?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">At this point, we\u2019ll analyze the benefits Six Sigma brings to <a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/project-management\/what-project-managers-do\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">project managers<\/a>, including the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Better decision-making,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Less waste,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Improved quality and customer satisfaction,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Decreased operational costs, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Increased productivity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Let\u2019s take a closer look at each benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"benefit-1-better-decision-making\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Benefit #1: Better decision-making<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Without proper measurement and analysis, organizations often make bad judgments that lead to poor performance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">When applying Six Sigma, all decisions are data-driven, so you don\u2019t need to rely on intuition or <a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/project-assumptions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">project assumptions<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma enables better decision-making by relying on data analysis and improving processes based on measurements and metrics.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Having accurate data allows you to make the right choices and find the best solution for process improvement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Furthermore, using Six Sigma helps organizations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Determine what is wrong,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Validate their assumptions,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Brainstorm potential solutions for problems, and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Plan the necessary steps to avoid unwanted consequences.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"benefit-2-improved-quality-and-customer-satisfaction\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Benefit #2: Improved quality and customer satisfaction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">There is a direct connection between the quality of products and customer satisfaction \u2014 the better your products are, the more satisfied the customers will be.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma helps reduce variations and defects, contributing to the better overall quality of products and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"benefit-3-less-waste\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Benefit #3: Less waste<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma relies on a set of statistical tools to identify and validate a process\u2019 root problem.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">It helps your company optimize processes and decrease total waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"benefit-4-lower-operational-costs\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Benefit #4: Lower operational costs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Organizations often spend extra time fixing defective products and dealing with dissatisfied customers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">By reducing problems to 3.4 DPMOs, Six Sigma significantly reduces expenses, as defective processes cost you money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In other words, an efficient manufacturing process is less expensive, and Six Sigma makes it possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"benefit-5-increased-productivity\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Benefit #5: Increased productivity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Applying Six Sigma to your processes boosts efficiency and allows for better <a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/project-time-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">project time management<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">By identifying problematic areas and optimizing your processes, you help your teams operate more efficiently.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In addition, you avoid having the same problems repeat in the future and eat up your time, as Six Sigma helps you identify their roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">\n<div class=\"banner banner-dark plaky-gradient-landing-4\">\n    <div class=\"banner-text lg:pr-[6rem]\">\n        <h2 class=\"translation-block text-2xl !mb-4\">Free project management software<\/h2>\n        <p class=\"translation-block !text-sm\">Track your progress and achieve better project results with Plaky.<\/p>\n\n        <div class=\"banner-buttons d-flex space-x-4 translation-block\">\n            <a class=\"rounded-md px-6 py-2 bg-white\" href=\"https:\/\/app.plaky.com\/signup\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up<\/a>\n\n                            <a class=\"button-2\" href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\" target=\"_blank\">Learn more<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"banner-image banner-image-bottom \">\n        <picture>\n            <source srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-learn\/src\/images\/plaky\/banners\/landing-4@2x.png 2x\" alt=\"Illustration\"  media=\"(min-width: 1022px)\" \/>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-learn\/src\/images\/plaky\/banners\/landing-4.png\"  alt=\"Illustration\" \/>\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-difference-between-pmp-and-six-sigma\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">What is the difference between PMP and Six Sigma?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">While both the PMP\u00ae (Project Management Professionals) certification and Six Sigma focus on specialized strategies to create better business outcomes, their approach is different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">So, what are the main differences between PMP\u00ae and Six Sigma?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Let\u2019s take a look at the following table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>PMP\u00ae&nbsp;<\/strong><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Six Sigma<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Focuses on improving projects\u2019 success rate.<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Focuses on discovering and eliminating or reducing variations and defects within a specific process.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">A PMP\u00ae professional utilizes standardized practices to efficiently deliver a project that satisfies a predetermined goal.<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">A Six Sigma professional uses data-driven methods and statistics to pinpoint and solve problems.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">The focus is on completing a project within a specific <a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/project-management\/project-deadline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">project deadline<\/a>.<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Six Sigma projects have a continuous control phase.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">PMP\u00ae is the most industry-recognized certification for project managers.<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Six Sigma is more commonly used in the manufacturing industry, where the methodology assists companies in achieving higher levels of product quality.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">PMP\u00ae professionals focus on how to plan and execute a project.<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Certified Six Sigma professionals focus on improving processes.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Requirements:<br><br>\u2014 4-year degree + 36 months of experience leading projects within the past 8 years + 35h of project management training, or<br><br>\u2014 secondary education diploma + 60 months of experience leading projects within the past 8 years + 35h of project management training<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Requirements vary based on the level of certification you\u2019re pursuing.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">The PMP\u00ae certification is only available through the PMI (Project Management Institute).<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">The Six Sigma certification is available through several organizations.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Even though PMP\u00ae and Six Sigma certifications are different, one doesn\u2019t have to exclude the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma professionals are great at discovering and solving problems, while PMP\u00ae professionals are experts at delivering projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Having individuals with both Six Sigma and PMP\u00ae certifications may be an excellent advantage for any organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group pro-tip\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\">\ud83d\udca1<strong> Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Find out more about project management methodologies in the following guide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/project-management\/project-management-methodologies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">20 Project Management Methodologies: An Overview<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"wrapping-up-six-sigma-may-significantly-improve-your-business-processes-if-you-apply-it-to-the-right-project-in-the-right-way\" class=\"wp-block-heading translation-block\">Wrapping up: Six Sigma may significantly improve your business processes if you apply it to the right project in the right way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Six Sigma is a data-driven methodology that enables companies to achieve optimal business processes by identifying any weak points and acting on them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">By focusing on statistics, Six Sigma helps remove defects, reduce variations, and improve productivity, which ultimately leads to reduced costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In addition, Six Sigma emphasizes the value of focusing on customers\u2019 needs with the aim of improving customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Although Six Sigma to a great extent deals with statistical analysis, it\u2019s important to remember that this methodology isn\u2019t solely about the numbers, but also about the people involved in the process, or as Dr. Kelley explains:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns pro-blockquote is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D.jpg\" alt=\"D. Lynn Kelley, Ph.D\" class=\"wp-image-3530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D.jpg 800w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/D.-Lynn-Kelley-Ph.D-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><em>\u201cUsing statistics as a stand-alone way to address problems misses the broader sweep afforded by Six Sigma. Six Sigma has taught me to ensure that my data-driven approach includes more than just the process data at hand. The voice of the customer, insights and suggestions from the employees, and the impact upon the stakeholders are critical (and often ignored) in pure data-driven approaches.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background translation-block\" style=\"background-color:#e5f6fe\">\ud83d\udcd6 Now that you\u2019ve acquainted yourself with Six Sigma project management, dive further into other project management topics \u2014 check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/glossary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Project Management Glossary of Terms<\/a> and read more about basic and advanced project management terminology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"custom-btn translation-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/app.plaky.com\/signup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Get started with Plaky<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Six Sigma is a statistical data-driven methodology organizations may use to reduce or eliminate defects and improve their business processes.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":7222,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-project-management-methodologies","category-project-management"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=962"}],"version-history":[{"count":48,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11629,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/962\/revisions\/11629"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/learn\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}