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Vol 29 - No 01 - February 2003 Book Review: Six Sigma SPC and TQM in Manufacturing and Services Six Sigma was developed in the late 1980's by Motorola in the face of competition from Japanese manufacturers' ability to produce consistently high quality products, with shorter development lead times. It builds upon the disciplines of TQMand SPC, but with additional analyses used to identify sources of variability. This relatively short book provides a basic introduction to the rationale and implementation of Six Sigma. It consistently focuses on the effects of Six Sigma improvement programmes on the customer, eg. the need to ensure that order processing and billing systems work faultlessly in order to retain customers, and increase market share. The most useful section deals with the implementation of Six Sigma. The author's experience in implementation within GE Capital shows a real familiarity with the process, the time it takes, the need for analysis, the need for involvement throughout the organisation, and the ongoing need to revisit processes. Page number: 12 Word count: 485 Related Topics:
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