Quality Digest

INITIAL POSTING: Hello, I have been reading some books on Six Sigma and I am just starting to get into it. In one of the books they say that people often complaint that it is "very" similar to TQM, is this true? I know both systems main goal is "customer satisfaction".

Is this because both systems are based on Dr. Demings theories?

Any feedback will help....one more thing, does anyone know of any training sessions on the subject in N.Y., D.C., VA or MD ?? Thank you

RESPONSE: I will frame my response in generalities since all TQM and Six Sigma deployments are not created equal.

Many TQM and Six Sigma tools are similar. Because of this, many people conclude that the approaches are the "same."

If Six Sigma is deployed correctly, improvement project work within a Six Sigma deployment is more aligned to business needs than TQM was. In addition, Six Sigma had more of an infrastructure relative to project status reporting and roles; e.g., Black Belts, Green Belts, Champions, Executives. Finally, Six Sigma project work had more alignment to business financials; i.e., financial validation of the benefit for each project.

Again, these statements are generalities. I have noted that many companies are having their Six Sigma deployment stalled out because they are "pushing" for project creation, as opposed to creating an enterprise metric system that pulls for the creation of projects in order to improve high-level metrics.

To address your final point, not all Six Sigma training is created equal. You really need to understand what is taught in the course and how you can benefit when choosing a provider. Becoming a good Black Belt who knows how to apply the tools effectively and has a roadmap to accomplish this is much more important than finding a local provider, which can lead to "Black Belt" certification, which may not have much substance.

People can often be penny wise and pound foolish relative to obtaining Six Sigma training. The real expense is a person's time; hence, you need to get the best training you can using "your time."

It has been my observation that those who are trained where the person has to stay in a hotel often do better than those who have local training. Quality Six Sigma training is very intense and involves teamwork after hours, which can more readily be addressed when not being distracted by normal day-to-day late afternoon and evening home-based activities.

Hope this helps.

Contact me directly if you would like to discuss further.

Forrest Breyfogle
Quality Digest's Six Sigma Forum Moderator
forrest@smartersolutions.com
512-918-0280 X401
www.smartersolutions.com