WHAT IS IT?
An analytical method aimed at achieving NEAR-PERFECT RESULTS on a production line. In statistics, the Greek letter sigma denotes variation in a standard bell curve. One sigma equals 690,000 defects per 1 million. Most companies do no better than three sigma, or 66,000 errors per million. Six Sigma reduces that count to 3.4 DEFECTS PER MILLION. That saves money by preventing waste.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The tool achieves results by reducing subjective errors in the assessment of problems. First, auditors DEFINE a process where results are subpar. Then they MEASURE the process to determine current performance, ANALYZE this information to pinpoint where things are going wrong, and IMPROVE the process and eliminate the error. Last, CONTROLS are set up to prevent future bugs.