Application and Impact of Six Sigma Methodology in Quality Management Across Industries


Introduction

Motorola introduced Six Sigma in the 1980s to bring down production costs without compromising the quality of the products. To a layperson, this might seem contradictory because, before Six Sigma, it was considered that the higher the investment better is the quality of the products. Six Sigma introduced new quality management methodologies that helped reduce wastage, rework, and improve resource allocation. This helped improve the quality of products and reduce the production cost. Here are some critical factors associated with Six Sigma and its applications.

Immediate Impacts of Six Sigma Methodology in Quality Management

If you think about the impact of Six Sigma across industries, the first thing you will find is that it effectively reduces wastage and improves employee morale. All of these are a necessary part of quality management. You will find that reducing wastage and enhancing employee morale makes it easier to produce quality products and ensure that the final deliverable meets client requirements.

Six Sigma provides business managers with the necessary tools that can help them improve business processes, automate workflow management, and ensure that the allocation of resources is done correctly for the projects. This, too, is essential for quality management.

According to the American Society for Quality or ASQ, the Six Sigma methodologies can help reduce defects, chances of project discarding by clients, reworking or projects, and maintain the quality of the products and services offered by the company.

When you implement the Six Sigma methodology, you can expect the following changes in your company:

  • Reduction in wastage: The first impact of the Six Sigma methodology is to reduce wastage, which you will find is a collective impact across industries. Consider a scenario where you must allocate resources to ongoing projects and ensure decreased wastage while distributing.

    Similarly, it would help if you streamlined the business processes to ensure there is no wastage within your business. Doing this can help reduce your cost of production and operational expenses. Thus, Six Sigma's primary impact is reducing wastage and ensuring your financial payments, especially for business operations, are reduced significantly in the long run.

  • Improves your company's overall efficiency: The following significant impact of the Six Sigma methodology is that it can improve your company's overall efficiency by providing you with data−based information. Sometimes the existing resources must be upgraded and trained to make these suitable for ongoing projects. Training is especially essential for human resources. With the help of the Six Sigma methodologies, you can evaluate which of your teams require training, and it can help improve the efficiency of your team members. Subsequently, it can help improve the productivity of your firm.

  • Reduces errors: The subsequent most crucial effect of Six Sigma protocols is to minimize the room for error. You will find that when building a product, it is essential to maintain the quality of each deliverable. You will find it easier to manage the quality of the product when you have reduced the room for error. With correct resource allocation, you can ensure that the products are of the best quality and defect free. If you introduce quality management as required by the Six Sigma methodology, it becomes easier to deliver a defect−free product at the final stage. This way, you can save time and money because the product is not sent back for rework.

  • Improve productivity: Six Sigma methodologies can improve your company's productivity. You must ensure your teams work cohesively to provide your clients with good−quality products and services. Automated workflow and streamlined business processes make communication more manageable, and they can produce quality work.

Applications of Six Sigma in Quality Management Across Industries

Six Sigma quality management methodologies have several impacts on a company. However, if a company implements these methodologies for quality management, you will find that it has a more significant impact across industries.

Six Sigma quality management has the following applications in the given industrial sectors:

  • Manufacturing industries: In the case of manufacturing industries, it is essential to control the quality of products. As manufacturing is a continuous process, you need to ensure that the quality of the intermediate products is also perfect so that the final product is as per client requirements. Hence, with the Six Sigma quality management methodologies, you can ensure there is no wastage of resources, the entire production process is streamlined, and you get defect−free products.

  • Software industries: Consider a software industry where you are developing products such as websites, mobile applications, and software for the internal usage of a company. Here, you will have specific deliverables which you must make within a given timeline. Moreover, you must evaluate the quality of each deliverable for each phase with the Six Sigma quality management tools to ensure reduced chances of rejection and rework. Finally, you must ensure that the final product is bug−free before you deliver it to your client.

    Thus, applying Six Sigma quality management methodologies in the software industry is also significant. It can play a crucial role in ensuring the final product meets your client's requirements and can also help reduce the cost of business operations.

  • Healthcare industries: If you want to implement better healthcare facilities, you need Six Sigma quality management methodologies to help you evaluate the best way to manage the employee workforce. As it is a consumer−facing industry here, quality management largely depends upon the services offered by the individuals connected with the healthcare industry. Hence, with Six Sigma quality management, you can ensure they are well−rested, learn to deal with complex technology, and provide the necessary training.

Conclusion

Thus, there are several applications of Six Sigma quality management across industries. It can help your company to emerge as a recognized brand, primarily if you use these principles to eliminate wastage and improve the business processes in your firm. With the help of Six Sigma quality management, you can even ensure a satisfied employee and client base. It would help if you had the former to produce quality products and services and ensure your business thrives.

Updated on: 11-Aug-2023

70 Views

Kickstart Your Career

Get certified by completing the course

Get Started
Advertisements