Six Sigma: Definition and underlying theory

Six Sigma has been gaining momentum in industry; however, academics have conducted little research on this emerging phenomenon. Understanding Six Sigma first requires providing a conceptual definition and identifying an underlying theory. In this paper we use the grounded theory approach and the scant literature available to propose an initial definition and theory of Six Sigma. Our research argues that although the tools and techniques in Six Sigma are strikingly similar to prior approaches to quality management, it provides an organizational structure not previously seen. This emergent structure for quality management helps organizations more rigorously control process improvement activities, while at the same time creating a context that enables problem exploration between disparate organizational members. Although Six Sigma provides benefits over prior approaches to quality management, it also creates new challenges for researchers and practitioners.     

The evolving theory of quality management: The role of Six Sigma

While Six Sigma is increasingly implemented in industry, little academic research has been done on Six Sigma and its influence on quality management theory and application. There is a criticism that Six Sigma simply puts traditional quality management practices in a new package. To investigate this issue and the role of Six Sigma in quality management, this study reviewed both the traditional quality management and Six Sigma literatures and identified three new practices that are critical for implementing Six Sigma's concept and method in an organization. These practices are referred to as: Six Sigma role structure, Six Sigma structured improvement procedure, and Six Sigma focus on metrics. A research model and survey instrument were developed to investigate how these Six Sigma practices integrate with seven traditional quality management practices to affect quality performance and business performance. Test results based on a sample of 226 US manufacturing plants revealed that the three Six Sigma practices are distinct practices from traditional quality management practices, and that they complement the traditional quality management practices in improving performance. The implications of the findings for researchers and practitioners are discussed and further research directions are offered.     

基于平衡计分卡的六西格玛项目选择指标体系构建

企业如何对六西格玛项目进行选择,选择一个科学的评价体系至关重要。文章借鉴了六西格玛平衡计分卡原理和SWOT企业战略管理分析理论,通过财务、顾客、内部业务流程以及学习和成长四个维度分析,最后经过咨询质量管理专家,对指标进行修正,构建了基于六西格玛平衡计分卡的评价体系,希望能够为六西格玛项目选择提供一个有益的借鉴。     

现代产品的质量改进和六西格玛管理

高度自动化是现代制造系统的主要特征,自动化设备的广泛采用对质量提出了越来越高的要求。这就要求产品的质量不断的改进和提高,而六西格玛(6σ)理论是一套建立在统计学基础上的质量管理系统模式。它的本质是不断减少偏差,持续追求高品质。文中综述了现代产品的质量研究改进和六西格玛管理理论。     

中国企业六西格玛管理实施模型研究

随着六西格玛管理的迅速推广,不少中国企业通过实施六西格玛取得了显著的效益,当在实施六西格玛管理过程中也存在很多问题。因此,了解六西格玛在中国的实施现状,总结适合中国企业实施六西格玛管理的模式至关重要。文章基于对六西格玛管理关键成功因素的分析,构建了适合中国企业的六西格玛管理实施模型。为中国企业通过实施六西格玛管理建立一套持续改进的管理模式奠定了基础。     

Six Sigma and information systems project management: A revised theoretical model

Previous information systems (IS) research has significantly improved the success rate of IS projects, but the result is still far from satisfying. The effort to advance IS project management theories continues. One notable effort is Ravichandran and Rai (2000). Based on quality management principles, they developed a model (the R&R model) describing a qualityoriented organizational system that leads to software development quality performance. This study analyzed Six Sigma to propose major revisions to the R&R model. Six Sigma is a recent approach to quality management with proven effectiveness. The analysis of Six Sigma suggested that several constructs in the R&R model need to be respecified, leading to the definition of a new quality‐oriented organizational system. More importantly, the revised model posits that the new organizational system leads to IS project success that can be measured by organizational performance improvement. This study contributes to the literature and provides practical guidance to IS project managers.     

基于六西格玛流程改进的库存管理优化

库存管理是企业用来控制实际库存问题的方法，主要帮助企业经营者确定何时补充订货、补充订货多少以及安全库存等问题。现有的库存控制研究往往只关注数学建模阶段的精确性，而对库存波动根源认识不足，导致数学模型越来越复杂、完善，但库存仍然居高不下、难以控制。本文针对该问题，提出了在库存管理中糅合六西格玛管理理念的思想，通过六西格玛方法揭示库存积压的根源，从源头着手，进行流程改进，从而达到库存优化、提高客户满意度的目的。文章通过实际案例证实了基于六西格玛理念的库存优化管理的有效性。     

The communion bridge to Six Sigma and process capability indices

Six Sigma has already become an efficient improvement technique adopted by a great number of enterprises. Numbers of Sigma has become a tool of measuring process capability in some enterprises. But some of enterprises still use process capability indices (PCIs) to measure the process capability. So numbers of Sigma and PCIs both can be used to measure the process capability. The paper will research the relationship between PCIs and numbers of Sigma. In bilateral specifications, the paper will research the relationship between the PCIs which are C_p, C_pk, C_pm and C_pmk, S_pk and numbers of Sigma. In unilateral specifications, the paper will research the relationship between the PCIs which are C_pu and C_pl and numbers of Sigma. If supplier and buyer use different tools to measure the process capability, then the communion bridge to Six Sigma and PCIs can decrease the communicate noise.     

Lessons from Sweden’s first large-scale implementation of Six Sigma in healthcare

The Skaraborg Hospital Group (SkaS) has implemented a variety of quality management initiatives in the last 20 years in accordance with its strategy of excelling at quality development to fulfill the needs and expectations of its patients. One such initiative is Six Sigma, which has contributed to more than 40 completed improvement projects. Using an action research approach, this article describes the lessons that were learned from the first 22 Six Sigma projects, completed between 2006 and 2008 and having a success rate of 75%. We further describe how these insights have contributed to other ongoing quality improvement activities at SkaS. In particular, the paper presents some key points not earlier described in other Six Sigma healthcare applications.     

港口供应链的精益六西格玛物流模式研究

文章分析了港口供应链物流管理模式现状及存在的问题,介绍了精益六西格玛管理思想的概念及特点,根据精益六西格玛思想对物流管理的影响与作用,提出了应用于港口供应链的精益六西格玛管理模式。     

Six Sigma failures: An escalation model

Despite the pervasiveness of Six Sigma programs, there is rising concern regarding the failure of many Six Sigma programs. One explanation for many Six Sigma failures could be escalation of commitment. Escalation of commitment refers to the propensity of decision-makers to continue investing in a failing course of action. Many researchers have applied escalation of commitment to explain the behavior of individuals, groups, companies, and nations. Using the escalation of commitment model (Staw and Ross 1987a; Ross and Staw Acad. Manag. J. 36:701–732 1993) as a basis, this research describes a Six Sigma failure in an electrical components company. In documenting this failure, this research contributes in two ways, both in the practice and in the theory of Six Sigma. First, while examining the Six Sigma failure, this research uncovers important factors for successful implementation, which should improve the practice of Six Sigma. Second, academic research (e.g., Schroeder et al. J. Oper. Manag, 26:536–554 2008; Zu et al. J. Oper. Manag, 26:630–650 2008) is engaged in uncovering the definition of Six Sigma, and its differences from other improvement programs. This research provides a new direction to academic research and has the potential to impact the theory of Six Sigma.     

六西格玛理论在高职单独招生管理中的应用

本文从介绍六西格玛质量管理基本内容入手,就当前高职招生管理中的一些突出问题,有针对性地提出应用六西格玛质量管理方法加以改进的意见与措施。     

“六西格玛理论”与汽车维修企业建设

六西格玛理论是最新的指导思想和科学的管理理论,特别是它的"六个重要原则"是汽车维修类企业在加强质量管理,提高服务水平,增强企业竞争力方面,获得发展新的管理理论和新的指导思想。     

Lean Six Sigma methodology and application

For last 15 years, Six Sigma that many leader companies have put into practice, help companies to increase their profit and develop by making their process more effective. Six Sigma focuses on quality more than speed. Lean Management removes weakness of Six Sigma on speeding process. In this study, the Lean Six Sigma methodology developed by using these two techniques together is presented. The goal of application is making process lean and increasing the level of sigma. The necessary preventions and recommendations for decreasing defects are presented in this study performed in one of the leading white goods company.     

精益六西格玛在装备维修保障中的应用研究

我军装备保障体制中存在保障力量不足和高新技术装备维修效率不高的情况。精益六西格玛采用"定义——测量——分析——改进——控制"流程,并在实施中加入了精益的哲理、方法和工具,通过对流程的分析与改进能显著提高质量和效率,本文对精益六西格玛在装备维修保障中的应用方法进行了研究,能够减少装备维修过程中的浪费与变异,从而提高装备维修效率,保障作战(训练)任务的完成。     

质量模式和方法论的演化及进展——纪念泰勒发表《科学管理原理》100周年

质量方法论经历了泰勒制、福特制、统计质量控制、日本式全面质量管理、美国式全面质量管理、国际通行质量标准和卓越绩效模式等演化过程。近年来，全面质量取代全面质量管理已在美国得到响应；愉悦质量的概念得到世界认同；以人为先的质量回归思想在世界兴起；六西格玛和其他工具的融合如火如荼；澳大利亚学者甚至提出了第三代质量管理的概念。     

Participation and communication in virtual teams using representational avatars

The study examined how quantitative formative assessment tools may be applied to virtual team communication and provide quality and progress metrics to virtual team leaders. Representational avatars benefit virtual team communication and productivity. Organizational leaders need measurement tools to assess avatar innovation and monitor progress in virtual teams. A goal of this research was to supply a suite of tools to evaluate the potential for avatars to improve as well as monitor and measure virtual team participation and communication. The virtual teams were composed of students (N= 97) at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in New Zealand and Uppsala University in Sweden. Students enrolled in the Intelligent Business Systems (IBS) course formed teams by country and were randomly assigned to a text‐only or avatar‐enriched communication format. Survey results indicated that text‐based teams were perceived as efficient but lacking in inspired participation. Avatar‐enriched teams noted frustration with software but rated their experience as enjoyable. No significant difference in communication quality between teams was indicated, but avatar‐enriched teams posted significantly more words on weekly logbooks than text‐based teams. Recommendations include a model for data disaggregation that may be of value to improve assessment, productivity, and administrative costs of technology‐enhanced virtual teams.     

Project management infrastructure: The key to operational performance improvement

Process improvement programs such as Six Sigma, Lean, and Lean Sigma are very important and deserve serious academic research attention. However, definition problems make it difficult to study any specific type of process improvement program. Therefore, this study defines two organizational level program management factors, Strategic Project Selection (SPS) and Project Management Infrastructure (PMI), that are independent of any specific process improvement program. Drawing upon current literature, this study develops and tests theoretical models that relate SPS and PMI to operational performance improvement and to each other. Using empirical data collected from 53 supplier plants of one large high-tech firm, this study finds that at the plant level, SPS mediates the relationship between PMI and operational performance improvement. This insight contributes to both theory development and practice, suggesting that a viable strategy for a process improvement program’s success is to focus on PMI in order to enhance SPS and ultimately improve performance. Not to be reproduced or quoted without written permission from the authors.     

基于6sigma的采购质量改进研究

将6sigma的管理方法引入采购质量管理中,运用6sigma定义的DMAIC五个步骤对采购过程的质量进行定义、评估、分析、改进和控制,从而达到提高采购过程质量水平的目的。