Meaningful participation in a Six Sigma project

- Learning the tools in terms of Six Sigma can be challenging. As someone who has just been introduced to Six Sigma or is early in your journey to a white belt, know that there is no need to be intimidated by Six Sigma's complexity. You can meaningfully participate in a Six Sigma team. If you remember that, Six Sigma is a principle to reduce variation, focus on the customer, and remove all defects. Six Sigma emphasizes sustainability by making decisions with data. Sustainable environments require having actual data to back up decisions so that methods are used to have improvements for future generations. The goal for Six Sigma is to strive for perfection by reducing variation and meeting customer demand. The customer is known to make specifications for processes. Statistically speaking, Six Sigma is a process that produces 3.4 defects per million opportunities. A defect is defined as any event that is outside of the customer's specifications. The opportunities are considered any of the total number of chances for a defect to occur. Used properly, Six Sigma methodologies improve processes by eliminating defects and raising the quality of our product while also streamlining production and eliminating wasted time, money, and resources. Six Sigma also focuses on adding value to your product for your customers. I'm often reminded of a quote from the scholar and author, Warren Bennis, who said, "The manager accepts the status quo, but the leader challenges it."