Six-Sigma has maintained momentum for over ten years now, longer than many pundits expected. However, the key question remains: how long will Six-Sigma remain front-page news? The answer is that it will remain front-page news as long as it delivers front-page results. A second, and related question is: how might the initiative morph and evolve in order to remain relevant going forward? This paper suggests that several emerging trends will continue, such as migration to financial services and healthcare, standardisation of Design for Six-Sigma (DFSS), and further globalisation. Longer term, a key challenge appears to be integration into normal operations, rather than managing Six-Sigma as a separate initiative.
Roger Hoerl, leader of the Applied Statistics Lab at GE Global Research, is one of the leading lights in the Six Sigma movement - in my opinion. He has also co-authored several excellent books:
- Six Sigma Beyond the Factory Floor: Deployment Strategies for Financial Services, Health Care, and the Rest of the Real Economy by Ron D. Snee and Roger W. Hoerl, 2004. Highly Recommended.
- Statistical Thinking : Improving Business Performance by Roger Hoerl and Ronald D. Snee, 2001. A great book on how to apply statistical thinking to improve business results. More details on Statistical Thinking.
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