Six-Sigma Implementation through Competency Based Perspective (CBP)

The popularity of six-sigma has given rise to the question: can any company adopt this rigid data driven approach to achieve higher levels of quality? This research suggests that a company must develop a unique combination of resources and competencies to realize the benefits of six-sigma. According to the competency based perspective (CBP), a company first needs to have the assets, skills, and resources to launch the six-sigma program, and second, it needs to have the expertise to integrate these assets to orchestrate a cohesive implementation of this program. The paper makes the case that most successful six-sigma adopters had initially implemented Total Quality Management (TQM), Baldridge, or some other quality initiative, preparing them to launch this data driven, process oriented approach. For companies that have emphasized quality function deployment (QFD), innovation and problem solving, statistical process control, process capability studies, etc. a transition to six-sigma would be a natural course of action. For others where these practices are at an incipient stage, six-sigma progress can be extremely slow and frustrating. The paper validates these comments with the help of a case study. It was easy for the study company to make the transition to six-sigma because it had captured enough process performance data, customer requirements, infrastructure and leadership development through its long history of quality initiatives.