The objective of having a process operate with a capability index of 1.5 to 2.0 is a reasonable and economic objective. However, the arguments commonly used to explain the economics of this objective can only be described as statistical snake oil—a blend of tortured computations and incompatible, highly questionable assumptions, having a hypnotic effect and often resulting in a suspension of cr...

It is claimed that the Six Sigma programme brings competitive advantages to companies that implement it. This paper studies the validity of this claim by positioning Six Sigma in the paradigms provided by the literature on competitive strategy. The main functionality of Six Sigma projects is to improve operational effectiveness and efficiency. A continual improvement of operational effectivenes...

Reliability of manufacturing processes can be obtained from daily production data when process failure criteria are established. Results of the analysis are displayed on Weibull probability plots. Losses are categorized and identified for corrective action based on a demonstrated production criterion, which gives a point estimate for the daily production value. Concepts from six-sigma methodolo...

Healthcare, as with any other service operation, requires systematic innovation efforts to remain competitive, cost efficient, and up-to-date. This article outlines a methodology and presents examples to illustrate how principles of Lean Thinking and Six Sigma can be combined to provide an effective framework for producing systematic innovation efforts in healthcare. Controlling healthcare cost...

The Six Sigma improvement methodology has received considerable attention recently, not only in the quality literature, but also within general business and management literature. For example, a recent book on Six Sigma (Harry and Shroeder, 2000) made the New York Times best-seller list. Today, Six Sigma is arguably the hottest contemporary topic in quality. After all, what company would not be...