The goal of any good manager is providing a great product, cheaply, efficiently with great customer service. Six Sigma is a decision- Maxson – making process that allows managers to do that. One of the only scientific methods developed to date in business community to help leaders make decisions is Six Sigma.  Six Sigma is a comprehensive approach to process improvement to decrease the prospect of errors to 3.4 per million (Lanham & Cooper). The goal of Six Sigma is to standardize business practice using scientific method to decrease error within an organization (Lanham & Maxson – Cooper).
      The premise of Six Sigma is the complexities of system process make them prone to error (Lanham & Maxson – Cooper). Six Sigma eliminates defects caused by human error by reducing inaccuracy’s using problem-solving methods to analysis errors and using a highly defined problem-solving model (Lanham & Mason – Cooper). The first step in the Six Sigma model is to define the project that needs addressed and review historic data regarding the errors in the problem that needs identified (Lanham & Mason – Cooper). The next step in the model is to define what performance standards are needed and a way to validate they are met through measurement (Lanham & Mason – Cooper). Then the Six Sigma team analyzes the situation to identify variances and performance objectives (Lanham & Mason – Cooper). The Six Sigma team then tries to discover relationship in the variable that cause error and eliminate them (Lanham & Mason – Cooper).  Finally, a new process is created, implemented and continually evaluated for effectiveness (Lanham & Mason – Cooper).

     

As stated in the text there are many decision making process that leaders use, Six Sigma in just one. Six Sigma does require extensive training and cost prior to implementation (Lanham & Mason – Cooper). Many companies worldwide have implemented Six Sigma and have raved that their companies’ profits have greatly improved after its implementation (Lanham & Mason – Cooper). Six Sigma has been around for about twenty years, but little scientific data or research proves that the increase in profits was directly related to Six Sigma (Lanham & Mason – Cooper). Research in this area is definitely needed to understand these worldwide phenomena. One problem that I do see, is that Six Sigma may be outdated, because business seems faster paced and more dynamic, it may be too difficult and costly of a system to implement in the new fast-paced business world.