Six Sigma for Managers, Second Edition (Briefcase Books Series), 2nd Edition

Introduction to Six Sigma

Knowledge is power.

—Francis Bacon (1561–1626)

The assertion that knowledge is power is as true now as it was four centuries ago. In any industry, in any organization, for any process, when you don’t know what you don’t know, it’s going to cost you. For too many organizations, the costs (often hidden) of defects and waste in the way they operate are huge. Occasional errors in processes may not seem like such a big deal. But when you consider how many errors may be lurking in processes throughout an organization, the monetary impact can be staggering.

Six Sigma generates knowledge. It can reveal errors, defects, and wastes ...