Six Sigma For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 24

Ten Top Do’s and Don’ts of Six Sigma

In This Chapter

Keeping important goals in mind

Approaching Six Sigma with the right mindset and plan

Avoiding common Six Sigma pitfalls

Successful Six Sigma efforts have several practices and characteristics in common, and they also avoid common pitfalls. This chapter gives you ten do’s and don’ts for successfully applying Six Sigma. As you launch into your own Six Sigma journey, use these guidelines as landmarks to set your course and bearing. Even after you’ve been doing Six Sigma for a while, periodically comparing what you do with what others have found to be most effective is a good idea, so revisit this chapter from time to time.

Do Target Tangible Results

Typically, Six Sigma leads organizations to reduce their costs by as much as 20 to 30 percent of revenue. At the same time, these organizations increase their revenues by 10 percent or more.

To realize these returns, however, each Six Sigma DMAIC project must be tied to a tangible financial measure of return — dollars saved, new revenue gained, specific costs avoided, and so on (see Chapter 5 for details). You must formally measure, track, and roll up these financial gains ...