Six Sigma—The First 90 Days

Preface

The new Six Sigma has had no less than a dazzling debut, starting in late 1994 with AlliedSignal. Originated in 1987 at Motorola, Six Sigma was adopted by very few companies, though it was not taken very seriously. Only after AlliedSignal (now known as Honeywell) demonstrated Six Sigma’s effectiveness in redefining a company, achieving dramatic results and—more importantly—positively affecting the lives of thousands of employees, did Six Sigma catch the imagination of corporate America. General Electric (GE) adopted Six Sigma in 1996 with a vengeance.

With Jack Welch (GE) and Larry Bossidy (AlliedSignal) promoting the effectiveness and necessity of Six Sigma, the Six Sigma tsunami began. A former Motorola quality leader, Richard Schroeder, ...