Success Factors in Managing Six Sigma Projects

Six Sigma is a project-driven business systems improvement method. Successful implementation and growing organizational interest in the Six Sigma method have been exploding in recent years. It is rapidly becoming a major force driving the strategy of numerous successful organizations. Involvement in Six Sigma projects is becoming an important career path requirement in many organizations. Understanding the main concepts of the Six Sigma method provides important opportunities to project professionals to lead Six Sigma projects, and allows them to better support their organizations’ strategic direction, and increasing needs for coaching, mentoring, and training. It has been reported widely that Six Sigma projects are very successful, compared to the reports of dismal success rates in traditional projects and business process reengineering projects. This paper provides a brief overview of the Six Sigma management method and its use of project management. The paper examines the main factors driving the success of Six Sigma projects. It addresses the elements of strategic selection and effective management of Six Sigma projects. It considers the organizational structure used and the roles of various participants in achieving technical, financial and customer satisfaction objectives of each Six Sigma project. It presents the methodologies used in managing Six Sigma projects for both process improvement and new development projects. It reviews the approach used for evaluating the success of these projects. The paper summarizes extensive literature reviews and discussions with Six Sigma leaders at several organizations. It analyzes and synthesizes the lessons learned from successful management of Six Sigma projects and their potential applications in managing traditional projects. It considers further improvements to the methodologies used for managing Six Sigma projects, and addresses wider applications of promising practices to organizational change management. The paper also discusses challenges and obstacles in the application of the Six Sigma method. The promising practices learned from the successful management of Six Sigma projects could have important applications in managing traditional projects and wider applications in managing organizational change.

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