How to introduce Six Sigma to your employees

Six Sigma is emphatically not an out-of-the-box, off-the-shelf solution. So how can you translate it for your organization?

external Training Many executives, such as Textron Chief Innovation Officer Ken Bohlen, tap one or two key employees, send them to Six Sigma training (usually for the black belt or at least green belt level) and then set them to work on a couple of key projects. Other executives, such as Fidelity Wide Processing President Doug Sutton, start off by hiring one or more Six Sigma black belts and let them seed the methodology throughout the organization.

internal training Large companies that have made a wholesale commitment to Six Sigma, like Raytheon Aircraft, have their own internal training centers. Other companies looking for training either send their employees out to consultants or bring them in-house.

consultants Consultants tend to fall into one of two categories. On one end of the consultant spectrum are large corporations, such as Honeywell International, Motorola and Siemens, that embraced Six Sigma themselves and then started consulting divisions to spread the word. On the other end are boutique management consultancies that specialize in Six Sigma, including Breakthrough Management Group, George Group, Niku, Six Sigma Academy and Six Sigma Qualtec.

project management tools Finally, as Six Sigma gains ground for use in IT and other disciplines, some software providers are beginning to put Six Sigma tools and metrics in their project management, service management and statistical programs, including Corel, Microsoft, Primavera Systems and Proxima Technology. -T.M.