Six Sigma

The Bowden Way

Software Process Management Is A Lot Like Football.

So is everything else.

The Six Sigma Way

$15.00

Excellent Condition

Available December 13

Capsule History

Six Sigma Themes

• Primary focus on the customer

• Statistical Process Control

• Process Improvement

• Proactive Management

• Boundarylessness

• Toleration of Failure

Great. Why “Six Sigma”?

(sigma) is used in statistics to represent standard deviation.

• Standard deviation is a measure of variation.

• Variation is the devil.

• Objective: six standard deviations within bounds of expectation

Process Measurement: DPMO• Two metrics: Sigma levels and

DPMO• Sigma levels represent the number of

standard deviations that fit within the bounds of expectation

• DPMO stands for “Defects Per Million Opportunities”

• A defect occurs when customer expectations are not met.

• Defects occur in services as well as in products

Process Improvement: DMAIC

Plan

DoCheck

Act

DefineMeasureAnalyze

Improve

Control

Customer Focus: The Roadmap

• Identify core processes and key customers• Define customer requirements• Measure current performance• Prioritize, analyze, and implement

improvements• Expand and integrate

Six Sigma Roles

• Leadership group• Sponsor/Champion• Implementation Leader• Coach• Project Leader• Team Member• Process Owner

Black Belts• Indicate mastery of SPC and

process improvement techniques

• Usually three levels: Master Black Belt, Black Belt, and Green Belt

• Meaning varies slightly between organizations

• Roles are often assigned by “belt” ranking

Six Sigma vs. TQM• TQM is the suck.• Just kidding, TQM is a friend to

all children.• TQM is rigid, 6 is flexible.• 6 has a clear goal; TQM does

not• TQM effects incremental change;

6 effects incremental or drastic change

Six Sigma vs. CMM for the Fate of the Universe

• Goal of repeatability

• Use of statistical process control methods

Similarities

Six Sigma vs. CMM Part II: Secret of the Ooze

• customer focus• consistency vs. consistent

excellence• assessment vs.

improvement• Specification of processes

Differences

Six Sigma and the Real World

• Flexibility of scope

• Usability by organizations of varying sizes

• Processes themselves not specified at all

• Political orientation