Drive system improvements to deliver six-sigma performance

Sustain your success after your transition is complete. Demand from you management system the information necessary to define the projects that will drive continual improvement. Enroll the people in the use of the system to ensure that as the business evolves, the management system evolves with it.

Though some organizations only require their management system to maintain a certificate of conformity and control documentation, a well-designed management system describes the business cycle and facilitates continual improvement. The system becomes the tool managers rely upon to know what to work on, when to work on it, what benefits should be expected, and what repercussions from system changes are possible.

How does this work? Commonly, continual improvement efforts, including organizations using the six-sigma methodology, are driven by the strongest personalities with the largest budgets or the most political influence. While these projects are often successful and do benefit the organization, there are usually more rewarding opportunities hidden from management. Six-sigma projects focus on plucking the “low-hanging fruit” to get the highest returns as fast as possible. A well-designed management system delivers not only the “low hanging fruit” but separates the largest (and juiciest!) from the smallest.