Re: 'splaining' six sigma

[John Seddon <john@vanguardconsult.co.uk>]

I sat in on a half-day presentation on six sigma by one of the leading US
consultancies.

It was 'splained' as follows:

It worked for companies x and y - they got big bucks back from doing it.

It is better that traditional quality by projects because the 'black belts'
are full time.

The project methodology is rigorous.

It focuses on route cause.

It is focused on customers and financials.

It has some new acronyms - DPMO, TDPU, RTY ("Oh the chief exec of x got off
on TDPU", says our presenter, as though we'd be dummies to even question
its relevance)

What does this ask of the top management? Just to sign off a (big) spend on
training and choose some foci for projects. It did not ask managers to
change the way they think - indeed the presenter gave a worked example and
it became clear to me the example was flawed - it showed zero appreciation
of the theory of variation (HA!).

The whole thing reminded me of the Crosby-style intervention. Train and do
projects. It has appeal, it will get some results, maybe more in six
sigma's case because it has a full-time parallel structure to 'manage
projects'. But my prediction is it will go the same way as all other change
by training interventions, for the system remains unchanged. Six sigma is
sold to 'command and control' types using their own language. It is not a
threat or challenge to the status quo.

In short, the presentation made me puke (forgive the expression).

Yours ever,

John
John Seddon
Vanguard
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