Six Sigma for Dummies

By Bruce WilliamsNeil DeCarloCraig Gygi, et al.

Book Overview

The world's largest and most profitable companies - including the likes of GE, Bank of America, Honeywell, DuPont, Samsung, Starwood Hotels, Bechtel, and Motorola - have used Six Sigma to achieve breathtaking improvements in business performance, in everything from products to processes to complex systems and even in work environments. Over the past decade, over $100 billion in bottom-line performance has been achieved through corporate Six Sigma programs. Yet, despite its astounding effectiveness, few outside of the community of Six Sigma practitioners know what Six Sigma is all about. With this book, Six Sigma is revealed to everyone. You might be in a company that's already implemented Six Sigma, or your organization may be considering it. You may be a student who wants to learn how it works, or you might be a seasoned business professional who needs to get up to speed. In any case, Six Sigma For Dummies is the most straightforward, non-intimidating guide on the market. This simple, friendly book makes Six Sigma make sense. With a compelling foreword by Dr. Stephen R. Covey, the internationally recognized leadership authority and bestselling author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and The 8th Habit , and an afterword by Roxanne O'Brasky, President of the International Society of Six Sigma, Six Sigma For Dummies is the most complete and objective book in the market today. Unlike most other works that are either graduate-level statistics treatises or thinly-veiled autobiographical success stories, Six Sigma For Dummies teaches the reader all the foundation principles, methods, and tools of this magnificent problem-solving system. Intended to help readers understand Six Sigma and how they can use it to improve their performance, this no-nonsense guide explains: What Six Sigma is all about and how it works The benefits of Six Sigma in organizations and businesses The powerful "DMAIC" problem-solving roadmap Yellow, Green and Black -- how the Six Sigma "belt" system works How to select and utilize the right tools and technologies Speaking the language of Six Sigma Knowing the roles and responsibilities Mastering the statistics skills and analytical methods Six Sigma For Dummies will become everyone's No. 1 resource for discovering and mastering the world's most famous and powerful improvement tool. Stephen Covey is spot-on when he says, " Six Sigma For Dummies is a book to be read by everyone."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764567985
• ISBN13: 9780764567988
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Wiley Publishing
• Length: 344 Pages
• Weight: 1.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.2" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Useful for Learners, Teachers & Leaders

I work as a manager and Master Black Belt at a Fortune 100 company. This book has been very useful in my training of others. I just finished teaching a Six Sigma Black Belt course in which I referred students to this book to reinforce their learning and deepen their understanding. It has transformed the way I teach Six Sigma as well as the way my students learn it. Not only am I suggesting that BB's and BB's-in-training get...

Math-Challenged Artist

I am working my way through this book after becoming aware of the six sigma process and how it can apply to many non-technical areas. I want to use these ideas and principles to better organize and produce my work. Although a couple of the chapters are quite heady, I can follow the examples to get the main idea. I think just reading this is making me think in ways I never have before!

Six Sigma Neophyte

As a practicing physician, I have found this book to be helpful in increasing the efficiency of my staff and the overall performance of my office. The book's ease of use allowed for rapid implementation of some of the Six Sigma principles for problem solving. The user-friendly text made a complicated technical system realistic and accessible to this neophyte. I highly recommend this book for any professional who wants to...

Good Way to Get Started

Reaching six sigma simply says that in your production line you will produce fewer than 3.4 bad parts out of each million parts you make. Or to express it another way, if the automobiles you make are 99% good, you'll have 3 warranty defects per automobile. If your cars are six sigma, you can expect one warranty claim for every 980 new cars. This book is mostly about the analysis you need to make of your production line to...

Six Sigma Old Timer

This book is a long time in coming. Six Sigma has been shrouded in mystery far too long, and monopolized by big companies. It is about time that the average joe can read and understand the powerful concepts behind Six Sigma. Six Sigma is no longer just for the engineers, but is applicable to everything in our daily lives. We can now do everything better - from our jobs to planning a trip. For the most part this book is...