Kanban definition six sigma

Six Sigma is a continuous process improvement methodology based on statistical concepts. It increases company profitability through one key motivation: zero defects in a product’s lifecycle.

Companies using Six Sigma, e.g., General Electric and Motorola, made the methodology famous by saving millions of dollars a year.

They also boast quality levels of 3.3 defects per 1000 000 opportunities.

The name’s mathematical roots

“Sigma” is a letter in the Greek alphabet: σ, used in statistics to represent the deviation from an expected outcome or the mean.

The deviation from the mean is in how far the results differ from the expected return.

In statistics, 6 σ would be the deviation between -3 points and +3 points from the mean.

And in the Six Sigma process improvement methodology, the six stands for the number of possible levels of a process rating, achieved through a DPMO calculation (defects per million opportunities).

The rating corresponds to the reductio