What is Six Sigma? A Comprehensive Overview
Written By: Dr. Barry Shore, Professor Emeritus, McGraw Hill Award Winning Author and SSGI Co-Founder
Written By: Dr. Barry Shore, Professor Emeritus, McGraw Hill Award Winning Author and SSGI Co-Founder
Six Sigma is a quality management strategy that uses data and statistics to reduce variation, eliminate defects, and improve performance. It enables organizations to achieve consistent results and deliver high-quality outcomes by applying a structured improvement process like DMAIC.
Building upon its roots in data-driven quality management, Six Sigma has evolved into a comprehensive methodology for improving business processes, reducing variation, and driving operational excellence. Originally developed by Motorola, it is now widely used across industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and government.
The term “Six Sigma” refers to a statistical benchmark — representing fewer than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. By applying Six Sigma techniques like DMAIC, companies can streamline operations, enhance customer satisfaction, and boost profitability.
Whether you’re new to the concept or exploring Six Sigma certification, understanding how this methodology works is essential for professionals focused on operational excellence and process improvement.
Six Sigma is a structured, data-driven approach aimed at improving business processes by minimizing variation, reducing defects, and enhancing customer satisfaction. It applies statistical methods and the DMAIC framework to achieve measurable improvements in quality, efficiency, and bottom-line results.
Six Sigma practitioners rely on a variety of tools such as Statistical Process Control (SPC), control charts, root cause analysis, and process mapping to identify variation, solve problems, and drive sustainable improvements.
Six Sigma was developed in the 1980s by Motorola, which sought a more rigorous approach to quality management. Traditional quality assurance methods weren’t producing consistent results, so Motorola introduced the Six Sigma methodology to systematically reduce defects and improve performance. This data-driven framework ultimately helped the company save more than $16 billion.
Six Sigma’s success at Motorola gained widespread attention, especially after Jack Welch adopted and championed the methodology at General Electric in 1995. Since then, Six Sigma has been embraced across industries—from manufacturing and healthcare to finance and government—becoming a global standard in operational excellence.
DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. It is the structured, five-phase problem-solving framework at the core of Six Sigma, designed to improve business processes by identifying root causes of variation, eliminating defects, and sustaining long-term results.
At the heart of Six Sigma, DMAIC provides a systematic roadmap for driving measurable and lasting process improvements.
DMAIC Breakdown:
Define: Clearly identify the problem, project goals, and customer requirements.
Measure: Collect relevant data to establish current performance baselines.
Analyze: Use data analysis tools to identify root causes of inefficiencies or defects.
Improve: Develop and implement solutions to eliminate root causes and enhance process performance.
Control: Establish controls to sustain improvements and prevent regression over time.
DMAIC is the core methodology of Six Sigma because it ensures that process improvements are not only implemented, but sustained over time.
Below is a detailed breakdown of the five stages in the DMAIC process.
Clearly articulate the problem, project goals, and customer requirements.
Collect and analyze data to understand the current process performance.
Identify the root causes of defects or inefficiencies.
Develop and implement solutions to address the root causes and enhance process performance.
Monitor the improved process to ensure sustained performance and continuous improvement.
The term “Six Sigma” is derived from the Greek letter “σ” (sigma), which represents a statistical measure of standard deviation. In statistical terms, Six Sigma quality signifies a process that produces fewer than 3.4 defects per million opportunities, indicating an extremely high level of performance.
The normal distribution graph below highlights the statistical foundations of the Six Sigma model.
A higher standard deviation indicates a broader spread of values. Therefore, processes where the mean is at least 6σ away from the nearest specification limit are targeted for Six Sigma quality.
In essence, Six Sigma provides a robust framework for organizations to systematically improve processes, reduce defects, and enhance overall performance, thereby delivering significant benefits in terms of quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
Lean Six Sigma is a hybrid methodology that combines the principles of Lean and Six Sigma to improve business processes by increasing efficiency, reducing variation, and delivering higher-quality outcomes. It blends the focus on waste reduction from Lean with the emphasis on defect and variation reduction from Six Sigma, enabling organizations to streamline operations and consistently meet customer expectations.
While Six Sigma centers on minimizing process variation and enhancing process control, Lean targets the elimination of waste — non-value-added steps that slow down operations and increase costs. Both approaches ultimately aim to improve quality, cost, and delivery, but they do so from slightly different angles:
Lean focuses on waste reduction, utilizing tools such as kaizen events, visual management, and workplace organization.
Six Sigma emphasizes variation reduction, using more technical tools like statistical data analysis, control charts, and design of experiments (DOE).
In practice, many organizations begin with Lean strategies to create more efficient workflows and eliminate obvious inefficiencies. If deeper process problems persist, Six Sigma tools are then applied to diagnose root causes and drive sustained process control and improvement.
From healthcare and manufacturing to government agencies and education, Lean Six Sigma is now widely recognized across industries as a leading methodology for operational excellence, process improvement, and enhanced customer value.
Six Sigma is based on 5 key principles that form the backbone of its methodology, ensuring its success in enhancing processes and minimizing defects. These principles offer a systematic approach to attaining superior quality and operational efficiency.
These key principles help to understand the benefits of implementing Six Sigma.
At the heart of Six Sigma is the commitment to meeting and exceeding customer expectations. Understanding customer needs and requirements is crucial for defining quality standards. By focusing on the customer’s perspective, Six Sigma aims to deliver products and services that not only meet specifications but also enhance customer satisfaction.
Six Sigma relies heavily on data and statistical analysis to drive decisions. Rather than relying on assumptions or intuition, Six Sigma practitioners use accurate data to identify root causes of problems, measure performance, and track improvements. This ensures that decisions are based on solid evidence, leading to more effective and sustainable solutions.
Continuous improvement is a core principle of Six Sigma. By systematically identifying and eliminating sources of variation and inefficiencies, Six Sigma seeks to enhance processes on an ongoing basis. This involves not only addressing existing issues but also proactively identifying opportunities for improvement to achieve optimal performance.
Six Sigma promotes a proactive approach to management. This means anticipating potential problems and implementing preventive measures to avoid them. By focusing on prevention rather than reaction, Six Sigma helps organizations maintain consistent quality and avoid costly errors and defects.
Successful Six Sigma implementation requires the involvement and collaboration of all levels of the organization. From top management to frontline employees, everyone plays a vital role in the process improvement journey. By fostering a culture of teamwork and open communication, Six Sigma ensures that all stakeholders are aligned and committed to achieving quality goals.
DMAIC and DMADV are two core Six Sigma methodologies used to drive process improvement. While they share some similarities, they are used in different scenarios and follow different paths to achieve results.
DMAIC is used to improve existing processes.
DMADV is used to create new processes or products that meet Six Sigma quality levels.
DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control):
A structured framework to enhance performance by reducing defects in existing processes.
Define: Identify the process issue or goal
Measure: Gather current performance data
Analyze: Identify root causes
Improve: Implement and test improvements
Control: Sustain gains with monitoring systems
DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify):
Focused on building processes or products that meet 6 Sigma standards from the ground up.
Define: Establish objectives and customer deliverables
Measure: Collect data on customer needs and performance targets
Analyze: Determine what will make the new process succeed
Design: Develop the new process or product
Verify: Test and validate before full deployment
✅ Choose DMAIC if you’re refining or improving a process that already exists but isn’t performing optimally.
✅ Choose DMADV if you’re designing a new process or product and want to ensure it meets high-quality standards from the start.
Six Sigma employs a variety of techniques to analyze and improve business processes. These Six Sigma techniques are fundamental to identifying inefficiencies, reducing defects, and achieving operational excellence.
Here are some of the key Six Sigma techniques:
DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. It is a structured problem-solving process used to improve existing processes:
DMADV stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Verify. This technique is used for developing new processes or products at Six Sigma quality levels:
5S is a workplace organization method that improves efficiency and effectiveness by organizing and standardizing the workplace:
Kaizen focuses on continuous, incremental improvements. It involves all employees working together to identify and implement small changes that improve processes and reduce waste. This technique fosters a culture of ongoing improvement and teamwork.
Kanban is a visual management tool that helps manage workflow and improve efficiency. It uses visual signals, such as cards or boards, to represent work items and their progress through different stages of a process. This technique helps teams visualize their work, limit work in progress, and identify bottlenecks.
Poka-Yoke involves designing processes and systems to prevent errors or make them immediately detectable. This technique helps reduce defects by eliminating opportunities for mistakes before they occur. Examples include color-coding, checklists, and automatic alerts.
VSM is a visual tool used to analyze and design the flow of materials and information required to bring a product or service to a customer. It helps identify value-added and non-value-added activities, enabling organizations to streamline processes and reduce waste.
Lean Six Sigma combines Lean manufacturing principles with Six Sigma techniques to enhance efficiency and quality. Lean focuses on eliminating waste and improving flow, while Six Sigma emphasizes reducing variability and defects. Together, they provide a powerful approach to process improvement.
RCA is a problem-solving technique used to identify the underlying causes of defects or issues. Methods such as the 5 Whys and Fishbone Diagrams help teams systematically analyze problems and implement effective solutions.
By applying these Six Sigma techniques, organizations can achieve significant improvements in quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. These techniques provide a structured approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement, driving long-term success and competitive advantage.
Six Sigma utilizes a variety of tools to analyze and improve processes, ensuring quality and efficiency. These tools are integral to the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) methodology and help practitioners systematically identify issues, implement solutions, and maintain improvements.
Here are some of the most commonly used Six Sigma tools:
Process mapping involves creating visual representations of a process, showing each step from start to finish. This helps identify areas of inefficiency, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement. Common process mapping tools include:
SPC involves using statistical methods to monitor and control a process. By collecting and analyzing data from the process, practitioners can identify variations and take corrective actions before defects occur. Key SPC tools include:
Also known as Fishbone or Ishikawa diagrams, this tool helps identify the root causes of a problem. It categorizes potential causes into major categories such as People, Methods, Machines, Materials, Measurements, and Environment, making it easier to pinpoint the source of issues.
FMEA is a systematic approach to identifying potential failure modes in a process, product, or system, and their effects. It prioritizes risks based on their severity, occurrence, and detection, helping teams focus on the most critical issues.
Based on the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule), this tool helps identify the most significant factors in a dataset. By focusing on the top 20% of causes that contribute to 80% of the problems, teams can effectively prioritize their improvement efforts.
RCA is used to identify the underlying causes of a problem. Techniques such as the 5 Whys (asking “why” five times to drill down to the root cause) and Cause and Effect diagrams are commonly used in RCA.
Hypothesis testing involves using statistical tests to determine whether there is a significant effect or difference in process data. This helps validate assumptions and guide decision-making. Common tests include t-tests, chi-square tests, and ANOVA.
Regression analysis is a statistical tool used to understand the relationship between variables. It helps predict the impact of changes in one variable on another, allowing teams to make data-driven decisions about process improvements.
DOE is a structured method for determining the relationship between factors affecting a process and the output of that process. It helps identify optimal conditions for process performance and improve quality and efficiency.
By leveraging these Six Sigma tools, organizations can systematically analyze their processes, identify root causes of defects, and implement effective solutions to achieve continuous improvement and operational excellence.
Six Sigma certification is structured into belt levels, each representing a different degree of knowledge, responsibility, and leadership in process improvement. Whether you’re new to Six Sigma or planning to advance your career, understanding these belt levels is key to choosing the right certification path.
Here’s an overview of the Six Sigma belt levels:
Choosing the right Six Sigma certification depends on your background, goals, and level of experience. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to lead large-scale improvement initiatives, there’s a belt level that matches your path.
To help guide your decision, we’ve created a comprehensive Six Sigma belt comparison chart that outlines the roles, responsibilities, and career opportunities at each level.
Still unsure? Watch the quick video above for a step-by-step explanation of how to choose the best Six Sigma belt for your career.
The need for Lean Six Sigma certified professionals is increasing rapidly as more organizations adopt process improvement methodologies. By utilizing Lean Six Sigma concepts and tools, organizations across all sectors from manufacturing, finance and healthcare to e-commerce, see impactful results such as cost reduction and increased customer satisfaction.
Certified Six Sigma professionals open the door to a range of career opportunities with competitive salaries.
According to Glassdoor, Six Sigma Salaries average out at $174,518/yr Median total pay as of April, 2024.
Here are some career paths and salary expectations in Six Sigma:
Six Sigma certification opens up numerous career opportunities with attractive salary potential. Certified individuals typically enjoy higher salaries and better job prospects compared to those without certification.
Whether you are a recent graduate, MBA student, manager, engineer or any other type of professional, earning a Six Sigma certification can enhance your career prospects and salary potential substantially.
For those with an educational background or applicable work experience it might serve best to start with the Green Belt and work your way up to the Master Black Belt level. If you are transitioning into the business field and do not have any applicable experience or previous study, the Yellow Belt serves as a great starting point. Check out SSGI’s Green Belt certificate program, developed by McGraw Hill Award Winning Author in Operations Management and Professor Emeritus, Dr. Barry Shore.
Six Sigma is a powerful process improvement methodology that helps businesses improve quality and efficiency by measuring the number of defects in a current process and systematically eliminating them.
Select a Six Sigma certification & training provider. If you are located in the United States or Canada, consider a provider that is based in America. Some providers such as IASSC and Simplilearn are located in the Middle East and India. Decide which level of Six Sigma certification is best for you. Go through the training materials and pass the associated exam. Some levels such as the Master Black Belt require project completion.
Six Sigma is a technique used to improve business operations through eliminating waste and removing defects. It is used in quality improvement to improve processes and increase customer satisfaction.
Lean focuses on efficiency, such as cutting out wasted time. Six Sigma focuses on quality, such as eliminating defects. Together they help to deliver a powerful combination that allows organizations to integrate both concepts to drive operational performance.
Lean Six Sigma is a powerful methodology that combines the principles of Lean and Six Sigma to optimize processes and eliminate inefficiencies within an organization. Lean focuses on minimizing waste and enhancing efficiency, while Six Sigma emphasizes reducing defects and variations.
A common question is, should I get Six Sigma or Lean Six Sigma certification? A Lean Six Sigma program covers everything that is taught in a Six Sigma course. The only difference is the the Lean Six Sigma course goes into additional details on Lean and how they can be used with Six Sigma. In today’s competitive business environment, most companies are focused not only on quality but efficiency. So Lena Six Sigma has become the gold standard.
Six Sigma uses a business process improvement framework called DMAIC. This stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. DMAIC is the most popular Six Sigma technique.
The Six Sigma key principles include 5 fundamental Six Sigma prickles. Focus on customer, data-driven decision making, reduce variation through process improvement, proactive management, and collaboration and team involvement.
DMAIC is the most popular Six Sigma technique used to implement various tools and concepts that help to improve business performance. It is a framework that can be followed when implementing Six Sigma within an organization, process or project. DMAIC is an acronym that stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.
The term Process improvement refers to the systematic approach of identifying, analyzing, and enhancing existing processes within an organization to achieve better results, increase efficiency, and meet specific objectives. The goal of process improvement is to streamline workflows, reduce waste, enhance quality, and optimize overall performance.
Continuous Improvement encourages organizations to regularly assess and refine their processes to achieve optimal efficiency and quality. The methodology of continuous improvement provides a systematic approach to identifying and addressing inefficiencies and defects in processes, with the goal to sustain these items over the long run. It is a continuous cycle and framework for business transformation.
The Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt program is a course for those new to Six Sigma and process improvement. It is an introductory certification for professionals looking to learn the fundamentals of Six Sigma. A Yellow Belt is a professional who has developed a basic understanding of Six Sigma but does not lead projects on their own.
The Lean Six Sigma Green Belt program is a course for those seeking intermediate training in Six Sigma. The Green Belt certification is an in-depth program that dives into dozens of Six Sigma tools and concepts and teaches you how to implement DMAIC projects. Green Belts typically have some type of previous education or work related experience.
A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt has a complete understanding of all concepts and tools related to the Lean Six Sigma methodology. Black Belts are usually in charge of managing Six Sigma projects and have a high level of knowledge in DMAIC. Black Belts usually have work experience to correlate with their Black Belt certification.
There are many different Six Sigma tools that are used throughout the DMAIC process. The most popular Six Sigma tools include, control charts, scatter plots, histograms, fishbone diagrams, FEMA, pareto charts, flow charts and cause and effect analysis.
When we eat a restaurant, purchase a new hard drive, or travel on an airplane, we expect a certain level of quality. The role of Six Sigma is to ensure that this level of quality is delivered to the customer.
Sometimes, companies fail to meet this challenge.
Takata a Japanese manufacturer of auto airbags is one such example. These airbags relied on a compound of ammonium nitrate that expands upon impact, inflates the bag, and thereby protects the driver and passenger from head or body injuries.
However, the compound broke down when exposed to moisture and temperature swings. Some accidentally exploded sending metal fragments though the passenger compartment. In total 19 auto manufacturers recalled approximately 37 million vehicles in which over 50 million airbags were replaced. It was the largest recall in automotive history. Moreover, the human toll was substantial. Twelve people died and almost 200 were injured.
There are many benefits of getting Six Sigma certified. Six Sigma certification opens the door to new career opportunities in management as well as higher pay. Those who have Six Sigma certifcation have a better chance of standing out for promotions and competitive job openings.
Six Sigma is used across all major industries. From healthcare and technology to manufacturing and retail, Six Sigma is a critical methodology that helps organizations become more competitive. Because Six Sigma focuses on quality and Lean Six Sigma focuses on efficiency, the concepts and tools are applicable across all industries as every company values efficiency and quality when it comes to products, services and delivering high levels of customer satisfaction.
Six Sigma certification cost differs depending upon the provider. However, there are many different providers who have various levels of recognition. For example, if you are located in the Middle East or India a certification from a provider such as IASSC or Simplilearn might be beneficial, as both companies are based out of the Middle East. However if you are seeking employment in the Untied States you might want to consider a certification provider located in America such as ASQ, SSGI or Villanova. You can expect to spend anywhere between $200-$5,000 on Six Sigma certification.
Six Sigma is broken down into different levels called belts. The Six Sigma levels include White Belt, Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt and Master Black Belt.
You can get Yellow Belt certified within 1-2 weeks. Green Belt certification typically takes 2- 4 weeks. Black Belt certification can be completed in 1 month. Master Black Belt certification may take up to 2 months as a project component must be completed in addition to passing an exam.