Rath & Strong's Six Sigma Leadership Handbook

Citation

Narasimhan, K. (2003), "Rath & Strong's Six Sigma Leadership Handbook", The TQM Magazine, Vol. 15 No. 6, pp. 426-427. https://doi.org/10.1108/09544780310502778

In pursuit of achieving the twin objectives of improving customer satisfaction and increasing process efficiency, a number of organization have turned to implementing Six Sigma methodology. Single authors wrote some of the books reviewed recently on this subject, in this journal. This book is different in that 30 authors (24 from AON Management Consulting and six other specialists) have contributed to this book, which comprises 25 chapters and three appendices. Though the chapters are not grouped into parts, the reviewer has grouped them together in the following paragraphs based on the structure followed by the editor in the introduction to the book.

In the first two chapters of this book the historical context, and the why of Six Sigma (SS) are briefly covered. How SS is used in different manufacturing and service industries are discussed in chapter 3, and in the following chapter Thomas Bertels, the editor of this book, outlines the various elements of the infrastructure required and defines the various roles needed and for getting SS started and organize for SS.

Chapter 5 is aimed at the chief executives and senior managers who are necessary to make SS work; and deals with non‐delegable issues connected with defining the focus and determining the extent of change desired. In chapter 6, it is shown how a combination of lean, a proven method to eliminate waste, and SS can be more effective than either one of them. Chapter 7 deals with the topic of bringing together large number of people (termed “work‐out” by General Electric of America) to improve business performance to capture collective ideas, energy and wisdoms creatively and translate them into action rapidly. In chapter 8, it is emphasized that SS has to be tailored to each organization and a brief explanation of cultural assumptions of SS are provided. A tool (AON's Organization Print) for assessing the readiness for change of an organization is mentioned, but no details are given. In chapter 9, tools (including the Kano model of quality) for developing an understanding of customer needs and wants (even hidden ones) and conducting customer loyalty analysis are very briefly covered.

In the next four chapters is provided an overview of the tools, methods, approaches, benefits and risks associated with various elements of SS. The rigorous five‐phased data‐driven method of DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control) is briefly explained in chapter 10. Design for SS is the topic of chapter 11 in which the conceptual and practical underpinnings are discussed briefly and then the five‐step process – define, measure, analyze, design, and validate – are described. Why and how to create process management, an essential mechanism for linking organizational goals specific process capabilities, is explained in the following chapter. Chapter 13 introduces the concept of balanced scorecard and business dashboard that provides a visual display of process performance and helps identify performance gaps. An overview of typical concerns and guidelines to overcome them are presented in a self‐explanatory table.

The next six chapters deal with issues involved in preparing for and launching SS. In chapter 14, the enrolling the leadership, establishing minimum requirements and selecting the right external consultant, without whose help it is difficult to launch the SS, are dealt with. Decisions required prior to launching and ways of showing visible commitment to SS are briefly covered in the following chapter. Chapter 16 very briefly covers cross‐cultural aspects that need to be taken into account to ensure a successful launch. Stabilizing, extending, and integrating SS effort to ensure its continuity and not lose its luster after a few months of launching is covered in the following chapter. Chapter 18 is a very short one in which some metrics are listed for measuring the effectiveness of SS deployment. The key aspect of change management, the soft side of SS, the six principles that the consultants have found to be useful, and six common communication pitfalls are covered in some depth in chapter 19.

The next five chapters cover issues involved in executing projects: selecting Black Belts and projects that matter; conducting reviews to ensure effective and timely completion of projects; extending the knowledge gained to other projects; and developing a financial model to capture both hard and soft savings.

How SS can help develop leadership talent forms the topic of the concluding chapter.

The basic SS concepts of variability, data types, and SS quality are very briefly covered in Appendix A (nine pages). In Appendix B, it is shown how Textured Jersey, UK, a small company with a turnover of £18 million, has benefited from the application of SS. In Appendix C (32 pages), an abridged case study is included to give a feel of the rigor involved in a design for Six Sigma (which was covered in chapter 11) project. In this case study two new concepts and techniques (TRIZ analysis and Pugh matrix for short‐listing concepts for review) not covered earlier are also briefly covered. TRIZ is Russian acronym for “theory of inventive problem solving”.

There are 14 interviews with business leaders including CEOs, such as Robert W. Galvin of Motorola, who have implemented SS in their organizations. These interviews give an idea how some companies have used SS to profitably satisfy their customers.