by Luc Turner

Created on: March 24, 2007   Last Updated: April 13, 2007

The concept of Six Sigma has moved a long way from the humble beginnings of the two Ball State University graduates that founded the concept. It has moved from a rather simple application of parametric statistics, into a heavy hitting industry brand, packed with a million bells and whistles. The foundation of Six Sigma tends to be an illusive concept for most practitioners, but for those just starting to take a look at this concept it is far easier to understand. Instead of getting bogged down in the regiment of Six Sigma belt systems as they exist today, I will instead talk about the pure essence of the idea in regards to variance monitoring and reduction.

So here is a brief explanation of Six Sigma as it was originally constructed decades ago. This foundation is important because understanding the foundation gives the new student the power to use this concept at a very advanced level without spending a fortune on certifications. The foundation is also of great importance because the strong industry of Six Sigma has diluted the powerful essence of Six Sigma. So without further adieu, I introduce you to Six Sigma.

For certain processes and types of data, there are commonalities that make them similar. This similarity allows us to group and compare different items. An example of items that can be grouped together would be fuel injectors made at an assembly plant. Because these fuel injectors all come from the same plant, and all go through a similar process, and all perform a similar function, we can group them together. We can also compare and contrast them. What is important here is that you understand that these products have many mediating and intervening variables that make them what they are. Instead of taking a long time to explain mediating and intervening variables, I will just state that these are common processes, or common mistakes in processes. They are also common materials, or uncommon imperfections in the materials.

Because of the similar processes involved in the production of an item, process, or product (I will just call this output from here on), the output can be measured through something known as parametric statistics. Parametric statistics are basically a set of rules and formulas that can be used under certain exact conditions. Six Sigma gets its name from parametric statistics.

For a normally distributed group of items (outputs), there is a process by which the outputs are created (inputs). These inputs are the very reason why you have

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