Six Sigma is a methodology that aims to improve processes and reduce defects. It originated in manufacturing but can also be applied to IT projects. The document discusses how Six Sigma uses statistical analysis and tools to measure processes, identify issues, and implement solutions. It provides an example of how one company used Six Sigma to analyze server usage, find the root cause of having too many servers, and consolidate servers by 40%. The document advocates for using Six Sigma in IT to consistently analyze and improve both internal IT processes and business processes that involve technology.

1. Six Sigma in IT Projects...?
Marta Owczarczak
Jakub Bryl

2. Introduction
Six Sigma as a philosophy
Six Sigma and statistical roots
Six Sigma in IT projects
Summing-up

3. Six Sigma as a philosophy
Ideology
Approach
Philosophy
Methodology
Six Sigma is a defect reduction methodology that transforms
organizations by forcing them to focus on the quality of the
customer experience
Quality assurance, production quality management,
management of quality

4. Six Sigma and statistical roots
Gaining the 99% of effectiveness is a great result!!
Is it?
Aircraft, automotive branch,
pharmaceutical companies, hospitals….
Six Sigma aspire to assure almost 100% certainty
that what have been planned – will be done.

5. Six Sigma and statistical roots
The term sigma refers to deviations from an ideal level of operation, where each
level of sigma, starting from one, allows for fewer defects.
Mean (arithmetic mean)
• Is a method to derive the central tendency of a sample space.
• Is the arithmetic average of a set of values.
Standard deviation (σ)
• Standard deviation is a widely used measure of the variability or dispersion.
• It shows how much variation there is from the "average" (mean, or expected
value) and how many of the results fit within the tolerance limits.

6. Six Sigma and statistical roots

7. Six Sigma and statistical roots
• „high quality” or „no surprises”? 

8. Six Sigma and statistical roots
One defective nail per 100 produced 50 defective CPUs per 100 produced.
PPM – parts per million
DPMO – defect s per million opportunities

9. Six Sigma and statistical roots
How do we count this?
•Liczba wykrytych niezgodności D = 61
•Liczba sprawdzonych jednostek U = 909
•Liczba możliwości braków na jednostkę wyrobu O = 7
•Całkowita liczba możliwych braków TOP = 6363
•Liczba braków na jednostkę DPU = D/U = 0,0671
•Liczba braków na możliwość DPO = DPU/O = 0,0096
•Liczba braków na milion możliwości DPMO=DPO x 1000000
DPMO = 9600
• Z1 = 2,34 + 1,5 = 3,84

10. Six Sigma and statistical roots
Real - world Performance Level

11. Six Sigma methodology
in IT projects
„ If you cannot represent in numbers this, what you want to say, probably you
don’t have an idea what are you talking about” 
Set of tools:
-Graphic tools to analyse and represent data;
-Statistical tools to analyse data
-Tools for generating solutions

12. Six Sigma in IT projects
"Six Sigma gives us a very precise way to demonstrate the real value of
technology, and it helps us improve the way we deliver that value.“
• is not about widgets; the focus is on processes (despite its origin in
manufacturing);
•aims to measure and improve both internal processes, such as network speed
and reliability, and line-of-business processes in which IT has a role, such as
how well an online ordering system is working;
•has given us a good toolset that we can use consistently and repeatedly to
analyze how we have things set up and running.

13. Six Sigma in IT projects
"IT is a big user of processes: testing and hardware implementation and
software development„
Doug Debrecht, vice president and CIO at Raytheon Aircraft
One Six Sigma team at Raytheon, for example, was charged with analyzing why
the division had what Debrecht admits was "an ungodly number" of servers 350.
The Six Sigma team determined the root cause of the problem, that each
application got its own server, regardless of its size or bandwidth requirements.
And then worked out the specifics to allow applications to share servers logically
and securely.
The result: a 40 percent consolidation in servers, with the attendant time and
labor savings added back to the bottom line.

14. Six Sigma in IT projects
Best practices for success from Six Sigma in IT.
1.Pick the right people
2.Don’t substitute Six Sigma for thinking.
3.Don’t be afraid to tinker.
4.Don’t get bogged down in numbers.

15. Six Sigma in IT projects
Real numbers
Histogram
Histogram
25
20
15
ilość tasków
10
5
0
121-130
131-140
101-110
111-120
141-150
91-100
21-30
31-40
41-50
71-80
11-20
51-60
61-70
81-90
0-10
czas [h]
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16. Six Sigma in IT projects
Real numbers
Pareto Diagram
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17. Six Sigma in IT projects
Real numbers
BOXPLOT
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18. Summary
• Successful implementation in big corporations like GE, Motorola;
• Control and support form the highest managment;
• Six Sigma triumphs, bilions of dollars of profits;
• Is it posible to implement everywhere?

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