Running head: SIX SIGMA 1 SIX SIGMA 8 Six Sigma Student Institution Date Six Sigma is a method that offers organizations tools for enhancing the capability of their business processes. When it comes to supply chain, it increases the performance and brings down process variation lead to improvement in quality of services and products, morale of workers, and profit. It also brings down defect reduction. Where a process is properly controlled in supply chain management, the commonly used term is Six Sigma quality. The purpose of this paper is to explain how Six Sigma works, its advantages and disadvantages, how it improves supply chain efficiency, and some companies that have implemented it. How Six Sigma works Due to the Six Sigma, systems are easily set up for improvement through the use of defined metrics for manufacturing and service. This makes it possible to determine and properly select the correct business project in line with business goals of an organization. Selecting and training the right individuals to occupy various positions in a company can be improved through the use of Six Sigma (Bozarth, Handfield, & Weiss, 2008). A supply chain management that has been improved will adhere to a disciplined process, which is defined by a system of four macro phases. The phases are measure, analyze, improve, and control (MAIC). Measure phase – this phase measures the supply chain system that is in existence. Reliable and valid metrics for monitoring progress has to be established. The expectation of customers is established. The potential critical process or product has to be identified and described. Another thing that is needed is doing the measurement system analysis. This will relate to determining reproducibility, repeatability, accuracy, and precision of each and every instrument utilized in the process so as to make sure everything is capable. Analyze phase - this phase entails examining the system with the goals of determining ways to do away with the gaps that is present between the desired goal and current performance of a process or system. The reason why defects are evident in the supply chain is determined during this phase. So as come up with potential variables, statistical analysis is used. The variables that are determined are those that impacts the outcome. Variables can easily tell the root cause of a problem (Christopher, & Rutherford, 2004). Developing a list of factors that can impact the desired outcome becomes easier here. Two things that should be done during this phase are isolating and verifying critical process and carry out studies relating to the measurement system. Improve phase – this phase relates to seeking optimal solution as well as creating test plan regarding actions to be im ...

1. Running head: SIX SIGMA
1
SIX SIGMA
8
Six Sigma
Student
Institution
Date
Six Sigma is a method that offers organizations tools for
enhancing the capability of their business processes. When it
comes to supply chain, it increases the performance and brings
down process variation lead to improvement in quality of
services and products, morale of workers, and profit. It also
brings down defect reduction. Where a process is properly
controlled in supply chain management, the commonly used
term is Six Sigma quality. The purpose of this paper is to
explain how Six Sigma works, its advantages and disadvantages,
how it improves supply chain efficiency, and some companies
that have implemented it.
How Six Sigma works
Due to the Six Sigma, systems are easily set up for improvement
through the use of defined metrics for manufacturing and
service. This makes it possible to determine and properly select
the correct business project in line with business goals of an
organization. Selecting and training the right individuals to
occupy various positions in a company can be improved through
the use of Six Sigma (Bozarth, Handfield, & Weiss, 2008). A
supply chain management that has been improved will adhere to

2. a disciplined process, which is defined by a system of four
macro phases. The phases are measure, analyze, improve, and
control (MAIC).
Measure phase – this phase measures the supply chain system
that is in existence. Reliable and valid metrics for monitoring
progress has to be established. The expectation of customers is
established. The potential critical process or product has to be
identified and described. Another thing that is needed is doing
the measurement system analysis. This will relate to
determining reproducibility, repeatability, accuracy, and
precision of each and every instrument utilized in the process so
as to make sure everything is capable.
Analyze phase - this phase entails examining the system with
the goals of determining ways to do away with the gaps that is
present between the desired goal and current performance of a
process or system. The reason why defects are evident in the
supply chain is determined during this phase. So as come up
with potential variables, statistical analysis is used. The
variables that are determined are those that impacts the
outcome. Variables can easily tell the root cause of a problem
(Christopher, & Rutherford, 2004). Developing a list of factors
that can impact the desired outcome becomes easier here. Two
things that should be done during this phase are isolating and
verifying critical process and carry out studies relating to the
measurement system.
Improve phase – this phase relates to seeking optimal solution
as well as creating test plan regarding actions to be
implemented and confirming solution. One the process is
modified, the outcome can be measured. This will help ensure
whether the method that has been revised gives out results that
are required in the supply chain management. Some of the
things that should be carried out are conducting design of
experiment and implementing variability reduction assessment
or design.
Control phase – this final phase is about controlling the new
system. Measures that are continuous should be introduced so as

3. to make sure that the problem is not evident again. A new
system or process in the supply chain can be instructionalized.
This can be achieved through operating instructions,
procedures, policies, and other management systems.
Advantages and disadvantages of Six Sigma
Advantages
One major advantage of Six Sigma is that it makes workers at
all levels of the organization to think about the manner in which
the organization as a whole can be improved. The more
everyone is thinking of ways through which the organization
can be improved, the higher the chances of coming up with an
idea that can work properly. A natural passion will be born due
to this, and workers in the organization will be committed to the
company. Due to this, an organization will be able to cut costs,
and workers will become increasingly loyal to the organization;
hence a reduction in employee turnover.
Six Sigma ensures that most of the activities carried out in an
organization are customer driven. Quality control will be
adhered to, where the number of defects in any given process
will be significantly reduced. Anything that is not acceptable to
customers will be avoided since it is a defect. The entire
process of supply chain will be addressed by Six Sigma. The
process of production and completion of a service will be
properly dealt with. Attention is not only directed to the final
outcome, but other areas of production. The use of Six Sigma
makes the process to be proactive instead of reactive. This is
because it is after determining ways through which
improvements can be attained before shortcomings or defects
are established.
Due to Six Sigma, goals will be put in front of every person’s
mind, that is, in the organization. This will make it easy for the
organization as well as all its departments to attain the defined
goals. An organization will be able to attain better performance
when everyone is thinking about the same thing, which is ways

4. of attaining goals.
Disadvantages
Six Sigma has managed to cement its place in most
organizations. However, there is never a process that is usually
perfect. There are cases where making use of Six Sigma is not
good when it comes to better performance of an organization.
Since Six Sigma may be used in all aspects of the production
together with the planning process, it may bring in an element
of bureaucracy and rigidity. Bureaucracy and rigidity can stifle
and delay creativity. “ In addition, its customer focus may be
taken to extremes, where internal quality-control measures that
make sense for a company are not taken because of the
overlying goal of achieving the Six Sigma-stipulated level of
consumer satisfaction” (Bozarth et al., 2008, p. 384). For
instance, a measure that seems not to be expensive and has a
risk relating to defects that are slightly higher may be rejected
and one that is more expensive considered. This may end up
impacting profitability of the organization.
Six Sigma can only be used for processes that are complex or
those that have many steps. The process turns out to be so much
expensive for businesses that are small. Workers have to get
training from institutes that are Six Sigma certified. This is
necessary for the organization to get Sig Sigma certification.
Workers have to understand the system as well as how it works.
Many small organizations have got no ability to afford this
training that is expensive. Another thing is that small businesses
have to remain creative, but the use of Six Sigma will interfere
with this process.
How Six Sigma improves supply chain efficiency
Efficiency has been attained by supply chain management of
many organization due to the use of Six Sigma. The efficiency
has been attained due to the following reasons made possible by
Six Sigma:

5. · Reduce waste – it ensures that less amount of waste is
produced at the end of supply chain process. In this case, waste
can mean many things, such as extra processing time and wasted
time while waiting for the next thing.
· Improve speed – the best supply chain efficiency benefit that a
company can get due to the use of Six Sigma is improved speed.
The reason for this is because Six Sigma ensures that all
processes are completed as fast as possible. Those processes
that are unnecessary are removed.
· Increased predictability – those supply chain processes that
were out of sort in the past become more predictable through
the use of Six Sigma. This is possible because a steady process
is being applied to the supply chain management of an
organization. Most of the things will be carried out accurately,
such as delivery time, inventory budget, and orders.
· Reduce costs – most supply chains are usually faced with the
problem of rising costs, such as those of employment, delivery
of goods, and raw materials among others. This interferes with
supply chain budgets of most organizations. The good thing
with Six Sigma is that it refines and reduces costs. Due to this,
a buffer will be created between a budget and supply chain costs
that are unexpected.
· Better indentify problems – once the Six Sigma of an
organization starts working properly. The benefit that will be
seen is that problems will be identified even before they take
place. It is easier to see things that go wrong coming.
Solution
to a problem can be created very easily due to this.
Some companies that have implemented it

6. There are a number of companies that have implemented Six
Sigma. Among the companies are:
· Ford Motor Company – the company has been able to reduce
costs due to the use of Six Sigma. Its consumer-driven Six
Sigma strategy entails performing frequent analysis of scorecard
metric. This is meant to detect performance trend. Before the
introduction of Six Sigma, the company had issues relating to
increased costs from basecoat paint consumption and higher
levels of volatile organic compound emissions. Both the
environmental issue and costs were addressed through the use of
Six Sigma.
· Motorola company - Motorola managed to use Six Sigma
training to return to the market and become huge again. The
company was about to be finished by the financial recession.
But the company has now become one of the known cell phone
brands in the world. The company has now captured a large
market share thanks to Six Sigma training (Mo Yang, Seok
Choi, Jin Park, Soo Suh, & Chae, 2007). Through Six Sigma,
the company managed to save a lot of money that was being
wasted. Apart from that, it has also managed to create products
that are in line with the needs of the market, where most of its
cell phones are now on the hands of many customers. The
company did not hire people from outside to help it recover. It
trained its existing workers on proper ways of using Six Sigma

7. in design and production of its products. This worked and the
company is back on its feet.
· Sigma White Belt
· The six sigma has allowed the project members team to know
their expectations and responsibilities even before the project
starts or underway. To each new project, it is the structure that
brings stability and grounding by giving those who are
participating a role that is well defined to follow. This is done
by utilizing the system of the belts which is the same system
that is used by in the martial arts. It is because of the belt
system that the six sigma are able to work together very well
together. It also allows the members of the team to generally
know their role and what they are expected to do. The
employees are assigned different training and certification that
will handle different roles in the advancing project. (Bruce, et
al. 2010)
· The Importance of the White Belt
· All the ranking of the belt help or assist the Six Sigma
projects in improving their quality including the white belt
because it plays the most supporting role. The white belt is very
important and is vital to the Six Sigma process for the two main
reasons which include the assistance or support they provide is
excellent and incredible. The white belts can also lend extra

8. pairs of eyes and hands in the collection of data and offer
insight proficiently into how the process works. Another
importance of the white belt that should be noted is that it is
where the recruitment of all the future six sigma practitioners
are done and educated. The companies that use the white belt
sigma in the introduction of the organization’s employees
usually have a great relationship with their employees therefore
employers are advised to use white belt for good relationship
with their employees.
· Yellow Belt
· The Yellow belt is sometimes referred to as the Green Belt
and it varies from business to business. Just like other belts, the
yellow belt typically has the basic knowledge of the six sigma
though the yellow belt does not lead projects on their own as
does the black belt or the green belt. It is always responsible for
the process development of maps to assist or support the six
sigma projects. A Yellow Belt participates as one of the most
important and core team member of the subject matter expert on
projects or project. (Moren, 2013)
· Furthermore, yellow belts are usually responsible for the
running of the improvement projects process using the Plan, Do,
Check, Act (PDCA) methodology. The Deming Wheel is the one
that is always referred to as PDCA which helps the Yellow Belt

9. to identify the processes that are likely to benefit from the
improvement. The smaller projects of Yellow Belt usually get
escalated to the Black Belt or Green Belt level where the
methodology of DMAIC is used in maximizing the cost savings
using the process of Statistical Control.
· The importance of Six Sigma on individuals
· There are various benefits of six sigma to individuals. The
first benefit is that the six sigma distinguished features like end
to end improvement process and improvements connected to
objectives that are strategic. It also focuses on the defect
reduction and variation. It also has the ability to develop
leadership skills and employees thinking. Six sigma help the
individuals have good structure in problem solving. This has
made these individuals to be preferred by different
organizations as employees. This is because these individuals
have the impact of the six sigma belts. The six sigma also bring
in good characters on an individual hence they become the most
preferred employees all over. (Michael, 2002)
References
Bozarth, C. C., Handfield, R. B., & Weiss, H. J.
(2008). Introduction to operations and
supply chain management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson

10. Prentice Hall.
Christopher, M., & Rutherford, C. (2004). Creating supply chain
resilience through agile six
sigma. Critical eye, 24, 28.
Mo Yang, H., Seok Choi, B., Jin Park, H., Soo Suh, M., & Chae,
B. (2007). Supply chain
management six sigma: a management innovation methodology
at the Samsung Group. Supply Chain Management: An
International Journal, 12(2), 88-95.
LEARNING ACTIVITY WORKSHEET - Week Three
Please review the full assignment prompt and the Week 5 Final
Paper instructions located within the classroom and in the POL
201 Course Guide before beginning this assignment.
Utilizing the worksheet below, develop detailed paragraphs that
focus on the first main point for your final paper. For each
section, a minimum of one fully-developed paragraph is
required. A fully developed paragraph should be a minimum of
5-7 sentences in length. Each paragraph should include at least
one in-text APA citation that provides support for the topic.
At least two scholarly sources from the Ashford University

11. library (not including your textbook) with in-text citations
utilized within your paragraphs are required. Two new sources
should be utilized each week to meet the minimum of eight
required sources for the final paper. By finding and supporting
your material with these sources each week, you will have the
research necessary to construct a strong final paper. For help
with writing and citations, please review the handouts and
tutorials provided by the Ashford Writing Center.
1. Branches of Government: (Pick one: Executive, Legislative,
or Judicial).
A. One strength of one of the three branches of government.
(Use the space below to complete this section.)
B. One weakness of one of the three branches of government.
(Use the space below to complete this section.)
C. One option to maintain the strength of the branch of
government discussed above.
(Use the space below to complete this section.)

12. D. One option to correct the weakness of the branch of
government discussed above.
(Use the space below to complete this section.)
2. Reference List (utilizing full APA citations)
(Use the space below to complete this section.)