The basics behind the Six Sigma quality control technique

Six Sigma is designed to achieve excellence in customer service and measure deviation from the ideal. It provides a process for placing value on the intangible nature of quality control. The underlying theories of Six Sigma are highly technical and complex. This book is a basic guide to those who are new to the concept, and though this is a complex subject, the concepts involved are not too complex for readers to grasp.Getting Started in Six Sigma demonstrates how an employee or supervisor can implement Six Sigma successfully without having to become technically familiar with process-oriented models or statistical modeling.

MICHAEL C. THOMSETT is a financial writer who has written more than sixty books on investing, real estate, business, and management topics. He is the author of several Wiley books including the successful Getting Started in Options, now in its sixth edition. Thomsett has written extensively on quality control and quality assurance topics, and has had over 500 articles published in business, trade, and professional journals. Prior to his writing career, Thomsett was a professional accountant and systems consultant.

Introduction Striving for Perfection in an Imperfect World 1

Chapter 1 The Meaning of Six Sigma 5

Chapter 2 The Customer's Point of View 31

Chapter 3 Outside-In Thinking 61

Chapter 4 The Nature of Quality 91

Chapter 5 Product and Service Defects 117

Chapter 6 Improving Process Systems 139

Chapter 7 Striving for Consistency 165

Chapter 8 Exceptions and Rules 185

Glossary 205

Notes 209

Index 211