A title that provides the most straightforward, non-intimidating guide to Six Sigma on the market. With 25% new and revised content, including updated examples and references throughout, readers of the new edition will better understand what Six Sigma is, the benefits of Six Sigma, and how to implement and use it effectively The world's largest and most profitable companies - including the likes of GE, Bank of America, Honeywell, DuPont, Samsung, Starwood Hotels, Bechtel, and Motorola - have used Six Sigma to achieve breathtaking improvements in business performance. This title presents an easy way to understand and implement Six Sigma. Introduction 1 Part I: Getting Acquainted with Six Sigma Basics 7 Chapter 1: Better Business and Better Performance: Defining Six Sigma 9 Chapter 2: Linking Quality and Business 17 Chapter 3: Examining the Principles and Language of Six Sigma 31 Chapter 4: Organizing for Improvement 43 Part II: DMAIC: Defining and Measuring 61 Chapter 5: Identifying and Right-Sizing Projects 63 Chapter 6: Launching a Project 77 Chapter 7: Mapping to Identify Possible Factors 87 Chapter 8: Diagramming to Identify Possible Factors 101 Chapter 9: Describing Performance with Numbers 113 Part III: DMAIC: Analyzing 133 Chapter 10: Depicting and Analyzing Data through Charts and Graphs 135 Chapter 11: Analyzing for Value 155 Chapter 12: What’s Normal? Recognizing Normally-Shaped Variation 165 Chapter 13: Assessing Capability: Comparing the Voices of the Customer and the Process 179 Chapter 14: Gauging Gauges: Measurement System Analysis (MSA) 199 Chapter 15: Mining Data and Processes for Insight 209 Chapter 16: Making Confident Decisions 227 Part IV: DMAIC: Improving and Controlling 241 Chapter 17: Forecasting Future Performance 243 Chapter 18: Designing, Conducting, and Analyzing Experiments (DOE) 259 Chapter 19: Standardizing on Improvement 281 Chapter 20: Maintaining Gains through Statistical Process Control 291 Part V: Looking at the Six Sigma Technology Tool Landscape 309 Chapter 21: Eyeing Process Characterization and Optimization Technologies 311 Chapter 22: Tools for Performing Six Sigma Analysis 323 Chapter 23: Managing Six Sigma 331 Part VI: The Part of Tens 343 Chapter 24: Ten Top Do's and Don’ts of Six Sigma 345 Chapter 25: Ten Ways to Gain Synergies with Lean and Six Sigma 349 Chapter 26: Ten Places to Go for Help 353 Index 357