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Subject:RE: Developing a Methodology From:eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com To:"Nuckols, Kenneth M" <Kenneth -dot- Nuckols -at- mybrighthouse -dot- com> Date:Fri, 26 May 2006 09:56:12 -0400
"Nuckols, Kenneth M" <Kenneth -dot- Nuckols -at- mybrighthouse -dot- com> wrote on
05/26/2006 08:38:13 AM:
> I'm not sure what constitutes a "documentation defect" in Six Sigma
> parlance, and I'm wondering if someone can elaborate:
As for all other much ballyhooed methodologies, Six Sigma does nothing to
define what constitutes a defect. Nor what is acceptable in terms of
defects.
It provides tools and methods to: Identify, Define, Measure, Analyse,
Improve, and Control existing processes. Some of that might not be perfect
to other Six Sigma types as I'm translating it from French. To that is
added some real statistical analysis math to make it seem wonderfully
scientific and a bunch of official looking forms to fill out as you
perform all the requisite steps to prove to your employer that printing on
both side of the page using a duplex printer saves paper. ;)
If you define or identify the "defect" as some arcane grammar rule or
comma usage, and you measure and analyse for that defect, that's the
defect you'll find, and that's the defect you'll be trying to solve.
While Six Sigma makes a lot of noise about not starting a project with a
formulated solution, what you measure for is ultimately incredibly biased
towards specific problems and specific solutions. But, if you rigorously
follow the method, all but the most limited practice projects stand a
remoter chance of being affected and identifying, perhaps, a bigger
problem and/or a better improvement.
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