Last Wednesday 9 November Joan Sanmartí, Lean Operations Process Manager at LSG Sky Chefs (Los Angeles, California, USA) gave a talk to students on how to apply the Six Sigma philosophy for ongoing improvement in companies. The conference took place within the framework of the Total Quality Methods as part of our University Master's Degree in Business Administration and Production Systems.
The Six Sigma methodology was created with the aim of improving processes. It is based on statistical analysis and the aim is to reduce or resolve the root of each problem. The problem resolution process is based on the DMAIC methodology: define the problem, measure the current condition; analyse; improve and control. The difference between Six Sigma’s approach and other approaches is that it also corrects problems before they appear.
The methodology was first used in Motorola in 1988 by engineer Bill Smith. It was originally seen as a business strategy and a method for quality improvement, however later on it was improved and made popular by General Electric.
