Vikram Khanna

Dear Srinivas, Please check your facts about time of Six Sigma launch in Motorola. About your reference to Six Sigma being started in Motorola not earlier than 2000, please have a look at the following news article of 1993 where Motorola was well into Six Sigma and still planning IRIDIUM. http://www.allbusiness.com/business-planning-structures/business-structures/405772-1.html Also have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Sigma While Motorola started in 1987, it had good success in Six Sigma within ten years. Many fortune 500 companies learnt from Motorola successes in 1990's. By the year 2000, large number of companies had Six Sigma successes and they had learnt it from Motorola. Jack Welch (GE) Books hit the market on 2001 showing Six Sigma benefits at GE. However, your points on how to assess maturity are well conceptualized. Regards, Vikram

Dear Manu, Although many people like to calculate Sigma Level for a company, I feel it is futile exercise. Let me explain why I think so. Sigma level calculation requires that we ensure collection of reliable data for the process of interest. Ensuring reliable data for all processes in a company shall be a huge cost and may not serve a business purpose. Even if we assume that assessment of sigma level for critical processes can be used to compile sigma level for the company, we must remember that sigma level is a dynamic measure. Sigma level for a process can change the moment customer (internal or external) exception changes or if the defect definition changes. This means, whenever you announce a specific sigma level for your company, the validity of the announcement may be questionable as customer expectations for some processes might have changed. In my opionion, it is best to use Sigma level assessment for current situation and improved situation on a project by project basis. Comments on the subject are welcome. Warm Regards, Vikram