Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

A. DEDICATION -- B. INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND EDITION -- Six Sigma's Hidden Truths, Lessons Learned, and Potential Payoffs -- Key Features of The Six Sigma Way -- A Final Philosophical Word -- C. A GUIDE TO THE SIX SIGMA WAY -- The Major Sections -- The Chapters -- D. ABOUT THE AUTHORS -- Peter S. Pande -- Robert P. Neuman, Ph.D. -- Roland R. Cavanagh, P.E. -- A. PART ONE: AN EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW OF SIX SIGMA -- 1. A Powerful Strategy for Sustained Success -- Some Six Sigma Success Stories -- The Benefits of Six Sigma -- The Tools and Themes of Six Sigma -- Six Themes of Six Sigma -- Conclusion: Where You Stand -- 2. Key Concepts of the Six Sigma System -- A Six Sigma Vision of Business Leadership -- An Introduction to Sigma Measurement (aka "the Big Y") -- Customers, Defects, and Sigma Levels -- Six Sigma Improvement and Management Strategies -- Conclusion: Defining the "Six Sigma Organization" -- 3. Applying Six Sigma to Service and Manufacturing -- The Changing Role of Manufacturing -- Service Process Opportunities—and Realities -- Manufacturing Challenges -- Conclusion: Making Six Sigma Work Best for You -- 4. The Six Sigma Roadmap -- Advantages of the Six Sigma Roadmap -- Step 1: Identify Core Processes and Key Customers -- Step 2: Define Customer Requirements -- Step 3: Measure Current Performance -- Step 4: Prioritize, Analyze, and Implement Improvements -- Step 5: Expand and Integrate the Six Sigma System -- Recapping the Executive Summary -- B. PART TWO: GEARING UP AND ADAPTING SIX SIGMA TO YOUR ORGANIZATION -- 5. Is Six Sigma Right for Us Now? -- Six Sigma Readiness -- When Six Sigma Is Not Right for an Organization -- Summarizing the Assessment: Three Key Questions -- Six Sigma from a Cost/Benefit Perspective -- 6. How and Where Should We Start Our Efforts? -- Where to Start: Objective, Scope, and Time Frame -- On-Ramps to the Six Sigma Roadmap -- The Roadmap and Your Strengths and Weaknesses -- Piloting Your Six Sigma Effort (aka "Start Smaller and Grow") -- Six Sigma Start-Up Summary -- 7. Leadership Actions to Launch and Guide the Effort -- Develop a Strong Vision and Rationale -- Actively Participate in Planning and Implementation -- Become Powerful Advocates -- Set Clear Objectives -- Hold Yourself and Others Accountable -- Demand Meaningful Measures of Results -- Communicate Constantly -- Be Persistent -- Conclusion -- 8. Preparing Black Belts and Other Key Roles -- Roles in a Six Sigma Organization -- The Leadership Group or Council -- The Sponsor or Champion -- The Implementation Leader -- The Improvement Coach -- The Team Leader or Project Leader -- The Team Member -- The Process Owner -- Belt Types and Role Structures -- Considerations in Defining the Green and Black Belt Role -- Role-Clarity Issues -- Selecting Project Team Members -- 9. Training Your Organization for Six Sigma -- The Essentials of Effective Six Sigma Training -- Planning a Six Sigma Curriculum -- 10. The Key to Successful Improvement: Selecting the Right Six Sigma Projects -- Project Selection and Priority Management Essentials -- Steps Toward Effective Project Selection -- Understanding Types of Improvement Projects -- Defining Criteria for Project Selection -- Creating the Project Rationale -- Choosing Your Improvement Model -- Conclusion -- C. PART THREE: IMPLEMENTING SIX SIGMA: THE ROADMAP AND THE TOOLS -- 11. Identifying Core Processes and Key Customers (Roadmap Step 1) -- Step 1A: Identify Core Processes -- A Sampling of Core Processes -- An Overview of Support Processes -- Defining and Tailoring Your Core Processes -- Step 1B: Define Your Key Process Outputs and Key Customers -- Step 1C: Create High-Level Core Process Maps -- 12. Defining Customer Requirements (Roadmap Step 2) -- Step 2A: Gather Customer Data, and Develop a "Voice of the Customer" Strategy -- Step 2B: Develop Performance Standards and Requirements Statements -- Step 2C: Analyzing and Prioritizing Customer Requirements; Linking Requirements to Strategy -- Conclusion -- 13. Measuring Current Performance (Roadmap Step 3) -- Measurement Concept #1: Observe, Then Measure -- Measurement Concept #2: Continuous versus Discrete Measures -- Measurement Concept #3: Measure for a Reason -- Measurement Concept #4: A Process for Measurement -- Measuring Rare or Low-Volume Activities -- Step 3A. Plan and Measure Performance Against Customer Requirements -- Step 3B: Develop Baseline Measures and Identify Improvement Opportunities -- Internal or Process/Input Measures -- Including Cost of Poor Quality -- Using Baseline Measures -- 14. Six Sigma Process Improvement (Roadmap Step 4A) -- The "Define" Phase of DMAIC: Clarify the Problem, Goal, and Process -- The "Measure" Phase of DMAIC: Baselining and Refining the Problem -- The "Analyze" Phase of DMAIC: Becoming a Process Detective -- The "Improve" Phase of DMAIC: Generating, Selecting, and Implementing Solutions -- If Your Company Isn't AutoRec -- 15. Six Sigma Process Design/Redesign (Roadmap Step 4B) -- Benefits of Six Sigma Design -- Getting Started on Process Design/Redesign -- Essential Conditions for Process Design/Redesign -- The "Define" Phase: Defining the Redesign Goal, Scope, and Requirements -- The "Measure" Phase: Establishing Performance Baselines -- The "Analyze" Phase: Building a Foundation for Redesign -- The "Improve" Phase: Designing and Implementing the New Process -- 16. Expanding and Integrating the Six Sigma System (Roadmap Step 5) -- Step 5A: Implement Ongoing Measures and Actions to Sustain Improvement (Control) -- Step 5B: Define Responsibility for Process Ownership and Management -- The Process Owner -- Step 5C: Execute Closed-Loop Management and Drive to Six Sigma -- Tools for Process Management -- Conclusion: Moving Toward Six Sigma -- 17. Advanced Six Sigma Tools: An Overview -- Statistical Process Control, and Control Charts -- Tests of Statistical Significance (Chi-Square, t-test, ANOVA) -- Correlation and Regression Analysis -- Design of Experiments (DOE) -- Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) -- Quality Function Deployment (QFD) -- D. Conclusion: Twelve Keys to Success -- Keys to Success -- A Final Word -- E. APPENDIX -- F. NOTES -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 -- Chapter 2 -- Chapter 3 -- Chapter 4 -- Chapter 5 -- Chapter 7 -- Chapter 8 -- Chapter 10 -- Chapter 11 -- Chapter 12 -- Chapter 13 -- Chapter 15 -- Chapter 16 -- Chapter 17 -- G. GLOSSARY -- H. REFERENCES -- Process Improvement and Design/Redesign -- Voice of the Customer -- Learning and Innovation -- Organizations and Six Sigma -- Voice of the Process -- I. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- For the Second Edition -- For the First Edition.

Explains the impressive benefits of Six Sigma's improvement-driven and customer-centric approach to business leaders and managers. This book reveals how GE, Motorola, and other companies used Six Sigma to fine-tune products and processes, improve performance, reduce costs, build customer loyalty, and increase profits.

Also issued in print and PDF version.

Description based on cover image and table of contents, viewed on October 23, 2015.