Wednesday, December 3, 2008

How the Five Why's relate to Six Sigma

By Craig Calvin

Six Sigma is a quality assurance program that is sweeping the nation and changing the corporate landscape with its unique blend of results-driven change and thoughtful program management. How can Six Sigma training make this huge difference in business? One key reason is that this program identifies root problems through a process known as the Five Why's. The Five Why's are a process of finding the root cause of a problem by following the problem's process to a single, changeable root cause.

It is a little simpler to understand the Five Why's by this example: If your child is getting poor grades, you will ask why? Your first response will be that they are not performing well. if you end here, you have not solid solution. If you keep asking, you will eventually get to a root cause, like the following:

Problem: Child is getting poor grades Why? He is underachieving. Why? He doesn't study enough. Why? He is busy doing other things. Why? He is overscheduled. Why? He has too many after school and extracurricular activities.

As you can see, the Five Why's taught in Six Sigma training have reduced a problem that is abstract and difficult to solve to a single root cause that can be corrected for maximum results. The parent in question can now take steps to reduce the extra curricular activities, which, if these are truly the root cause of the low grades, will correct the problem. If immediate and quantifiable results are not achieved, the parent can go back to the drawing board and find the true culprit in their child's difficulties. Imagine the difference when this type of creative analysis is adapted to the business world!

Six Sigma teaches this as well as other techniques that will help your business become more efficient. You will become a quality assurance minded person as well as creating a corporate edge for your company. Six Sigma creates a competitive edge in a way that no other training compares to. it only takes a few weeks to learn these strategies that can turn your company and life around. - 15485

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