Tips for putting Six Sigma into your manufacturing company

Six Sigma has been shown to be one of the most effective lean manufacturing programs. Many different manufacturing companies have successfully implemented Six Sigma and seen an almost immediate reduction in the amount of product defects along with an increase in customer satisfaction. You can use Six Sigma to improve your products and services and offer something better to your customers. However, there are tips that will help you better implement the program. Here are tips for putting Six Sigma into your manufacturing company-

- Get management backing-One of the first things that has to be done is to get the complete support of all upper management. The reality is that without this support it is unlikely that Six Sigma will succeed within the manufacturing company. If you are able to get management support for the program you will have a much easier time getting your employees involved. The senior management should the ones who first receive Black Belt training in order to help get the program in place.
- Institute a training program-How much Six Sigma is successful within the manufacturing company will depend on the type of training that is put into place. There are different methods that can be used to implement Six Sigma and you must determine what will work most effectively within your organization. After receiving training there will be a much greater understanding of the program and the desired end result. It is crucial that this training be put into place before the complete roll out of the program or it is unlikely that it will succeed.
- Have a backup plan-You should never count on one program alone to solve problems. You need to look at all of the possible options to improve your production process. There is currently not a system that is designed to solve all problems for every manufacturing company. When you have a backup plan then you can use all of the available tools to deal with any issues that you may be having within your manufacturing company.
- Keep it growing-Many times in the excitement of putting in a new program manufacturing companies will implement Six Sigma and then forget about it. Keep in mind that in order for Six Sigma to effectively help your manufacturing company you need to move beyond the initial implementation and use all of the tools within the process. It is important to identify the long term needs of your manufacturing business and decide what can be done to keep the company growing and developing toward long term success.
- Train future leaders-Manufacturing companies that use Six Sigma need to always be planning for future leaders. Keep in mind that the same people won't be working for you forever so you need to have a plan that keeps the right leadership to move the program along. This is best done by training multiple leaders. When you do this you will not be left with having to start over if your initial team of leaders ends up leaving your organization. Best of all when you train multiple leaders you affect more employees which will help further cement Six Sigma within the company culture.
- Have the right technology-Six Sigma is a program that work effectively with technology. You need to make sure that you have the most effective software for your organization. This will help you to grow and develop your Six Sigma program and increase both the productivity and the profitability of your manufacturing company. A Six Sigma training company can help you determine the best software program that will meet the manufacturing needs of your company.