Six Sigma Fundamentals: A Complete Introduction to the System, Methods, and Tools

Is six sigma related to Deming's philosophy?

Yes, very much so. Deming, through his fourteen obligations for top management, communicated the need for improvement of quality, productivity, and competitive position. For the list of the fourteen points see the glossary.

It is very important to recognize that, even though Deming never mentions six sigma, he was very well attuned to the benefits of ever-improving quality. Deming also wrote about some of the negative forces that would stop an organization from embracing the fourteen points and the notion of continual improvement, in general. He called them the seven deadly sins and they are:

• Lack of constancy of purpose.

• Emphasis on short-term profits.

• Evaluation of performance, merit rating or annual review.

• Mobility of management.

• Management by use of visible figures.

• Excessive medical costs.

• Excess costs of liability.

These deadly sins are the same as the deadly sins for the six sigma initiative. Any one of these can torpedo six sigma beyond repair.