Stat Free Six Sigma: Focusing on Intent for Quick Results

A basic no-frills, low jargon approach and explanation of Six Sigma. An excellent attempt to demystify Six Sigma concepts based on a common sensical approach to business. What I liked about the book was that it did not try to generate and perpetuate the common myth that Six Sigma was the one and only end game to cure all business problems!

Following is a review by Professor Mitter Vedu who has 40 years of business and academic experience in India and worldwide. He is an American Society for Quality certified six sigma black belt.This review was published in Quality World (Feb. 2009). Fact-based decision-making has been emphasized in all business improvement methodologies, but never as much as in recent six sigma practices. However, it need not be highbrow statistics, which deters beginners, contend the authors of this book. The authors have gone back to the basics of the Motorola practice by emphasizing six sigma's nonstatistical intent as a philosophy for breakthrough improvement. The title is catchy and makes one first surmise that one is totally freed from data. However, `virtually' is added in small letters to the title. The evolution of six sigma has grown to include sophisticated tools of statistics, so much so that a beginner now equates six sigma with complex statistics. This acts as an impediment to the widespread adoption of six sigma as an improvement methodology. In this context, the book seeks to bring into focus the basic intent of the tool for quick results. The most important intent of six sigma as a philosophy, the authors rightly observe, is to enable an organization to channel corporate energy into continually creating value and intellectually engaging employees by challenging them for dramatic improvement. This is what Motorola's `six steps to six sigma' sought to do in its initial phase with resounding success. In later phases, dramatic improvements in the bottom line created a focus on lean, which the book does not touch upon. The authors have attempted to express in simple language many quantitative expressions. The definition of six sigma is simplified to `an approach to achieve virtual perfection fast, and be the best-in-class in everything we do'. Six sigma performance is expressed as `designed tolerance divided by a process range greater than or equal to two', leaving how 3.4 parts per million is arrived at unexplained. The method of project selection based on a project prioritisation index is explained in simple terms with examples. The DMAIC (define-measure-analyse-improve-control) sequence and its importance in systematic problem-solving is also rightly emphasised. The key DMAIC tools with least statistics are mapped on to the DMAIC sequence and a stat-free DMAIC tool application matrix is also a useful addition. The simplified approach to comparative tests of means and variances is interesting for a beginner. However, it is an open question whether anybody at that stage can avoid looking to the t-table or f-table. The authors hasten to add a note saying: `For finer improvement in critical processes, more rigorous statistical tests must be performed.' However, describing only a `factorial experiment' and avoiding mention of the advantages of `fractional factorial experiments' leaves the beginner unaware of the possibility of saving on experimen

As an experienced Six Sigma Black Belt, I have successfully utilized most of the tools described in Stat Free Six Sigma. The true genius of this book, as written by Praveen Gupta and Arvin Sri, is that it emphasizes the importance of developing improvement project results - quickly, rather than proving the statistical integrity of the improvement process. How refreshing! Although not completely free of statistical references, the book greatly simplifies the utilization of statistics. The abbreviated "significance tables" developed for "F" and "Chi Square" are extremely practical, easy to use and understand. Most of the statistical tools described are simplified and require no calculator or computer assisted calculations. While training others to become "six sigma belts", I feel, as many of the trainees do, that explaining and justifying each statistical tool is time consuming and tends to increase "fallout" especially among non-technical people. Utilizing this "Stat Free" approach should significantly reduce training time and training cost, while increasing trainee retention. As with other improvement project successes, this book has provided a true breakthrough for organizations planning on adopting Six Sigma improvement processes. This simpler approach should ease management fears of implementing a more traditional, statistically rigorous Six Sigma improvement initiative. Stat Free Six Sigma has become my new Six Sigma "bible" that I strongly recommend to all "quick results oriented" business managers.

The book is well organized, representing all the terms, tools, calculations, background and processes needed for a Six Sigma implementation. The way the DMAIC process is described specifically the Project Priority Index, is something that everyone can use to identify Black Belt projects that should be continued or funded.

Are you afraid of the cost to implement Six Sigma? Or perhaps you have a Six Sigma program that is not paying dividends. Praveen and Arvin's latest book "Virtually Stat Free Six Sigma - Focusing on intent for Quick Results" gives readers what they need in ½ a day to hit the ground running with the best of the best in Six Sigma.