Six Sigma project management summary and detailed historical timeline by era and year

Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven methodology and project management strategy designed to improve process performance, eliminate defects, and minimize variation. Pioneered at Motorola in the 1980s, it aims for a near-perfection standard of no more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities (DPMO). It is often used in combination with Lean principles (Lean Six Sigma) to simultaneously eliminate waste and reduce variation. 

Six Sigma Project Management Summary

Six Sigma project management relies on a structured, five-phase framework known as DMAIC (pronounced “duh-may-ick”) for improving existing processes: 

  • Define: Identify the project goals and customer deliverables (Critical to Quality – CTQ).
  • Measure: Quantify the current process performance and gather baseline data.
  • Analyze: Determine the root causes of defects and variation.
  • Improve: Implement and verify solutions that eliminate the root causes.
  • Control: Standardize the new process and implement monitoring to ensure long-term sustainability. 

Key Project Roles (The Belt System):

  • White/Yellow Belt: Basic awareness and team members.
  • Green Belt: Leads projects, assists Black Belts.
  • Black Belt: Leads complex projects, acts as change agent.
  • Master Black Belt: Coaches Black/Green Belts, oversees strategy.

Detailed Historical Timeline by Era and Year

Pre-1980s: Foundational Quality Efforts 

  • 1799: Eli Whitney introduces the concept of interchangeable parts (standardization) to produce muskets, reducing variation.
  • 1920s: Walter Shewhart at Bell Laboratories shows that 3-sigma process control is necessary to reduce variation.
  • 1950s: Toyota Production System (TPS) develops to create efficiency and quality. 

1980s: Origin and Development (The Motorola Era) 

  • 1981: Motorola leadership (Bob Galvin) initiates a push for increased quality, arguing that traditional 3-sigma defects (thousands) were insufficient, prompting a push for DPMO.
  • 1985: Engineer Bill Smith pens a paper proposing the term and methodology of Six Sigma.
  • 1986: Bill Smith officially introduces Six Sigma at Motorola, with Mikel Harry and Bob Galvin as co-contributors.
  • 1987: Motorola formally founds the Six Sigma improvement program, targeting a 10-fold reduction in defects.
  • 1988: Motorola receives the first Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
  • 1989: Motorola establishes the Six Sigma Research Institute. 

1990s: Expansion and Standardization (The GE/Allied Signal Era) 

  • 1990: Motorola introduces the concept of Black Belts to formally lead improvement projects.
  • 1993: Motorola registers Six Sigma as a trademark.
  • 1994: AlliedSignal adopts Six Sigma, with CEO Larry Bossidy leading the effort.
  • 1995: Jack Welch adopts Six Sigma at General Electric (GE), optimizing the DMAIC approach and boosting its popularity.
  • Late 1990s: Over 2/3 of Fortune 500 companies start Six Sigma initiatives. 

2000s: Integration with Lean (The Lean Six Sigma Era) 

  • 2000s: Global adoption of Six Sigma by companies like Sony, Jaguar, Samsung, and Adidas.
  • 2002: Michael George publishes “Lean Six Sigma,” combining the speed of Lean (waste reduction) with the quality of Six Sigma (variation reduction).
  • Mid-2000s: Six Sigma expands beyond manufacturing into services, healthcare, and finance. 

2010s – Present: Digitalization and Advanced Analytics

  • 2010s: Integration of data-driven Six Sigma with technology, including real-time monitoring and advanced data analytics.
  • Present: Incorporation of Big Data, Machine Learning, and AI to enhance analytical capabilities and predictive maintenance within the DMAIC framework. 

Key Contributors to Six Sigma

  • Bill Smith: “Father of Six Sigma,” developed the concept at Motorola.
  • Bob Galvin: CEO of Motorola, supported and pushed the adoption of the methodology.
  • Mikel Harry: Co-developed the methodology and helped establish the Six Sigma Institute.
  • Jack Welch: Former CEO of GE, championed the strategy, proving its power outside of manufacturing.
  • Larry Bossidy: CEO of Allied Signal, instrumental in early adoption.

Six Sigma project management summary and detailed historical timeline by era and year

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Author: Mark Whitfield

Welcome to my site! After graduating in Computing in 1990, I accepted a position as a programmer at a Runcorn based software house specialising in electronic banking software, namely sp/ARCHITECT-BANK on Tandem Computers (now HPE NonStop). This was before the internet became more prevalent and so the notion of enabling desktop access to company accounts for inter-account transfers and book keeping was still quite a cutting edge idea (and smartphones only ever hinted at in Space 1999). The company was called The Software Partnership (which was taken over by Deluxe Data in 1994). I spent 5 years in Runcorn developing code for SP/ARCHITECT for various banks like TSB, Bank of Scotland, Rabobank and Girofon (Denmark) to name but a few. I then moved onto a software house in Salford Quays for further bank facing projects. After a further 23 years in the IT industry and now a Senior IT Project Manager (both Agile and Waterfall delivery), I thought I would echo out my Career Profile in this corner of the internet for quick and easy access.

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