"In this book, I have found answers to key questions and misconceptions about the relationship between Six Sigma and the Capability Maturity Model Integration [CMMI]....Among my key takeaways is that the relationship between Six Sigma and CMMI exemplifies one of the principles of S4/IEE: CMMI provides process infrastructure that is needed to support a successful Six Sigma strategy." —Forrest W. Breyfogle III, CEO, Smarter Solutions, Inc. "Finally, a book that bridges the software and hardware process tool set. To date, there have been hardware and software engineers who for one reason or another have not communicated their process methods. And so, myths formed that convinced the hardware community that CMMI was only for software and likewise convinced the software community that Six Sigma was only for hardware. It is both refreshing and thought provoking to dispel these myths." —Jack Ferguson, Manager, SEI Appraisal Program, Software Engineering Institute CMMI and Six Sigma represent two of the best-known process improvement initiatives. Both are designed to enhance work quality and thereby produce business advantages for an organization. It's a misconception that the two are in competition and cannot be implemented simultaneously. Practitioners originally trained in either CMMI or Six Sigma are now finding that the two initiatives work remarkably well together in the pursuit of their common goal. CMMI® and Six Sigma: Partners in Process Improvement focuses on the synergistic, rather than competitive, implementation of CMMI and Six Sigma—with synergy translating to "faster, better, cheaper" achievement of mission success. Topics range from formation of the value proposition to specific implementation tactics. The authors illustrate how not taking advantage of what both initiatives have to offer puts an organization at risk of sinking time, energy, and money into "inventing" a solution that already exists. Along the way they debunk a few myths about Six Sigma applications in software. While the authors concentrate on the interoperability of Six Sigma and CMMI, they also recognize that organizations rarely implement only these two initiatives. Accordingly, the discussion turns to the emerging realm of "multimodel" process improvement and strategies and tactics that transcend models to help organizations effectively knit together a single unified internal process standard. Whether you work in the defense industry, for a commercial organization, or for a government agency—wherever quality and efficiency matter—you'll find this book to be a valuable resource for bridging process issues across domains and building an improvement strategy that succeeds.

Today, technology has become too much a part of overall corporate success for its effectiveness to be left to chance. The stakes are too high. Fortunately, the idea of 'quality management' is being reinvigorated. In the last decade process programs have become more and more prevalent. And, out of all the available options, three have moved to the top of the chain. These three are: The 9001:2000 Quality Management Standard from the International Standards Organization; The Capability Maturity Model Integration from the Software Engineering Institute; and Six Sigma, a methodology for improvement shaped by companies such as Motorola, Honeywell, and General Electric. These recognized and proven quality programs are rising in popularity as more technology managers are looking for ways to help remove degrees of risk and uncertainty from their business equations, and to introduce methods of predictability that better ensure success. Process Improvement Essentials combines the foundation needed to understand process improvement theory with the best practices to help individuals implement process improvement initiatives in their organization. The three leading programs: ISO 9001:2000, CMMI, and Six Sigma--amidst the buzz and hype--tend to get lumped together under a common label. This book delivers a combined guide to all three programs, compares their applicability, and then sets the foundation for further exploration. It's a one-stop-shop designed to give you a working orientation to what the field is all about.

"In this book, I have found answers to key questions and misconceptions about the relationship between Six Sigma and the Capability Maturity Model Integration [CMMI]....Among my key takeaways is that the relationship between Six Sigma and CMMI exemplifies one of the principles of S4/IEE: CMMI provides process infrastructure that is needed to support a successful Six Sigma strategy." --Forrest W. Breyfogle III, CEO, Smarter Solutions, Inc. "Finally, a book that bridges the software and hardware process tool set. To date, there have been hardware and software engineers who for one reason or another have not communicated their process methods. And so, myths formed that convinced the hardware community that CMMI was only for software and likewise convinced the software community that Six Sigma was only for hardware. It is both refreshing and thought provoking to dispel these myths." --Jack Ferguson, Manager, SEI Appraisal Program, Software Engineering Institute CMMI and Six Sigma represent two of the best-known process improvement initiatives. Both are designed to enhance work quality and thereby produce business advantages for an organization. It's a misconception that the two are in competition and cannot be implemented simultaneously. Practitioners originally trained in either CMMI or Six Sigma are now finding that the two initiatives work remarkably well together in the pursuit of their common goal. CMMI® and Six Sigma: Partners in Process Improvement focuses on the synergistic, rather than competitive, implementation of CMMI and Six Sigma--with synergy translating to "faster, better, cheaper" achievement of mission success. Topics range from formation of the value proposition to specific implementation tactics. The authors illustrate how not taking advantage of what both initiatives have to offer puts an organization at risk of sinking time, energy, and money into "inventing" a solution that already exists. Along the way they debunk a few myths about Six Sigma applications in software. While the authors concentrate on the interoperability of Six Sigma and CMMI, they also recognize that organizations rarely implement only these two initiatives. Accordingly, the discussion turns to the emerging realm of "multimodel" process improvement and strategies and tactics that transcend models to help organizations effectively knit together a single unified internal process standard. Whether you work in the defense industry, for a commercial organization, or for a government agency--wherever quality and efficiency matter--you'll find this book to be a valuable resource for bridging process issues across domains and building an improvement strategy that succeeds.

The Practical, Example-Rich Guide to Building Better Systems, Software, and Hardware with DFSS Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) offers engineers powerful opportunities to develop more successful systems, software, hardware, and processes. In Applying Design for Six Sigma to Software and Hardware Systems , two leading experts offer a realistic, step-by-step process for succeeding with DFSS. Their clear, start-to-finish roadmap is designed for successfully developing complex high-technology products and systems that require both software and hardware development. Drawing on their unsurpassed experience leading Six Sigma at Motorola, the authors cover the entire project lifecycle, from business case through scheduling, customer-driven requirements gathering through execution. They provide real-world examples for applying their techniques to software alone, hardware alone, and systems composed of both. Product developers will find proven job aids and specific guidance about what teams and team members need to do at every stage. Using this book’s integrated, systems approach, marketers, software professionals, and hardware developers can converge all their efforts on what really matters: addressing the customer’s true needs. Learn how to Ensure that your entire team shares a solid understanding of customer needs Define measurable critical parameters that reflect customer requirements Thoroughly assess business case risk and opportunity in the context of product roadmaps and portfolios Prioritize development decisions and scheduling in the face of resource constraints Flow critical parameters down to quantifiable, verifiable requirements for every sub-process, subsystem, and component Use predictive engineering and advanced optimization to build products that robustly handle variations in manufacturing and usage Verify system capabilities and reliability based on pilots or early production samples Master new statistical techniques for ensuring that supply chains deliver on time, with minimal inventory Choose the right DFSS tools, using the authors’ step-by-step flowchart If you’re an engineer involved in developing any new technology solution, this book will help you reflect the real Voice of the Customer, achieve better results faster, and eliminate fingerpointing. About the Web Site The accompanying Web site, sigmaexperts.com/dfss, provides an interactive DFSS flowchart, templates, exercises, examples, and tools.

Proven techniques for improving software and process quality with Six Sigma This practical, in-depth guide explains how to apply Six Sigma to solve common product and process improvement challenges in the software and IT industry. Six Sigma Software Quality Improvement covers Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC), Lean Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), and Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Verify (DMADV). Featuring more than 20 success stories from Motorola, IBM, Cisco, Seagate, Xerox, Thomson Reuters, TCS, EMC, Infosys, and Convergys, the book offers first-hand accounts of corporate Six Sigma programs and explains how these companies are successfully leveraging Six Sigma for software process and quality improvement. The success stories reveal how: Motorola minimized business risk before changing business-critical applications TCS improved fraud detection for a global bank Infosys improved software development productivity for a large multinational bank IBM reduced help desk escalations and overhead activities EMC improved development productivity Motorola realized significant cost avoidance by streamlining processes and project documentation Xerox achieved high-speed product development Seagate reduced application downtime and improved availability to 99.99% Cisco successfully reinvented its Six Sigma program Convergys injected Six Sigma into the company's DNA Thomson Reuters' Six Sigma program gathered significant momentum in a short time Six Sigma was successfully applied in many other projects for defect reduction, cycle time reduction, productivity improvement, and more

If you do not measure, you do not know, and if you do not know, you cannot manage. Modern Quality Management and Six Sigma shows us how to measure and, consequently, how to manage the companies in business and industries. Six Sigma provides principles and tools that can be applied to any process as a means used to measure defects and/or error rates. In the new millennium thousands of people work in various companies that use Modern Quality Management and Six Sigma to reduce the cost of products and eliminate the defects. This book provides the necessary guidance for selecting, performing and evaluating various procedures of Quality Management and particularly Six Sigma. In the book you will see how to use data, i.e. plot, interpret and validate it for Six Sigma projects in business, industry and even in medical laboratories.

The progression of risk management techniques provides the crucial applications and benefits to all of society. By analyzing the current trends and techniques used to assess and mitigate risks, safer processes can be used for all professional fields, as well as society as a whole. Novel Six Sigma Approaches to Risk Assessment and Management is a vital scholarly resource that provides an in-depth examination on innovative Six Sigma methods for risk mitigation initiatives. Featuring an array of relevant topics such as project management, production scheduling, information systems security, and agricultural planning, this is an ideal reference book for professionals, academicians, students, and researchers interested in detailed research on recent advancements in the management of risk in all fields.