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CAREER ADVISOR
“Your
Career Advisor” is responding this week to the following :"In a recent job interview with the Quality Manager of a large automotive and trading group, I was asked if I was familiar with Six Sigma ! Please help me find out what it is ! "
All reasonable questions related to careers, skill development or employment related issues – sent to advisor@skill-link.com - would be addressed in this section every week.
Q:
I was asked in a job interview about Six Sigma ! What is it ?
I am an engineering graduate (1997); having worked predominantly in the Quality Control and Quality Assurance department of an automotive assembly company. In a recent job interview with the Quality Manager of a large automotive group, I was asked if I knew what Six Sigma was. Since I have never heard or read about it before, could you help me by shedding some light on what Six Sigma is ?
H.R. (Egypt)
Replying
Dear
Mr. R.,
A tricky question you got there :); however you were asked about Six Sigma since
it relates to your field (Quality Management). Now, what is Six Sigma ?
Six Sigma is a growing business management system, centered on a powerful
problem solving and process optimization methodology, Six Sigma is credited with
significant savings for companies over the past ten years. The main thrust of
Six Sigma is the application of statistical tools in the context of a
well-disciplined, easy to follow methodology with the objective of achieving
financial returns that result from the elimination of defects, reduction of
inventory and the optimization of processes.
It was developed by Motorola in the mid 1980's, the methodology only became well
known after GE previous Chairman (Jack Welch) made it a central focus of his
business strategy in 1995.
There are a number of books and articles published on this subject, in addition
to a variety of associations and training firms that assist companies in
implementing Six Sigma or offer training courses on the matter. Trained
individuals are awarded a “Green belt certification” or a “black belt
certification” - I guess the terms were borrowed from Judo.
Hope the above information was useful.
Good Luck.
Note from the editor:
Employer names and inquiry sender names were withheld for confidentiality