What is Six Sigma?

Six Sigma is a management process that focuses on continuous improvement and covers the tools and methodology needed to apply it to any given project. The ultimate goal is creating a process that has no more than 3.4 defects for every 1 million opportunities. In this case, a defect is something that is outside of customer expectations, such as faulty parts. Six Sigma acknowledges that complete perfection in a process is usually impossible to achieve, but by reducing variables, it is possible to get extremely close. Notable factors of Six Sigma include a focus on achieving measurable and quantifiable financial returns, encouraging strong and passionate management and performance, and making decisions based on verifiable data and statistical techniques.