第四十七篇 IsSix Sigma Dead
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IsSix Sigma Dead?六西格玛失灵了吗？If it is, how can we revive it?
假如是，我们如何才能使其复兴
by J. Bruce Weeks
In 50 Words Or Less
Six Sigma will fail without leadership commitment, an implementation strategy, correct accounting methods, cultural integration and decisions based on global optima. Instead of being one of the goals and objectives, implementation must be integrated. In addition, lean should precede Six Sigma.
如果没有领导层支持、没有执行战略、没有正确的会计处理方法，没有文化的融合和基于全球的最优决策，六西格玛就注定要失败。六西格玛不应只成为公司目标的一部分，而必须将目标和执行整合起来。此外，精益应在六西格玛之前导入。
There are reports from the field about the death of Six Sigma.1 The word is that it has been overused, has not brought its expected benefits and that newer methods, such as the theory of constraints and systems thinking, are replacing it.
有些现场报告指出六西格玛失灵了，这些报告指出，六西格玛被过度使用，没有带来预期收益，其他更新的办法如约束理论和系统思维，正在取代它。
A 2007 study from the consulting firm QualPro showed that 53 of 58 large companies that use Six Sigma have trailed the S&P 500 since they implemented it.2
咨询公司QualPro2007年的一项研究显示，使用六西格玛的58家大型公司中有53家在实施六西格玛以后，表现反而落后于标准普尔500指数。
The quality profession needs to examine the underlying root causes so we can repair the damage being done to Six Sigma’s reputation.
质量专业人士需要研究潜在的根本原因，来恢复六西格玛业已受损的声誉。
Diagnosing the problem
诊断问题
Six Sigma can fail for a variety of reasons:
造成六西格玛失败的可能原因有很多：
Lack of leadership strategy and commitment. Not enough leaders truly understand that Six Sigma is not an overnight savior. It takes time and work to achieve outstanding results.3, 4
领导层战略和投入不足。真正理解六西格玛不是一夜之间改变现状的救世主的领导者非常有限。实际上，想要取得杰出成果，需要时间和努力。
Too many leaders bought into what was called the "latest and greatest fad" in business process fixes, rolled out a Six Sigma program, trained everyone and now have up to 80% of their people working on projects to improve processes.5 This sort of Six Sigma undertaking can often take valuable resources away from launching new products and satisfying customers—core processes required to stay in business and make money year after year. In fact, companies must provide customer satisfaction as job No. 1.
太多领导者以所谓的业务流程“最新和最伟大的时尚”推出了六西格玛计划，培训所有员工，并要求高达80％的人做项目来改进业务流程。这样的六西格玛任务往往与上市新产品、提高客户满意度等长期以来产生持续收入的核心业务争夺宝贵资源。事实上，企业必须将提供客户满意作为自己的首要工作。
Many Six Sigma implementations were not integrated into the goals and objectives of companies, and Six Sigma simply became one of the goals and objectives.6The Six Sigma rollout wasn’t customerfocused7 or tied to the overall strategic plan for business-aligned cost reductions.
许多六西格玛执行没有融入到公司目标当中，而仅仅将六西格玛本身作为公司目标之一。六西格玛的开展没有聚焦于客户，或其成本削减工作与公司的整体战略计划相脱离。
Six Sigma tends to be applied to everything with this kind of an implementation plan. This dilutes the effort, and it is exactly what happened at Sun Microsystems.8The results take too long and are of poor quality, yielding low return on investment (ROI).9
这种执行计划下的六西格玛容易被应用到一切事务当中，反而冲淡了其成果，这正是Sum Microsystems所经历的——取得成果所花费的时间太长，质量差，投资回报率（ROI）低。
Six Sigma Black Belts (BB) end up focusing on small projects that have little risk and can be implemented very quickly, so any results achieved are minor at best.10A stigma grows around a program that takes so much resource application for so little gain. Sun eventually abandoned Six Sigma in most of its departments.11
最终，六西格玛黑带（BB）关注低风险、快速执行的小项目，然而取得的效果甚微。一个项目耗费了许多资源却获得如此少的收益。Sun公司的多数部门最终放弃了六西格玛。
Another problem occurs when leaders declare victory after using Six Sigma to solve one problem or one set of problems. The organization then decides to move on to the next "latest and greatest thing," usually lean.12, 13
另一个问题发生在领导人宣布六西格玛成功解决了一个或一系列问题之后。该组织决定前进到下一个“最新和最伟大的事情”——通常是精益。
The company leaders then launch a new initiative and their attentions are distracted from SixSigma.14 Enthusiasm wanes, no measures have been installed to keep the Six Sigma team on track, and empowerment of the BBs never happens. It is all over too quickly.
公司领导层随后将启动一个新倡导，他们的注意力就离开了六西格玛。热情消退，不再有测量六西格玛正常运转的评估，也从未真正授权黑带。一切都结束的太快。
Incorrect accounting methods. Most companies also suffer from using the wrong measures to determine Six Sigma results. Activity-based costing (ABC) and resource-consumption accounting (RCA)practices do not lend themselves to determining the value of a particular activity or resource to the revenue stream or customer satisfaction.15
不正确的会计处理方法。大多数公司因为使用了错误的测量方法来评估六西格玛的成果而深受其害。活动成本核算会计（ABC）和资源消耗会计（RCA）的做法不适用于确定如何将一个具体活动或资源体现到收入或客户满意度当中。
These organizations track only what it cost to do an activity or use a resource in aggregate, not by individual activity or whether the activity contributed to customer satisfaction.16 Poor management decisions result during cost cutting; layoffs cause loss of valuable company knowledge and whole sale elimination of plants because their performance is considered poor.
这些组织只跟踪它做一个活动的总成本，或累计使用的资源，而不追踪每一个活动的成本以及每个活动是否对客户满意度有贡献。因为绩效不尽如人意，削减成本过程中出现错误管理决策，裁员造成公司知识流失，工厂整体被出售。
Because both accounting methods focus on cost, they miss the value created by Six Sigma projects. They also report the value far too late to be of real use. That leaves them improving the non-value-added processes.17
由于两种会计处理方法都注重成本，他们未能抓住六西格玛项目所创造的价值。而且，报告对价值的呈现为时已晚，无法奏效。这使得人们改进的是非增值的业务流程。
Poor cultural integration. This results in projects that become randomly selected on a "that sounds good" basis. The leaders do not establish strategic goals and objectives that embrace Six Sigma, but instead merely add Six Sigma as agoal.18,19 Six Sigma projects are launched on their own perceived merits but have no company strategy to tie into except the Six Sigma goal itself.
糟糕的文化融合。糟糕的文化融合导致人们在“听起来不错”的基础上随机选择项目。领导者未能建立一个包含六西格玛的战略目标，而仅仅将六西格玛作为一个目标添加进来。六西格玛项目基于各自理解的优点展开，除了推行六西格玛本身以外，并没有结合公司的发展战略。
Local instead of global thinking. There is also a tendency to optimize local processes without thinking about the global impacts. Because projects tend to be handed out, they also tend to come with suggested root causes based on the leaders’ perceptions. This takes empowerment away from Black Belts to really dig in and determine a root cause.
本地思维替代全球性思维。还有一种倾向，是优化本地流程，却没有思考对全球的影响。由于项目要呈交，人们往往根据领导建议的根原因来做项目。这使得授权黑带来挖掘和确定真正的原因不太容易成为可能。
Because the leader’s perception of the answer already exists, there is a tendency for team members to be assigned to the BB before the real root cause has been determined. Without a true root cause, it cannot be known which subject matter experts will beneeded.20 The team then struggles because it doesn’t have the right people to solve the problem after it’s been taken to an actionable level.21
领导者的看法早已存在，这使得分配给黑带的团队在真正的根本原因确定之前就组建了。而实际上在得到真正的问题根源之前，是无法获知哪些流程专家需要加入团队的。因此项目团队将在进入行动阶段时没有合适的人来解决问题而苦苦挣扎。
Human issues. Companies often don’t plan Six Sigma initiatives well. It’s rolled out with lots of fanfare in fancy presentations to employees. Then the real work of training the Green Belts (GB)and BBs starts.
人的问题。企业往往没有很好地计划六西格玛的初创便在全体员工中大张旗鼓地启动。然后真正的绿带（GB）和黑带培训才开始。
The rest of the organization does not hear anything more about it for a few weeks—or months. The initial shine has been tarnished. Employees are asking, "Where are these big improvements I heard about?" and saying, "No one has asked me about what I think should be done!"
组织的其余部分人员在接下来的几个星期甚至几个月没有听到任何关于六西格玛的消息。最初启动的光芒逐渐消失。员工在问，“我听说的那些巨大改进都在哪里？”“没有人问过我哪些我认为应该被改进！”
The company’s culture has not been changed. GBs and BBs are not supported fully in their roles as change agents. Often, they have other jobs that demand their time and take away from their ability to continually scout for bottom-line opportunities. Lacking leadership commitment, Six Sigma will eventually stall.22
公司文化并未改变。绿带和黑带们作为变革推动者没有得到全力的支持。通常情况下，他们还要兼任其他占据时间的工作，这些工作消耗了他们不断探求改进利润机会的能力。缺乏领导层的投入，六西格玛最终将停止。
All of this leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Leaders don’t get the returns they expected, BBs aren’t empowered or are unable to realize their full potential, and the other Six Sigma team members wonder why they are spending time doing things that result in no real gain.
所有这一切给每个人留下了不好的感受。领导人没有得到他们预期的回报，黑带们没有被授权或无法充分发挥其潜力，其他六西格玛团队成员不知道他们为什么花时间做了事情，却没有真正的收获。
Even worse, the control systems that may have been installed are ignored, and everything goes back to business as usual.
更糟的是，已经建立的控制系统被忽视，一切又恢复到原来的模样。
The cure
治愈
There is a better way, often using methods that have worked at other organizations.
有一种更好的方式，就是运用在其他组织业已获得成功的方法。
Leadership commitment and strategy. To make Six Sigma a useful tool again, first an organization needs to create strategic business goals and objectives that embrace Six Sigma thinking instead of trying to add it as a separate goal or objective. All goals and objectives must be customer focused and provide value.
领导层的投入和战略。为了使六西格玛重新成为一个有用的工具，首先组织需要创建一个融入六西格玛的业务战略目标，而不仅是试图添加它作为一个单独的目标。所有的目标，必须以客户为中心，并产生价值。
Key critical-to-quality drivers—such as cost, new product introductions and market share—must be determined based on those goals and objectives. The real key to making this work is to realize that what is measured will be worked on.23
关键的关键驱动，如成本、新产品推出和市场共享——必须建立在这些目标基础上。这项工作的关键是要认识到，能测量的才能被改进。
Be careful what measurements you choose to monitor the improvements and what you tie bonuses to. If you aren’t careful, you will get exactly what you asked for at the sacrifice of almost everything else.
仔细选择监测改进的指标和与之相配合的奖金。如果不小心，你会得到你想要的，但却以牺牲几乎所有为代价。
A better approach would be to take a lesson from 3M, which trained most of its staff and launched Six Sigma projects everywhere.24 When George Buckley came on board as the new CEO nearly five years later, he quickly realized that an overemphasis on Six Sigma had completely stifled creativity within an organization built on innovation.
一个更好的办法是汲取3M公司的教训（在一切可能的情况下，开展培训和六西格玛项目）。当新首席执行官乔治•巴克利上任近5年后，他很快意识到，过分强调六个西格玛已经完全扼杀了这个建立在研发基础上的组织的内在创造力。
"While process excellence demands precision, consistency, and repetition, innovation calls for variation, failure, and serendipity," said Brian Hindo, corporate strategies editorat BusinessWeek in an article about the 3M experience.25
“卓越流程的要求精度，一致性和重复；创新要求变化，失败和意外发现，”布赖恩•西多在《商业周刊》公司战略版的一篇文章中介绍3M经验时说。
Hindo explained that Buckley set up a format in which workers could seek funding from several sources, and the company allowed employees to use 15% of their time to pursue independent projects. This approach encourages risk taking.
布赖恩•西多解释说，巴克利建立了一个模式：工人可以从多个来源寻求资金，公司允许员工用15％的时间，追求独立的项目。这种做法是鼓励冒险的。
Compare this with 3M’s initial launch of Six Sigma, when employees were required to have a minimum number of Six Sigma projects per year and routinely complete charts on commercial potential, market size and manufacturing concerns. Data-driven decisions created an environment in which "incremental work took precedence over blue-sky research."26
对比3M公司首次推出的六西格玛时，员工被要求每年至少完成若干项目，例行完成商业潜力、市场规模和制造关心的问题的图表。数据驱动式决策创造了这样一个环境——增长优先于漫无边际的创新研究。
In another example of total commitment to keep Six Sigma efforts at the forefront, General Electric (GE) ensured it got top-down commitment by linking 40% of each top management bonus to successful implementation of Six Sigma goals.
通用电气（GE）是六西格玛实践的又一例证。GE通过将每个高层管理人员奖金的40％联系到六西格玛目标的实施，确保了自上而下的投入。
This was in addition to requiring all exempt employees to train intensively in Six Sigma methods and complete a project. Further, becoming a GB was a minimum requirement for promotion of anyemployee.27 Driving Six Sigma from the top down by linking remuneration to its success ensures it will be used effectively.
这建立在要求所有员工集中培训六西格玛方法并完成一个项目的基础上。此外，成为一个绿带是员工获得晋升的最低要求。从上至下推动六西格玛与薪酬联系起来，确保其切实贯彻。
Accounting methods. A better financial reporting system needs to be added to capture the improvements early. Financial measures using ABC and RCA accounting will most likely be useful only for overall company health (macro level) and should not be used to track process improvement (micro level).
会计处理方法。六西格玛需要更好的财务报告体系来尽早把握改善成果。使用活动核算会计（ABC）和资源消耗会计（RCA）仅适用于公司的整体健康（宏观层面），而不应被用来追踪过程改进（微观层面）。
Most financial measures are too slow and too aggregated to determine those micro-level improvements. ABC and RCA accounting systems both track costs that are effects, not causes.28
大多数的财务指标太晚，而且是总体衡量，不足以确定这些微观层面的改善。活动核算成本法（ABC）和资源消耗会计法（RCA）追踪结果的成本，而不是原因的成本。
It may be better to take a lesson from lean in this instance. For example, the Wiremold Co. measures at the production cell level.29
这里向精益学习也许有效。例如Wiremold有限公司在生产单元间层面进行测量。
Wiremold posts charts and graphs with trend analyses at the cells and uses measurements shown in Table 1. None of these measurements are financial. All are customer focused, operations driven and reflect global rather than local optima.30 Table 1 shows a perfect combination of value-to-the-customer determination and, ultimately, value to the organization.
Wiremold在工作间发布趋势分析图表（表1）。这些指标不是财务指标，而是以客户为中心、运营驱动以及全球化（而非本地化）的指标，展示了客户价值和组织价值的完美结合。
注意：填充率意思是订单完成并未发生延期交货的项目COGS = cost of goods soldFIFO = 先进先出库存管理法5CS = 类似于5SŸ 整理Ÿ 整顿Ÿ 清扫Ÿ 清洁Ÿ 素养
Culturalintegration. At GE, all Six Sigma projects are tied to a strategic businessgoal as a prerequisite.31 This ensures the organization is working on the rightprojects. And with the executive bonuses tied in, employees will get the timethey need to actually work on projects.
文化的融合。在GE，与一个战略业务目标保持一致是所有六西格玛项目的先决条件，确保组织专注于那些正确的项目。配合总裁奖金，员工有时间来完成他们的项目工作。
When an organization has goals and objectives with appropriate measures thatcan quickly and accurately reveal the results of improvement efforts, it mustdetermine a project-selection process. All improvement projects must then meetseveral criteria:
当目标明确并具备适当的措施来快速、准确地揭示改进的结果时，组织需要确定一个项目的选择机制。所有的改进项目，必须满足以下几个条件：
Have a project charter that clearly defines the scope.
Have an assigned leader and tentative team.32
Have an expected timeline for completion.
Have an expected ROI that meets company goals.
Have prioritization determination factors that include risk tolerance, productivityenhancements, added profits and revenue, and cost avoidance.33
一个明确界定了项目范围的项目章程。
一个指定的项目领导者和暂定的团队。
一个项目预期完成的时间表。
一个预期的满足公司目标的投资回报率。
决定因素的优先顺序，包括风险承受能力，生产力提高，增加利润和收入，回避成本等。
With these criteria and a clear understanding of resource availability, theexecutive team can make informed decisions about which projects move forwardnow and which will be placed in the parking lot for potential implementationlater.34 Organizations should work on the 4% of problems that cause 50% of theissues.35 Give the BBs projects that state the objective, not a ready-madeanswer.
随着这些标准和对资源可用性的清醒认识，高级管理团队可以做出明智的决策——哪些项目应该立即推动向前发展，哪些项目将暂时放置作为日后改进的潜在目标。组织应解决那些引发了50％问题的约4%的难题。给黑带们的项目定目标，而不是一个现成的答案。
The addition of lean to the Six Sigma processes to create lean Six Sigma (LSS)makes so much sense that not doing it seems unimaginable. This combination oftwo methods to reduce waste first, eliminate defects and improve the remainingnecessary processes is powerful.
将精益加入六西格玛流程，创建精益六西格玛（LSS）非常有意义，以至于无法想象不这么做的理由。这两种方法的结合非常强大，首先减少浪费，然后降低缺陷率，对保留下来的必要流程进行改进。
It is also important to continuously set new goals and objectives as LSS beginsto deliver results. Today’s 110% is tomorrow’s 95%. This will avoid complacencythat tends to set in after a goal has been achieved, particularly if it was adifficult project.36 Don’t forget to provide recognition for those who securedthat hard-fought victory.
同样重要的是，当LSS开始取得成果后，要不断设置新的目标。今天的110%，就是明天的95%。这将避免实现一个目标后带来的自满，尤其是在完成一个艰难的项目后。不要忘记认可那些为确保项目胜利付出艰辛努力的人们。
Local vs. global optima. A better example of linking local to global optima isfound again at Wiremold.
本地与全球最优解。Wiremold再次提供了一个本地和全球连接的最优解的例子。
Wiremold’s measurements at the production cell level are shown in Table 2.Referring to Table 1, the production cell-level measures derive directly fromthe company-level measurements. The measurements are how the strategic goalsand objectives are decided on and are nearly immediate, while a cost-accountingmeasurement would be at least one month late.
Wiremold在生产间水平的量表如表2所示。参考表1，生产间水平测量直接来自公司级的测量。测量的内容即如何决定战略目标，以及立即的结果（成本会计测量则将至少一个月迟）。
Again, thesefactory-floor measurement shave no direct financial data connection becausecosts are effects, not causes. Wiremold looks at causes daily, and each workercan see the effect of his or her work and react immediately if things seem tobe going astray. Measurements of this type can be easily automated.37同样，这些工厂的基本测量与财务数据没有直接联系，因为成本只是结果而非原因。 Wiremold每天都在查找原因，每个工人可以看到他或她的工作的影响，如果事情似乎开起来不太正常，他们可以立刻做出反应。这种类型的测量可以很容易地自动进行。
Humanissues. All employees needto know about an LSS initiative, but not all need full GB or BB training. It’sOK if most are White Belts or Yellow Belts. You don’t need 80% of your people workingon 20% of the organization’s problems. Stay focused on what the company doesthat makes money.人的问题。所有员工都需要了解一个LSS的启动，但不是所有人都需要完整的绿带或黑带培训。大部分员工是白带或黄带是很正常的。你不需要80％的员工去解决20％的组织问题。而是需要他们保持关注为公司赚钱的业务。
Reward andrecognize improvement teams. Companyfunctions, newsletters and other house organs should proudly announce the benefitsachieved and directly recognize team members and leaders. Team outings or aline item in the company yearly reports are also good recognition methods thatwill build team morale and engage the organization more completely.
奖励和表扬改善小组。公司大会、简报和其他内部报刊应该自豪地宣布项目取得的效益，并直接认可项目团队成员和领导者。团队外出，或在该公司的年度报告作为一行项目列出都是很好的认可方法，这些将建立团队的士气，更彻底地激励团队。
But recognition needs to be even more than that. When an employee makes it toBB and does a good job, the company needs to find a way to provide advancementopportunities. Being a Black Belt cannot be the end of the line.但需要认可的远不止于此。当雇员成功成为黑带并做的不错时，公司需要找到一种方法来提供晋升机会。黑带并不是终点。
If a company istruly dedicated to LSS, a separate department might be created to actively seekout improvement projects without the encumbrances of other tasks more directlyrelated to the product or service.中文(简体)如果一家公司真正致力于LSS，可能会创建一个独立的部门，来积极找出改进项目，而不受其他与产品或服务更直接相关的任务的妨碍。
This can provide enterprise wide leadership pof LSS and will give the company atotal focus on LSS and the ability to truly seek LSS opportunities, developwell-thought-out projects for the executive team to prioritize, assemble itsteams and implement theimprovement.38 Further, there would be a place forrewarding the successful LSS BB or Master BB with supervisory positions.这将可以提供企业层面的LSS的领导力，使公司专注LSS，寻求真正的LSS机会，开发高级领导团队深思熟虑的项目，组合团队实施改进。进一步，这将为黑带和黑带大师提供监督管理职能的职位。
Revive SixSigma复兴六西格玛Six Sigma alone isnot enough anymore because you "would not want to drive process performanceto a Six Sigmalevel—3.4 defects per one million opportunities—for a fat andsloppy process with all sorts of unnecessary redo loops."39 Only if weeliminate the waste first can we truly improve the processes under study.因为不寄希望于将一个充斥着返工的臃肿、邋遢的流程的绩效表现提高到六西格玛水平（每百万分之3.4个缺陷），所以单独运用六西格玛已经远远不够，只有首先消除浪费，我们才能通过分析真正改进业务流程。
But here we need to be careful yet again. Toyota has been in the news a lotlately for what some call an overly strict adherence to lean thinking. Lean isbeing blamed for the issues and recalls Toyota has experienced.但在这里我们要再次小心。丰田最近经常被报道过于严格遵守精益思想——精益是被指责为丰田争议和召回的原因。
You can’t build a house with only a carpenter’s toolbox; among others, you needconcrete tools and electrician’s tools. Similarly, to build a better process,an organization must use tools from all the quality toolboxes, including lean,Six Sigma and total quality management. And the tool used must be appropriateto the situation.你不能只有一个木匠的工具箱建立一套房子；你需要水泥工具和电工工具。同样，建设一个更好的流程，组织必须使用所有的质量工具箱，包括精益，六西格玛和全面质量管理的工具。所用的工具，必须适合当时的情况。
With changes to an organization’s way of thinking, an LSS effort can now be apart of a normative business system for the long haul.40 Select key driversthat are customer focused and have clear key success factors. An organizationwill be managing to value, not cost. That way, financial reporting will beconsistent and timely, and global goals and objectives will be supported.41随着组织思维方式的转变，LSS的成果可以作为企业长期业务系统规范的一部分。选择以客户为中心的关键驱动力和成功的关键因素。任何组织应该管理价值，而不是成本。这样，财务报告将是一致的、及时的；全球目标也将得到支持。
41 By following theseguidelines, we can revive a valuable tool set that will be used at the righttime and in the right place to be of great benefit to organizations and theircustomers.遵循这些准则，我们可以复兴一套宝贵的工具，在合适的时间和地点运用它们，将为对组织和组织的客户带来巨大的效益。
**你好，我是小编H。请对以下文章有校稿兴趣的组员留下你的预计完成时间，并发短信息联系小编H，以便小编登记翻译者信息以及文章最终完成时的奖惩工作。感谢支持翻译组！
提供者：Liphking 翻译者：wangchunchun 校稿者：zzzelva
IsSix Sigma Dead?六西格玛失灵了吗？If it is, how can we revive it?
假如是，我们如何才能使其复兴
by J. Bruce Weeks
In 50 Words Or Less
Six Sigma will fail without leadership commitment, an implementation strategy, correct accounting methods, cultural integration and decisions based on global optima. Instead of being one of the goals and objectives, implementation must be integrated. In addition, lean should precede Six Sigma.
如果没有领导层支持、没有执行战略、没有正确的会计处理方法，没有文化的融合和基于全球的最优决策，六西格玛就注定要失败。六西格玛不应只成为公司目标的一部分，而必须将目标和执行整合起来。此外，精益应在六西格玛之前导入。
There are reports from the field about the death of Six Sigma.1 The word is that it has been overused, has not brought its expected benefits and that newer methods, such as the theory of constraints and systems thinking, are replacing it.
有些现场报告指出六西格玛失灵了，这些报告指出，六西格玛被过度使用，没有带来预期收益，其他更新的办法如约束理论和系统思维，正在取代它。
A 2007 study from the consulting firm QualPro showed that 53 of 58 large companies that use Six Sigma have trailed the S&P 500 since they implemented it.2
咨询公司QualPro2007年的一项研究显示，使用六西格玛的58家大型公司中有53家在实施六西格玛以后，表现反而落后于标准普尔500指数。
The quality profession needs to examine the underlying root causes so we can repair the damage being done to Six Sigma’s reputation.
质量专业人士需要研究潜在的根本原因，来恢复六西格玛业已受损的声誉。
Diagnosing the problem
诊断问题
Six Sigma can fail for a variety of reasons:
造成六西格玛失败的可能原因有很多：
Lack of leadership strategy and commitment. Not enough leaders truly understand that Six Sigma is not an overnight savior. It takes time and work to achieve outstanding results.3, 4
领导层战略和投入不足。真正理解六西格玛不是一夜之间改变现状的救世主的领导者非常有限。实际上，想要取得杰出成果，需要时间和努力。
Too many leaders bought into what was called the "latest and greatest fad" in business process fixes, rolled out a Six Sigma program, trained everyone and now have up to 80% of their people working on projects to improve processes.5 This sort of Six Sigma undertaking can often take valuable resources away from launching new products and satisfying customers—core processes required to stay in business and make money year after year. In fact, companies must provide customer satisfaction as job No. 1.
太多领导者以所谓的业务流程“最新和最伟大的时尚”推出了六西格玛计划，培训所有员工，并要求高达80％的人做项目来改进业务流程。这样的六西格玛任务往往与上市新产品、提高客户满意度等长期以来产生持续收入的核心业务争夺宝贵资源。事实上，企业必须将提供客户满意作为自己的首要工作。
Many Six Sigma implementations were not integrated into the goals and objectives of companies, and Six Sigma simply became one of the goals and objectives.6The Six Sigma rollout wasn’t customerfocused7 or tied to the overall strategic plan for business-aligned cost reductions.
许多六西格玛执行没有融入到公司目标当中，而仅仅将六西格玛本身作为公司目标之一。六西格玛的开展没有聚焦于客户，或其成本削减工作与公司的整体战略计划相脱离。
Six Sigma tends to be applied to everything with this kind of an implementation plan. This dilutes the effort, and it is exactly what happened at Sun Microsystems.8The results take too long and are of poor quality, yielding low return on investment (ROI).9
这种执行计划下的六西格玛容易被应用到一切事务当中，反而冲淡了其成果，这正是Sum Microsystems所经历的——取得成果所花费的时间太长，质量差，投资回报率（ROI）低。
Six Sigma Black Belts (BB) end up focusing on small projects that have little risk and can be implemented very quickly, so any results achieved are minor at best.10A stigma grows around a program that takes so much resource application for so little gain. Sun eventually abandoned Six Sigma in most of its departments.11
最终，六西格玛黑带（BB）关注低风险、快速执行的小项目，然而取得的效果甚微。一个项目耗费了许多资源却获得如此少的收益。Sun公司的多数部门最终放弃了六西格玛。
Another problem occurs when leaders declare victory after using Six Sigma to solve one problem or one set of problems. The organization then decides to move on to the next "latest and greatest thing," usually lean.12, 13
另一个问题发生在领导人宣布六西格玛成功解决了一个或一系列问题之后。该组织决定前进到下一个“最新和最伟大的事情”——通常是精益。
The company leaders then launch a new initiative and their attentions are distracted from SixSigma.14 Enthusiasm wanes, no measures have been installed to keep the Six Sigma team on track, and empowerment of the BBs never happens. It is all over too quickly.
公司领导层随后将启动一个新倡导，他们的注意力就离开了六西格玛。热情消退，不再有测量六西格玛正常运转的评估，也从未真正授权黑带。一切都结束的太快。
Incorrect accounting methods. Most companies also suffer from using the wrong measures to determine Six Sigma results. Activity-based costing (ABC) and resource-consumption accounting (RCA)practices do not lend themselves to determining the value of a particular activity or resource to the revenue stream or customer satisfaction.15
不正确的会计处理方法。大多数公司因为使用了错误的测量方法来评估六西格玛的成果而深受其害。活动成本核算会计（ABC）和资源消耗会计（RCA）的做法不适用于确定如何将一个具体活动或资源体现到收入或客户满意度当中。
These organizations track only what it cost to do an activity or use a resource in aggregate, not by individual activity or whether the activity contributed to customer satisfaction.16 Poor management decisions result during cost cutting; layoffs cause loss of valuable company knowledge and whole sale elimination of plants because their performance is considered poor.
这些组织只跟踪它做一个活动的总成本，或累计使用的资源，而不追踪每一个活动的成本以及每个活动是否对客户满意度有贡献。因为绩效不尽如人意，削减成本过程中出现错误管理决策，裁员造成公司知识流失，工厂整体被出售。
Because both accounting methods focus on cost, they miss the value created by Six Sigma projects. They also report the value far too late to be of real use. That leaves them improving the non-value-added processes.17
由于两种会计处理方法都注重成本，他们未能抓住六西格玛项目所创造的价值。而且，报告对价值的呈现为时已晚，无法奏效。这使得人们改进的是非增值的业务流程。
Poor cultural integration. This results in projects that become randomly selected on a "that sounds good" basis. The leaders do not establish strategic goals and objectives that embrace Six Sigma, but instead merely add Six Sigma as agoal.18,19 Six Sigma projects are launched on their own perceived merits but have no company strategy to tie into except the Six Sigma goal itself.
糟糕的文化融合。糟糕的文化融合导致人们在“听起来不错”的基础上随机选择项目。领导者未能建立一个包含六西格玛的战略目标，而仅仅将六西格玛作为一个目标添加进来。六西格玛项目基于各自理解的优点展开，除了推行六西格玛本身以外，并没有结合公司的发展战略。
Local instead of global thinking. There is also a tendency to optimize local processes without thinking about the global impacts. Because projects tend to be handed out, they also tend to come with suggested root causes based on the leaders’ perceptions. This takes empowerment away from Black Belts to really dig in and determine a root cause.
本地思维替代全球性思维。还有一种倾向，是优化本地流程，却没有思考对全球的影响。由于项目要呈交，人们往往根据领导建议的根原因来做项目。这使得授权黑带来挖掘和确定真正的原因不太容易成为可能。
Because the leader’s perception of the answer already exists, there is a tendency for team members to be assigned to the BB before the real root cause has been determined. Without a true root cause, it cannot be known which subject matter experts will beneeded.20 The team then struggles because it doesn’t have the right people to solve the problem after it’s been taken to an actionable level.21
领导者的看法早已存在，这使得分配给黑带的团队在真正的根本原因确定之前就组建了。而实际上在得到真正的问题根源之前，是无法获知哪些流程专家需要加入团队的。因此项目团队将在进入行动阶段时没有合适的人来解决问题而苦苦挣扎。
Human issues. Companies often don’t plan Six Sigma initiatives well. It’s rolled out with lots of fanfare in fancy presentations to employees. Then the real work of training the Green Belts (GB)and BBs starts.
人的问题。企业往往没有很好地计划六西格玛的初创便在全体员工中大张旗鼓地启动。然后真正的绿带（GB）和黑带培训才开始。
The rest of the organization does not hear anything more about it for a few weeks—or months. The initial shine has been tarnished. Employees are asking, "Where are these big improvements I heard about?" and saying, "No one has asked me about what I think should be done!"
组织的其余部分人员在接下来的几个星期甚至几个月没有听到任何关于六西格玛的消息。最初启动的光芒逐渐消失。员工在问，“我听说的那些巨大改进都在哪里？”“没有人问过我哪些我认为应该被改进！”
The company’s culture has not been changed. GBs and BBs are not supported fully in their roles as change agents. Often, they have other jobs that demand their time and take away from their ability to continually scout for bottom-line opportunities. Lacking leadership commitment, Six Sigma will eventually stall.22
公司文化并未改变。绿带和黑带们作为变革推动者没有得到全力的支持。通常情况下，他们还要兼任其他占据时间的工作，这些工作消耗了他们不断探求改进利润机会的能力。缺乏领导层的投入，六西格玛最终将停止。
All of this leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Leaders don’t get the returns they expected, BBs aren’t empowered or are unable to realize their full potential, and the other Six Sigma team members wonder why they are spending time doing things that result in no real gain.
所有这一切给每个人留下了不好的感受。领导人没有得到他们预期的回报，黑带们没有被授权或无法充分发挥其潜力，其他六西格玛团队成员不知道他们为什么花时间做了事情，却没有真正的收获。
Even worse, the control systems that may have been installed are ignored, and everything goes back to business as usual.
更糟的是，已经建立的控制系统被忽视，一切又恢复到原来的模样。
The cure
治愈
There is a better way, often using methods that have worked at other organizations.
有一种更好的方式，就是运用在其他组织业已获得成功的方法。
Leadership commitment and strategy. To make Six Sigma a useful tool again, first an organization needs to create strategic business goals and objectives that embrace Six Sigma thinking instead of trying to add it as a separate goal or objective. All goals and objectives must be customer focused and provide value.
领导层的投入和战略。为了使六西格玛重新成为一个有用的工具，首先组织需要创建一个融入六西格玛的业务战略目标，而不仅是试图添加它作为一个单独的目标。所有的目标，必须以客户为中心，并产生价值。
Key critical-to-quality drivers—such as cost, new product introductions and market share—must be determined based on those goals and objectives. The real key to making this work is to realize that what is measured will be worked on.23
关键的关键驱动，如成本、新产品推出和市场共享——必须建立在这些目标基础上。这项工作的关键是要认识到，能测量的才能被改进。
Be careful what measurements you choose to monitor the improvements and what you tie bonuses to. If you aren’t careful, you will get exactly what you asked for at the sacrifice of almost everything else.
仔细选择监测改进的指标和与之相配合的奖金。如果不小心，你会得到你想要的，但却以牺牲几乎所有为代价。
A better approach would be to take a lesson from 3M, which trained most of its staff and launched Six Sigma projects everywhere.24 When George Buckley came on board as the new CEO nearly five years later, he quickly realized that an overemphasis on Six Sigma had completely stifled creativity within an organization built on innovation.
一个更好的办法是汲取3M公司的教训（在一切可能的情况下，开展培训和六西格玛项目）。当新首席执行官乔治•巴克利上任近5年后，他很快意识到，过分强调六个西格玛已经完全扼杀了这个建立在研发基础上的组织的内在创造力。
"While process excellence demands precision, consistency, and repetition, innovation calls for variation, failure, and serendipity," said Brian Hindo, corporate strategies editorat BusinessWeek in an article about the 3M experience.25
“卓越流程的要求精度，一致性和重复；创新要求变化，失败和意外发现，”布赖恩•西多在《商业周刊》公司战略版的一篇文章中介绍3M经验时说。
Hindo explained that Buckley set up a format in which workers could seek funding from several sources, and the company allowed employees to use 15% of their time to pursue independent projects. This approach encourages risk taking.
布赖恩•西多解释说，巴克利建立了一个模式：工人可以从多个来源寻求资金，公司允许员工用15％的时间，追求独立的项目。这种做法是鼓励冒险的。
Compare this with 3M’s initial launch of Six Sigma, when employees were required to have a minimum number of Six Sigma projects per year and routinely complete charts on commercial potential, market size and manufacturing concerns. Data-driven decisions created an environment in which "incremental work took precedence over blue-sky research."26
对比3M公司首次推出的六西格玛时，员工被要求每年至少完成若干项目，例行完成商业潜力、市场规模和制造关心的问题的图表。数据驱动式决策创造了这样一个环境——增长优先于漫无边际的创新研究。
In another example of total commitment to keep Six Sigma efforts at the forefront, General Electric (GE) ensured it got top-down commitment by linking 40% of each top management bonus to successful implementation of Six Sigma goals.
通用电气（GE）是六西格玛实践的又一例证。GE通过将每个高层管理人员奖金的40％联系到六西格玛目标的实施，确保了自上而下的投入。
This was in addition to requiring all exempt employees to train intensively in Six Sigma methods and complete a project. Further, becoming a GB was a minimum requirement for promotion of anyemployee.27 Driving Six Sigma from the top down by linking remuneration to its success ensures it will be used effectively.
这建立在要求所有员工集中培训六西格玛方法并完成一个项目的基础上。此外，成为一个绿带是员工获得晋升的最低要求。从上至下推动六西格玛与薪酬联系起来，确保其切实贯彻。
Accounting methods. A better financial reporting system needs to be added to capture the improvements early. Financial measures using ABC and RCA accounting will most likely be useful only for overall company health (macro level) and should not be used to track process improvement (micro level).
会计处理方法。六西格玛需要更好的财务报告体系来尽早把握改善成果。使用活动核算会计（ABC）和资源消耗会计（RCA）仅适用于公司的整体健康（宏观层面），而不应被用来追踪过程改进（微观层面）。
Most financial measures are too slow and too aggregated to determine those micro-level improvements. ABC and RCA accounting systems both track costs that are effects, not causes.28
大多数的财务指标太晚，而且是总体衡量，不足以确定这些微观层面的改善。活动核算成本法（ABC）和资源消耗会计法（RCA）追踪结果的成本，而不是原因的成本。
It may be better to take a lesson from lean in this instance. For example, the Wiremold Co. measures at the production cell level.29
这里向精益学习也许有效。例如Wiremold有限公司在生产单元间层面进行测量。
Wiremold posts charts and graphs with trend analyses at the cells and uses measurements shown in Table 1. None of these measurements are financial. All are customer focused, operations driven and reflect global rather than local optima.30 Table 1 shows a perfect combination of value-to-the-customer determination and, ultimately, value to the organization.
Wiremold在工作间发布趋势分析图表（表1）。这些指标不是财务指标，而是以客户为中心、运营驱动以及全球化（而非本地化）的指标，展示了客户价值和组织价值的完美结合。
注意：填充率意思是订单完成并未发生延期交货的项目COGS = cost of goods soldFIFO = 先进先出库存管理法5CS = 类似于5SŸ 整理Ÿ 整顿Ÿ 清扫Ÿ 清洁Ÿ 素养
Culturalintegration. At GE, all Six Sigma projects are tied to a strategic businessgoal as a prerequisite.31 This ensures the organization is working on the rightprojects. And with the executive bonuses tied in, employees will get the timethey need to actually work on projects.
文化的融合。在GE，与一个战略业务目标保持一致是所有六西格玛项目的先决条件，确保组织专注于那些正确的项目。配合总裁奖金，员工有时间来完成他们的项目工作。
When an organization has goals and objectives with appropriate measures thatcan quickly and accurately reveal the results of improvement efforts, it mustdetermine a project-selection process. All improvement projects must then meetseveral criteria:
当目标明确并具备适当的措施来快速、准确地揭示改进的结果时，组织需要确定一个项目的选择机制。所有的改进项目，必须满足以下几个条件：
Have a project charter that clearly defines the scope.
Have an assigned leader and tentative team.32
Have an expected timeline for completion.
Have an expected ROI that meets company goals.
Have prioritization determination factors that include risk tolerance, productivityenhancements, added profits and revenue, and cost avoidance.33
一个明确界定了项目范围的项目章程。
一个指定的项目领导者和暂定的团队。
一个项目预期完成的时间表。
一个预期的满足公司目标的投资回报率。
决定因素的优先顺序，包括风险承受能力，生产力提高，增加利润和收入，回避成本等。
With these criteria and a clear understanding of resource availability, theexecutive team can make informed decisions about which projects move forwardnow and which will be placed in the parking lot for potential implementationlater.34 Organizations should work on the 4% of problems that cause 50% of theissues.35 Give the BBs projects that state the objective, not a ready-madeanswer.
随着这些标准和对资源可用性的清醒认识，高级管理团队可以做出明智的决策——哪些项目应该立即推动向前发展，哪些项目将暂时放置作为日后改进的潜在目标。组织应解决那些引发了50％问题的约4%的难题。给黑带们的项目定目标，而不是一个现成的答案。
The addition of lean to the Six Sigma processes to create lean Six Sigma (LSS)makes so much sense that not doing it seems unimaginable. This combination oftwo methods to reduce waste first, eliminate defects and improve the remainingnecessary processes is powerful.
将精益加入六西格玛流程，创建精益六西格玛（LSS）非常有意义，以至于无法想象不这么做的理由。这两种方法的结合非常强大，首先减少浪费，然后降低缺陷率，对保留下来的必要流程进行改进。
It is also important to continuously set new goals and objectives as LSS beginsto deliver results. Today’s 110% is tomorrow’s 95%. This will avoid complacencythat tends to set in after a goal has been achieved, particularly if it was adifficult project.36 Don’t forget to provide recognition for those who securedthat hard-fought victory.
同样重要的是，当LSS开始取得成果后，要不断设置新的目标。今天的110%，就是明天的95%。这将避免实现一个目标后带来的自满，尤其是在完成一个艰难的项目后。不要忘记认可那些为确保项目胜利付出艰辛努力的人们。
Local vs. global optima. A better example of linking local to global optima isfound again at Wiremold.
本地与全球最优解。Wiremold再次提供了一个本地和全球连接的最优解的例子。
Wiremold’s measurements at the production cell level are shown in Table 2.Referring to Table 1, the production cell-level measures derive directly fromthe company-level measurements. The measurements are how the strategic goalsand objectives are decided on and are nearly immediate, while a cost-accountingmeasurement would be at least one month late.
Wiremold在生产间水平的量表如表2所示。参考表1，生产间水平测量直接来自公司级的测量。测量的内容即如何决定战略目标，以及立即的结果（成本会计测量则将至少一个月迟）。
Again, thesefactory-floor measurement shave no direct financial data connection becausecosts are effects, not causes. Wiremold looks at causes daily, and each workercan see the effect of his or her work and react immediately if things seem tobe going astray. Measurements of this type can be easily automated.37同样，这些工厂的基本测量与财务数据没有直接联系，因为成本只是结果而非原因。 Wiremold每天都在查找原因，每个工人可以看到他或她的工作的影响，如果事情似乎开起来不太正常，他们可以立刻做出反应。这种类型的测量可以很容易地自动进行。
Humanissues. All employees needto know about an LSS initiative, but not all need full GB or BB training. It’sOK if most are White Belts or Yellow Belts. You don’t need 80% of your people workingon 20% of the organization’s problems. Stay focused on what the company doesthat makes money.人的问题。所有员工都需要了解一个LSS的启动，但不是所有人都需要完整的绿带或黑带培训。大部分员工是白带或黄带是很正常的。你不需要80％的员工去解决20％的组织问题。而是需要他们保持关注为公司赚钱的业务。
Reward andrecognize improvement teams. Companyfunctions, newsletters and other house organs should proudly announce the benefitsachieved and directly recognize team members and leaders. Team outings or aline item in the company yearly reports are also good recognition methods thatwill build team morale and engage the organization more completely.
奖励和表扬改善小组。公司大会、简报和其他内部报刊应该自豪地宣布项目取得的效益，并直接认可项目团队成员和领导者。团队外出，或在该公司的年度报告作为一行项目列出都是很好的认可方法，这些将建立团队的士气，更彻底地激励团队。
But recognition needs to be even more than that. When an employee makes it toBB and does a good job, the company needs to find a way to provide advancementopportunities. Being a Black Belt cannot be the end of the line.但需要认可的远不止于此。当雇员成功成为黑带并做的不错时，公司需要找到一种方法来提供晋升机会。黑带并不是终点。
If a company istruly dedicated to LSS, a separate department might be created to actively seekout improvement projects without the encumbrances of other tasks more directlyrelated to the product or service.中文(简体)如果一家公司真正致力于LSS，可能会创建一个独立的部门，来积极找出改进项目，而不受其他与产品或服务更直接相关的任务的妨碍。
This can provide enterprise wide leadership pof LSS and will give the company atotal focus on LSS and the ability to truly seek LSS opportunities, developwell-thought-out projects for the executive team to prioritize, assemble itsteams and implement theimprovement.38 Further, there would be a place forrewarding the successful LSS BB or Master BB with supervisory positions.这将可以提供企业层面的LSS的领导力，使公司专注LSS，寻求真正的LSS机会，开发高级领导团队深思熟虑的项目，组合团队实施改进。进一步，这将为黑带和黑带大师提供监督管理职能的职位。
Revive SixSigma复兴六西格玛Six Sigma alone isnot enough anymore because you "would not want to drive process performanceto a Six Sigmalevel—3.4 defects per one million opportunities—for a fat andsloppy process with all sorts of unnecessary redo loops."39 Only if weeliminate the waste first can we truly improve the processes under study.因为不寄希望于将一个充斥着返工的臃肿、邋遢的流程的绩效表现提高到六西格玛水平（每百万分之3.4个缺陷），所以单独运用六西格玛已经远远不够，只有首先消除浪费，我们才能通过分析真正改进业务流程。
But here we need to be careful yet again. Toyota has been in the news a lotlately for what some call an overly strict adherence to lean thinking. Lean isbeing blamed for the issues and recalls Toyota has experienced.但在这里我们要再次小心。丰田最近经常被报道过于严格遵守精益思想——精益是被指责为丰田争议和召回的原因。
You can’t build a house with only a carpenter’s toolbox; among others, you needconcrete tools and electrician’s tools. Similarly, to build a better process,an organization must use tools from all the quality toolboxes, including lean,Six Sigma and total quality management. And the tool used must be appropriateto the situation.你不能只有一个木匠的工具箱建立一套房子；你需要水泥工具和电工工具。同样，建设一个更好的流程，组织必须使用所有的质量工具箱，包括精益，六西格玛和全面质量管理的工具。所用的工具，必须适合当时的情况。
With changes to an organization’s way of thinking, an LSS effort can now be apart of a normative business system for the long haul.40 Select key driversthat are customer focused and have clear key success factors. An organizationwill be managing to value, not cost. That way, financial reporting will beconsistent and timely, and global goals and objectives will be supported.41随着组织思维方式的转变，LSS的成果可以作为企业长期业务系统规范的一部分。选择以客户为中心的关键驱动力和成功的关键因素。任何组织应该管理价值，而不是成本。这样，财务报告将是一致的、及时的；全球目标也将得到支持。
41 By following theseguidelines, we can revive a valuable tool set that will be used at the righttime and in the right place to be of great benefit to organizations and theircustomers.遵循这些准则，我们可以复兴一套宝贵的工具，在合适的时间和地点运用它们，将为对组织和组织的客户带来巨大的效益。
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