Six Sigma™ and Kaizen Compared
This is the first in a series of articles comparing the two leading methods for making business improvements. The series compares these methods with regard to origins, meaning, scope, purpose, benefits, components, methodology, resource demands, risks, and results.
(PRWEB) February 16, 2005 -- To compare Six Sigma™ and Kaizen is a simple
question that has no simple answer for these reasons. First, each term has more
than one meaning. Second, there are two different levels at which to compare Six
Sigma™ and Kaizen. You can compare them at the level of making an improvement to
a business process (the simplest level) or at the level of a total approach to
implementing Quality within a company. Third, there are many sides to the
comparison of these two approaches. I can think of nine different ways to
compare them. This means that you need to make the comparison between Six Sigma™
and Kaizen nine times and then, look across those nine comparisons and make a
final judgment. Fourth, there is a difference between what people who promote
these approaches say and what actually happens in practice. Which do you use to
make your comparison?
I will use the following nine ways to compare the
two approaches.
1. Origin of the terms and their various meanings
2.
Scope of application each approach claims
3. Purpose that each approach
accomplishes
4. Benefits each produces
5. Components of each
approach
6. Methods each approach uses
7. Resources each approach requires
to succeed
8. Risks of using each approach
9. Results each approach
produces
As to the issue of what proponents say versus what happens in
fact, I will try to share that within each section of the comparison, as best I
can.
This is my plan. I will accomplish it over a series of months,
tackling one or more of the topics listed above. I may change this outline as I
move deeper into the issue. I hope that you will investigate each of these
separate issues on your own, and share back what you find. In this article, I
will share what I understand about the origin of the terms and their various
meanings and the scope each approach claims.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb209242.htm