Wednesday 1 November 2017

Choosing between Six Sigma and ISO 9000

Interested in a quality control process for your business organization?  There are many to choose from, and two of the most popular are outlined in this article.  It is not so much which one is chosen, but rather that the best one is chosen and taken seriously.

Six Sigma is a business management tool that seeks to improve output (service or product) through a data approach system laying emphasis on proven statistical data rather than guesswork and opinion.  Six Sigma focuses on resolving probable defects and working toward an improved quality output. This process is implemented and monitored from within a business organization.

ISO 9000 is a set of standards similar to the B.S (British standards) for quality management and certification. This has more relevance in the construction and manufacturing sector. The ISO 9000 is certified by an external body which follows laid down standards and guides in auditing.

Six Sigma


To achieve improvement in quality output, the Six Sigma tools analyze existing processes and identify changes that can be made towards improving efficiency and quality. Most projects that utilize the Six Sigma process are huge and characterized by multiple goals and objectives.

For the Six Sigma methodology to be successfully implemented, it is necessary that the huge projects be split into smaller units, which can then be broken up into parts internally. This gives room for a greater understanding of intricate details of each process involved in the project.  This process is very much deeply rooted in teamwork, where in theory, everyone works together well within their own roles and responsibilities for the common good of the project at hand.  Breaking up a project into smaller units, allows for an improvement in quality, but to maintain these standard it is necessary that control systems be put in place to measure quality regularly and report deviation as it occurs.

The ISO 9000


ISO 9000 centers on standardized activities relating to production or output. Unlike the Six Sigma process, it does not lay emphasis on a continuous improvement of quality standards. The business processes of any ISO 9000 company are regulated by the eight principles of the process along with twenty four requirements. It controls different aspects of a business process by documentation and reports.

Within the ISO 9000 approach to quality management, every process is treated independently, regardless of the end goal. Quality managers are able to determine if a certain process followed the standards or not using forecasted quality standards.  The basic process includes following a set of documented standards. It is thus rigid and does not leave room for more improvement.

The ISO 9000 process focuses on tasking to a given standard rather than locating flaws and improvement windows as the Six Sigma tool does.  As mentioned previously, it does not so much matter which process is chosen for your company, rather that the best fit is chosen and that it is followed through to the end.

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