8. Six Sigma

8.1 Origins

The Six Sigma approach was born in the United States in 1986, at Motorola, under the impetus of Mike Harry, based on the quality control work of Deming, famous for his wheel. Initially designed to control the manufacture of parts based on reliable dimensional measurements, the method gradually spread to all physical and administrative processes, provided that measurements could be collected.

From 1990 onwards, this method was adopted by General Electric, to whom it is often wrongly attributed. In fact, it was General Electric who gave it its letters of nobility, thanks in particular to its charismatic and visionary CEO, Jack Welch. Six Sigma arrived in Europe in the 2000s and enjoyed a certain success, although it is often criticized for being too...