Leading business improvement: a new role for statisticians and quality professionals

Following the successes of Motorola, Allied-Signal, General Electric and others, many companies are implementing the Six Sigma approach to business improvement. Millions of dollars are being saved in the process. Active leadership by management and others involved is integral to the method and critical to its success. This development provides a unique opportunity for statisticians and quality professionals to be leaders in their organizations. The leadership roles are discussed and it is shown how statisticians and quality professionals can assume leadership roles throughout the deployment process. As a result statisticians and quality professionals can expand their roles as internal trainers and consultants to include being leaders of business improvement. In the process their focus moves from facilitation of technical applications to the implementation of Six Sigma, skill deployment and delivery of bottom line business results.