TABLE OF CONTENTS The chapter in this section focuses on measuring the results of a Six Sigma campaign. It will first review the importance of metrics and measurement to all improvement activities. Then it will focus on the need to have a selected, few critical strategic metrics to drive the Six Sigma campaign. It will discuss some historical difficulties with metrics and improvement campaigns, and suggest guidelines for selecting meaningful metrics and goals for organizational performance improvement. The discussion will not be limited to financial goals and metrics. Business objectives that drive Six Sigma Campaigns must be multifaceted. They must balance among:
customers and markets
shareholders and financial results
employee, associate, and personal development
processes (the way things get done), and
the environment.
Nevertheless, financial results are often considered the ultimate measure of organizational performance. The chapter will present two approaches to building useful financial measurement systems. The chapter will then end with a broader discussion of the Six Sigma Business Scorecard, a tool for comprehensive organizational performance measurement and tracking.
"What gets measured gets done." This old management adage may not hold true 100 percent of the time, but by and large, it applies to individual and organizational performance.
That's why an effective, practical measurement system is a cornerstone of any successful Six Sigma Campaign. Effective measurement starts with the work done...
