Six Sigma Reading Recommendations?

[nerdgirl 0]

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What method(s) does Google use?

I was curious enough about this -- & it’s relevant to some ‘stuff’ I do professionally -- to ask a friend & former colleague, (who’s a PhD physicist/computer scientist - noted for [riddler]), and “Chief Architect” at another successful Silicon Valley internet-based company (as a stand-in for Google).

It’s worth keeping in mind that he’s writing from the perspective of an operator/innovator & a strategist to foster innovation, someone who has to use program management tools rather than a theorist. Oh yeah, he’s also *really* modest too.

Shared w/his permission:

“Funny you should ask that question. I just gave a talk at the Stanford Buss. School titled "The Ninjas of Chaos vs. the Black Belts of Six Sigma". The message is that six sigma is completely the wrong approach for product design for web companies. It works great when you're building products such as light bulbs. However when you're faced with a marketplace where innovation is key you need a very different approach. A big part of it comes in what people are calling "principles of design". For us that means a design process that favors lightweight systems that a flexible and adaptable. This is critical in being able to change directions rather than having a long drawn out process (like the gov has in putting together contracts). We often find into the process that the customer wants/needs something very different that what we had imagined and that we have to have a base framework that allows us to move in a new direction without jettisoning all the hard work that had already been done. I put a tremendous amount of effort in underlying architecture to ensure that our products have the ability to be nimble.

That said, in a large organization such as ours (16K+ employees) we do have problems innovating. In this case we look outside for inspiration. The easiest to look to buy someone that has something innovative. While that approach doesn't make sense for the gov, they can do other things. One thing is review teams, much like the one Susan and I led. These teams can come in and ask hard questions, and propose some innovative solutions."

VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[BIGUN 1,312]

I would agree with your friend & former colleague in the innovation stage. However, during the production phase (and all companies have a production/operations phase irrespective of product or service). Case in point, MS, iPhone. Innovative, but clearly high in customer conflict from innovation to deployment.

And, I say this on the tail-end of another wasted morning with Vista issues.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[skydiverton2 0]

6 sigma is mostly a new name to bring common technigues under the attention. Read something about is, take advantage of it. But do not follow these technigues like you are blind.

Most important stays USE YOU BRAIN!

Using your droque to gain stability is a bad habid.
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Also in case you jump a sport rig!!!

[Belldemon 0]

I just finished a course where I had to write a twenty page research paper.

My topic was a comparison of Deming's TQM vs. Six Sigma with the conclusion that Six Sigma is simply an extreme extension of one or two of Deming's 14 points and that TQM was a superior process management system when truly adopted and implemented.

PM me if you want a copy of it. There are quite a few sources that I have listed in the bibliography if you would like to do some reading on either system.

[nerdgirl 0]

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However, during the production phase (and all companies have a production/operations phase irrespective of product or service). Case in point, MS, iPhone. Innovative, but clearly high in customer conflict from innovation to deployment.

Good & relevant points.

Yes, someday I'm going to have to pick your brain more on Marshall and the fostering innovation side - theory & practice.

VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[BIGUN 1,312]

I'll try to get you a copy of Dr. Marshall's book.

Regarding Innovation and TQM...
http://www.eacc.unimelb.edu.au/pubs/proceedings6.pdf

See, here's the thing... TQM is NOT about innovation... It's about delivering the Innovators ideas/concepts to the customer and meeting the EXACT expectations of what was promised or presented.

Let's use Nano as an example. Lets say "someone" figures out how to generate energy in the form of a carbon tube with molecules (perhaps a type of ball bearing device) and shares those expectations with the world. How will that Innovator's ideas convert to the customer's expectation on delivery - 100% of the time?

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.