Dealing with quality in a typical workplace and by institutionalizing it in the company’s operation and processes is always a big challenge to take. In order to achieve quality and be practiced religiously, there are tools and methodologies that companies must apply, and one of the most popular tool is six-sigma. Six-sigma has been performed focusing three different levels: (1) metric, this means that measuring defects in every process is important in order for any company to also measure success in achieving quality.The main rule here is that the company must consider at least three opportunities for every physical component – one for form, one for fit and one for its function. In this way there will be a lot of option for the company to perform in terms of achieving quality in every process. (2) Secondly, methodology, which highlighted with the use of DMAIC/DFSS which are also considered as the tools and helps align roadmaps for the processes.
(DMAIC) Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control and (DFSS) Design for Six-Sigma are methodologies applied in six-sigma to meet customer needs and process capability.And the last level, (3) philosophy, which means that six-sigma is also a philosophical approach applied by companies to reduce variation in the business and instead focus only on how to satisfy its customers through data-driven decisions. (Six Sigma, n.
d. ). Since six-sigma is the methodology applied in business that focus only on how to perform quality service to its customers and reducing the variation on how business be performed which eventually reduce the defects.For the management team, providing directions and making sure that everything is done following the right process is the main role of the managers. While for the staff, being able to follow these directions in providing service expected by the customers is their primary role. In other words, management provides leadership through coaching staff as to what they need to do and for the staff to religiously be guided with the main goal and direction given by the management team are the expected roles to be done.
Six-sigma may be one of the best tool or methodology that can be followed by most big companies, but this may not be well fitting to small companies like those involving to direct selling or small trading. This is because in these kind of business, transaction are directly more focus on price and not much on customer satisfaction. Unlike for companies involved in applying six-sigma, these are big industries where they have customer-based, and they always need to satisfy them with efficient and effective services.In the case of Ritz Hotel Business which started in Boston and now operated in big cities around the world, quality has been observed as an important ingredient in their daily operation, is fact the company have established what they called as Gold Standard of Quality. This has institutionalize the quality standards that all personnel must follow in order to achieved quality service for their customers, like it includes the credo, motto the three steps of service, service values, the 6th diamond and the employee promise, these were the proof that the company has been performing quality in its operation.Malcolm Baldridge Award was given to top performing companies in the US which exemplifies highest regard to improving its process.
The main basis as well as the approach that were applied by winners of this award focuses on the following: leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results. Winners where carefully evaluated from the business, medical and education sector.One of the recipients of the award in the medical service sector, Mercy Health System, has shown that through availability of services as well as professional personnel in the hospital has made them leader in providing medical and health care service in Wisconsin. The award will help the company to continue providing excellent service for its clients, while for the clients; continue patronizing the service rendered by the hospital will be expected. (Baldridge National Quality Program, 2001).