Six Sigma and the Supplier
• Six sigma is a way to measure supplier quality.
Supplying firms that follow the core philosophy of six
sigma will make excellent strategic partners.
• Six-sigma suppliers focus on (1) defects per million as a
standard metric, (2) provision of extensive employee
training, and (3) the reduction of non-value-added
activities.
• If there is a pattern not consistent with the normal
distribution, corrective action could be taken. There are
a number six-sigma implementation approaches. Two of
the most successful six-sigma implementations are those
of Motorola and General Electric.