The Lesson of Guild History: Variance Reduction Must be Balanced with Innovation

International Journal of Quality &Amp; Reliability Management

2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships as to complementarities and redundancies of the main quality programs in large Brazilian companies by a comparative and critical analysis of their implementation in those companies.Design/methodology/approachIn the paper the survey methodology was utilized. The data collection was done from “Ranking Valor 1000” list, which comprises the 1,000 largest Brazilian companies; the assumption was that in these companies the embryos of the emerging models in quality management were to be found. The data collected from questionnaires were analyzed through statistical methods.FindingsThe findings showed that the large organizations in Brazil have been investing in quality programs.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper presents the limitations which are inherent to the research method applied, that is, the results should not be generalized because the collected data are not originated in a probabilistic sample.Practical implicationsThe paper shows that the companies where the Six Sigma program was implemented are those with the strongest tradition in the market; the companies that most invested in quality by adopting these programs were successful according to the quality performance indicators as well as concerning the return on investment; and the main causes of failure in the quality programs analyzed in this study were shortage of financial resources for the proper implementation of the programs and the fragile support given by the company management.Originality/valueThis paper may prove to be significantly helpful to a better and deeper understanding of the factors influencing the quality programs adopted by Brazilian companies.

Section: Quality Programsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Main quality programs characteristics in large size Brazilian companies

Pinto

International Journal of Quality &Amp; Reliability Management

2008

“…portanto, o "pensar estatisticamente" foi empregado com sucesso nas décadas anteriores (WOLEK, 2004). Dale et al (2000) enfatizam ainda que o programa Seis Sigma tem como base antigos conceitos da engenharia da qualidade, que buscavam entender e eliminar as causas de variação e projetar a manufatura.…”

Section: Os 198 Questionários Válidos Apenas 46 Organizações Respounclassified

Implementação e difusão do programa Seis Sigma no Brasil

Pinto

2007

Prod.

ResumoOs objetivos deste trabalho são identificar o grau de difusão, os principais aspectos da implantação e os resultados obtidos com a adoção do programa Seis Sigma em empresas brasileiras de grande porte. A abordagem metodológica adotada foi um levantamento do tipo survey, cujas informações foram coletadas através de um questionário estruturado preenchido por 198 profissionais da área de qualidade de diferentes empresas de grande porte. Os resultados sugerem que mesmo em empresas de grande porte a difusão do Seis Sigma ainda não é expressiva (23,5%). As empresas que implementaram este programa já possuíam em sua maioria outros programas de qualidade adotados e relataram ter obtido ganhos financeiros superiores ao montante investido na implementação do Seis Sigma, bem com ganhos de qualidade e de produtividade. Além disso, as empresas relataram existir sinergia entre a implementação do Seis Sigma e de outras abordagens de gestão da qualidade. Palavras-chaveProgramas de qualidade, programa Seis Sigma, gestão da qualidade. Abstract The objectives of this paper are to identify the degree of diffusion, the main aspects of the Six Sigma program implementation and its results in the largest

“…compliance with standards and company internal requirements. Rather, it defines quality as the value added by a vast productive effort that aims at reaching the strategic objectives planned by a company (Pfeifer et al, 2004;Wolek, 2004). Some benefits of Six Sigma implementation reported in the literature can be summarized as follows (Pinto et al, 2008): decrease in the organization costs, increase in quality and productivity of products and services, increase in the number of customers, elimination of activities that add no value to the process, and a positive cultural change in the organization.…”

Section: Related Literature On Six Sigmamentioning

confidence: 99%

Benchmarking Six Sigma implementation in services companies operating in an emerging economy

Miguel

Benchmarking: An International Journal

2014

Purpose – The paper reports case studies conducted in services organizations that apply Six Sigma in an emerging economy. Aspects of human resources and full-time specialist, infra-structure, top management leadership, customer requirements, focus on financial and non-financial results, structured method and strategic project selection are investigated. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Case-based research is employed as methodological approach. Data were mostly gathered through semi-structured interviews with managers involved with Six Sigma implementation. When available, archival data were also used to achieve more evidence towards triangulation. Then, the aggregation of the results was done a posteriori. Findings – It was verified that Six Sigma was successfully implemented in those companies, however with some drawbacks. The studied companies adopt Six Sigma in association with other quality management approaches, mainly ISO 9000: 2008 and lean production. Research limitations/implications – The study was limited to three service companies. Therefore, the study findings are not subject to generalisation for other similar firms. Practical implications – The research shows the importance of Six Sigma implementation in service companies in addition to its contribution to practical application by identifying the relevant aspects of its introduction. It enables practitioners to use the findings on factors that should be taken into consideration when applying Six Sigma. Originality/value – It is one of the few studies on Six Sigma analysis in emerging economies. In addition, the empirical results found support in existing theory to some extent.