Six Sigma for Information Technology Professionals

The application of Six Sigma in the IT service sector has resulted in changes in methodologies and tools.
Process improvement managers must transform programs to suit their industry needs and experts must
tailor the tools for successful deployment.
The methodologies and framework have, ironically, occasionally lagged behind as they cope with
different industries. DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) is applied the same way in the
information technology (IT) services sector as it was in manufacturing. Some of the challenges facing Six
Sigma in the IT sector are:
Lengthy projects
Data oriented tools
Lack of knowledge in a knowledge-based industry
Failure to properly use DMAIC in a software development project
Six-Sigma as a Project Based Approach
Historically Six Sigma has been termed a project-based approach to improvements. Each project,
however, could take between five weeks and six months. In the IT services sector the length of the
project is often too long to realize the benefits. Projects are completed, resources are re-aligned and
team members are transferred to other teams or sent to onsite assignments. These changes affect the
cohesiveness of improvement teams. Many Six Sigma projects are either delayed or canceled due to lack
of participation.
Minimize the Project Duration
A revised approach to Six Sigma should include a DMAIC life cycle of not more than three weeks, and
the complete Six Sigma project should not take longer than three to five weeks. Six Sigma remains a
project-based approach, but shortening the duration of the projects will eliminate frequent changes at
the organization level, and teams will see projects through to completion. Six Sigma methodology and
tools must be ingrained into the process framework so that it becomes part of business as usual. This
reduces the cycle time for executing projects.
A successful Six Sigma program empowers employees with problem solving tools. The benefits of Six
Sigma are realized when employees or teams use Six Sigma tools, methodologies and philosophies as
part of their day-to-day activities. Though not project-based these improvements drive the true bottom-
line.



Six-Sigma as a Data Driven Approach
The IT services sector as a whole is still evolving when it comes to metrics. Companies are investing huge
amounts of effort in arriving at good indicators of project/organizational health. It is difficult to have a
database created for a team, which results in a longer measure phase. In the absence of data, personal
opinions take over and adversely impact the effectiveness of the framework. As projects stretch and
lose their focus, teams lose faith in Six Sigma.
The strength of Six Sigma lies in the data driven approach, hence it has to be supported by a well-
implemented metrics program throughout the organization. With the inclusion of Lean in the Six Sigma
framework, practitioners can use fewer data oriented tools.
Six-Sigma Professes Y = f (X)
Software engineering activities are largely manual and are greatly dependent on the skill of the
developer. The IT sector is knowledge base driven organizations are investing huge amounts of money
in finding skills outside the organization or developing them internally. Six Sigma offers little in terms of
improving the productivity of engineering teams a teams productivity increases as it moves up the
learning curve.
Improve Skills and Knowledge with Minimal Cost
The software engineering process rests heavily on manual processes. Results have some inherent
inconsistencies because of the varying capabilities of individual developers. The new approach has to
focus on automation and optimizing the learning curve. With the majority of the organizations costs
going toward manpower, increasing employee knowledge is core to management. Companies are
focusing on support functions such as organizational training and cultural awareness classes. Six Sigma
projects create strong processes that enhance learning and reduce costs without compromising the
efficacy of the function. A focused application of Six Sigma concepts in developing the knowledge
management processes would yield positive results within the services sector.
Choosing the Methodology
Unlike repetitive manufacturing processes, software development is an engineering activity and,
therefore, DMAIC fails to help achieve improvements by inculcating quality into the software
engineering process. Some companies are exploring options of inculcating Design for Six Sigma (DFSS)
tools/methodologies into the software engineering process these still need to be integrated with the
software engineering frameworks like the capability maturity model integration (CMMi) and ISO (the
worldwide federation of national standards bodies for approximately 130 countries). It is important to
remember software engineering activities are not repetitive; the true benefit lies in integrating tools
into the frameworks like CMMi and ISO.
Organizations are working on applying Six Sigma tools as part of the software engineering practices.
Some of the tools that have a wider application can be:
Failure mode effect analysis (FMEA) helps organizations reveal the overall system architecture
for any kind of failure and helps reduce potential test defects especially in system and field
testing.
QFD used during the requirements gathering and analysis phases help prioritize requirements
and high- level technical solutions by providing engineers leads into areas to be considered in
the system.
Design of experiments (DOE) is used in test phases to identify test cases that best match the
expectations from the system. This is a useful approach when there are multiple interactions
between the features of a product. DOE can also assist in optimizing software and hardware
resources in a complex infrastructure project.
Although only a few tools are mentioned here, that does not limit the applicability of other Six
Sigma tools in an IT service organization. As industry awareness grows, more tools are used.
Conclusion
Changes in the application of Six Sigma tools and methodology are evident in many different
forums. Change will only become more prevalent as the need for being more competitive
becomes a reality. Like any initiative in a business sector, process improvement managers need
to transform Six Sigma to suit their industry needs. Six Sigma experts must tailor the tools for
successful deployment and thereby help organizations improve their bottom lines. Today
companies that have reached the pinnacle are re-inventing themselves and Six Sigma will find its
place throughout IT service organizations.

Quantum Global Academy Six Sigma course offer a detailed understanding of six sigma's DMAIC
Methodology by providing best course content by their highly professional and experienced trainers.

We are offering 2 days on weekend training session and also E learning with 24/7 online access. Our
certification is IACT - Recognized by ASQ .The whole course study material will be couriered to your
specified address.

If looking for best and expert in field of project management training, courses and certification in Delhi,
Gurgaon, then consult Quantum Global Academy for PMP, Six Sigma, ITIL, event management, retail
management, logistics & supply chain etc at very affordable training package. To know more about six
sigma training Delhi call at 01244609530, 08527092037.

For more query,click on given Link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lOYtPdB1OSHLr_5OEidLNRLeM3JJerZqaPjmaTTQHZg/
viewform?c=0&w=1