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What are the general tenets of Six Sigma?

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According to Pete Pande and Larry Holpp in their book, What is Six Sigma? (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002) there are six key themes of Six Sigma. They are:


  • Genuine focus on the customer – The measures of Six Sigma performance begin with the customer. Six Sigma improvements are defined by their impact on customer satisfaction and value.
  • Data- and fact-driven management – Six Sigma helps managers answer two essential questions to support data-driven decisions and solutions:
    What data/information do I really need?
    How do we use that data/information to maximum benefit?
  • Processes are where the action is – Whether focused on designing products and services, measuring performance, improving efficiency and customer satisfaction, or even running the business, Six Sigma positions the process as the key vehicle of success.
  • Proactive management – Proactive management should include defining ambitious goals and reviewing them frequently, setting clear priorities, focusing on problem prevention rather than firefighting, and questioning why we do things instead of blindly defending them.
  • Boundaryless collaboration – The opportunities available through improved collaboration within companies and with vendors and customers are huge.
  • Drive for perfection; tolerate failure: Any company that makes Six Sigma its goal will have to keep pushing to be ever more perfect while being willing to accept – and manage – occasional setbacks.



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