The Ultimate Six Sigma: Beyond Quality Excellence

Rating:
Summary: Blinded by jargon
Review: I'll tell you right away, I didn't read this entire book. In fact I only browsed it. I was put off by the first half of the book which disses just about every other flavor of Six Sigma out there. Of course, this book tells you the *right* way to do it. As to jargon: on page 332 he uses the acronym NOAC (next operation as customer). Then he goes on to talk about it for two pages without ever really defining it. You see, he's a professional. Don't try this at home.

If you need a cook book and love jargon, this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent broad guage approach to Six Sigma
Review: I'm sure no expert in the Six Sigma area, but I've read five or six books in the space and particularly liked this book. I'm a business person who has some responsibility for process efficiency and effectiveness and this book gave me more useful information about process measurement, process change and necessary culture change than any of the other books I've read. I particulary liked Chapter 14, which extends the quality moment to knowledge workers in service processes - the kind of processes that dominate US businesses today, even in manufacturing firms.

Mr. Bhote's analysis of the problems with these processes and his prescription to make them faster, better and cheaper is extensive and works in my business. Unlike the reviewer above, I think his description of Next Operation As Customer (NOAC) is both complete and addresses a VERY large problem for workplaces in all advanced countries - how to measure and improve business processes that are driven by the inventive, innovative work of white collar people. After all, the largest cost element, in aggregate, for US business is the direct labor cost of knowledge workers. His book is the only one I know that systematically addresses ways to get measurable productivity gains from this big corporate expense.

I can't speak to the efficacy of this book for Six Sigma green belts, black belts and master black belts. I am none of those. However, if you are a business person responsible for getting the most from your most expensive element of production, you won't be disappointed with this book.