Breyfogle F.W. Implementing Six Sigma: Smarter Solutions Using Statistical Methods

Wiley, 2003. — 1231 p. — 2nd ed. — ISBN: 0471265721, 9780471265726Written to aid organizations in laying the foundation for Six Sigma, this comprehensive and engaging guide provides the tools, strategies, and motivation to get all relevant players involved with improvement from upper management on down. At the heart of the book is a group of statistical tools that address FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis), QFD (Quality Functional Deployment), and DOE (Design of Experiment).
Rather than offering just a brief overview, Implementing Six Sigma devotes individual chapters to all of the tools, so as to provide an in-depth analysis of each. A large selection of diagrams and clarifying exercises demonstrate how to best utilize the tools to successfully minimize defects throughout the production process. To provide a deeper understanding, the book discusses the theories of Edward Deming and the history of the Six Sigma program. Steeped in real world application, it presents numerous examples, as well as copies of actual implementation guides used by Motorola.Statistical tools and methodologies used by Six Sigma are not new but generally have been reserved for Quality and Engineering functions. My training and experience with Six Sigma crossed paths with employees across all departments - Buyers, Supervisors, floor employees, Human Resources, Finance, as well as Quality and Engineering personnel.
What makes "Implementing Six Sigma" significant is you do not have to be an expert in statistics or even in the Quality field to understand and implement the tools of Six Sigma. Forrest details and further defines the tools in an easy to read format, plenty of exercises and examples, and a thorough appendix. I didn't discover this book until recently and have since replaced over a dozen reference books.
Depending on the problem at hand, tool usage varies and not all are applicable (to one's project) or taught in training. I had excellent Black Belt instructors but Forrest's book would have come in handy during my training and would have been an invaluable resource when facilitating Green Belt training. Recommended for those new, and not so new, to Six Sigma.