The goals of lean manufacturing are supplemented by Six Sigma tools at Chandler Industries in order to reduce errors and improve quality. According to iSixSigma, the methodology can be defined as one which “uses data and statistical analysis to measure and improve a company’s operational performance by identifying and eliminating ‘defects’ in manufacturing and service-related processes.”
The real impact of a Six Sigma approach, whether in stainless steel machining or running a health organization, is substantial savings—as much as $230,000 per project, according to one estimate. While Chandler Industries uses Six Sigma tools to produce and test sub assemblies, other companies have implemented them into their own processes with varying results. General Electric, for example, estimated its savings during the first five years of using the Six Sigma methodology to be in the neighborhood of $10 billion.
For a Swiss machining shop, Six Sigma might help establish tolerance standards. For titanium machining, it could dictate in-process quality control. But regardless of the exact way in which Six Sigma is implemented, a company’s bottom line isn’t the only thing that benefits—its clients benefit from reduced operating costs, too.
