At an innovation workshop in July, Master Black Belts from the European Six Sigma Club Germany (ESSC-D) developed perspectives for innovation management. The event was organized by the Berlin-based consultancy Tom Spike. The participants from the automotive, mechanical engineering, optics, telecommunications, university and consulting sectors discussed ways in which innovations can be better developed through a structured approach. In this context, the ESSC-D has noticed a growing demand for Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) for some time now. This involves the special application of the Six Sigma methodology in the area of product and process development. “The combination of Six Sigma and Design for Six Sigma with structured innovation methods creates strong synergy effects,” says Nina Defounga, Managing Director at Tom Spike. Design for Six Sigma provides tools to make the newly developed products or processes robust, to assess the risks in a structured way, to translate the customer’s wishes into measurable parameters and to validate the product or process.
For the German economy, the development of innovative ideas, products, business models and processes is extremely important in order to maintain a leading position in the global economy. Only when the ideas are implemented in such a way that they actually find an application and penetrate the market can we speak of innovation. Six Sigma supports the process with a methodical, targeted and solution-oriented approach. “We see great potential for Six Sigma in structured innovation management in the future,” says Dieter Szemkus, Chairman of the ESSC-D. An ESSC-D working group is already working on corresponding models.
Press release as PDF:
Innovation through Six Sigma
