What has NASA done with Six Sigma?

[Rob Nix]

Check out the following link.

http://www.asq.org/news/qualitynews/...standards.html

Any thoughts?

[Jim Wynne]

Originally Posted by Rob Nix

Check out the following link.

http://www.asq.org/news/qualitynews/...standards.html

Any thoughts?

I think it's interesting to note that this whole SS business began with Motorola attempting to reach the goal, in part, by messing with the numbers and redefining, in many cases, what constituted a "defect." That's not to say that the strategy is spurious or deceitful (necessarily) but it is unexpected. It might be what's going on with the NASA business; the changes cited might have been done in order to correct the perspective on reality, rather than, as the article seems to suggest, being an attempt to distort the picture.

[Wes Bucey]

It occurs to me the item has everything to do with NASA and nothing to do with 6S. Even a sometime basher such as I recognizes that individuals and organizations can corrupt and pervert good theories and "tools" by misusing them. Six Sigma has no place in this story. Shame on ASQ for presenting it that way.

Using the term "Six Sigma" just muddies the waters and adds nothing to the story.

Would the story have caught your eye if the gist was that NASA changed all tolerances from 5 decimals to three? We are all aware that "sigma" has nothing to do with sending a ship into space - even one non-conformance out of ten million can doom a flight if it happens to be critical.

[Jim Wynne]

I agree. Sometimes it seems like organizations like ASQ have mindless keyword bots that troll for any mention of anything that remotely sounds like it might be relevant.

However,

Would the story have caught your eye if the gist was that NASA changed all tolerances from 5 decimals to three?

the answer is "maybe," if there were evidence that NASA engineers had diluted requirements as a way of attempting to convince the ignorant masses that something had improved.

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Well, NASA is obviously doing something, because the launch has now been postponed to July: http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/spa...lay/index.html

/Claes