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"The real power of Six Sigma is simple, because it combines People Power with Process Power. Six Sigma companies focus on both people and process sides. Good companies focus on not making mistakes," says Subir Chowdhury, in an interview with Sini Joseph. |
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Q.What is the basic premise of your book The
Power of Six Sigma?
Six Sigma is a statistical measurement of only 3.4 defects per million
opportunities. That is the origin - that's the way statisticians look at it!
But it is more than just statistical measurement. Organisations which look into
Six Sigma as just a statistical measurement have been missing the point. Six
Sigma is a Management Strategy that has been at the core of improved
productivity, and has dramatically increased profits and improved customer
service. Corporations which have been effectively deploying Six Sigma management
strategy are experiencing radical improvements in every facet of their business.
Q. What prompted you to pick up the case studies you have discussed in the
book?
A common mistake senior leaders make is that they feel just introducing some
tools or strategies like Six Sigma, their organisations will achieve dramatic
results. These leaders are missing the point. Achieving any significant
improvement starts with acceptance – at every level of the organization.
That's where the two characters (Joe and Larry) of the book step in - to deliver
the message of The
Power of Six Sigma: An Inspiring Tale of How Six Sigma is Transforming the Way
We Work. My book is unlike any other book on Six Sigma. This
fictionalized tale simplifies a complicated topic and, through dialogue between
Joe and Larry, explains the way Six Sigma works in an easy-to-understand format.
I picked up the story of a Pizza company to make it easier for readers to relate to
and help them grasp the essence of the Six Sigma.
Q. How did these companies achieve a turnaround using the Six Sigma?
The real power of Six Sigma is simple, because it combines People Power with
Process Power. Six Sigma companies focus on both people and process sides. Good
companies focus on not making mistakes - not wasting time or materials, not
making errors in production or service delivery, not getting sloppy in doing
what they do best. When someone heads a Six Sigma project, he/she gets a lot of
authority, recognition, and most importantly, the support he/she needs to succeed
with his project. On an average, the Six Sigma project saves millions of rupees.
Six Sigma companies financially reward (may be 2 to 5 percent of the savings)
the person who leads the Six Sigma project. That is the true power. If
employees, irrespective of their positions get rewards for their performance,
they put more than 100% for their organization.
Q. How is the management philosophy different in the American and Indian
context?
In the US as well as in India, I find both good and bad organisations. The management
philosophies practiced in both countries range from excellent to below average. It
would be a biased and baseless comment if someone said all organisations in the
US have better management or strategies than Indian organisations. The
ideal question that should be asked in any country is - how a bad company can
transform itself into a better one? A good company treats its people equally –
from workers to middle management to the senior most level. A good company
treats its customer as king. The company must always focus on Fire Prevention
i.e. make better products (defects should not exist in the first place) rather
than Fire Fighting (constantly trying to solve a problem). A good company
embraces creativity and rewards creativity.
Q. Have any Indian companies adopted the Six Sigma and if they have, has there
been any turnaround in their functioning?
I don’t know for sure. But several articles in respected Indian business
magazines suggest that Wipro and GE India have achieved positive results after
adopting Six Sigma. I strongly believe that Indian corporations must pursue the
Six Sigma management strategy. The only caution is that they must hire effective
people to lead these efforts - not just hiring 4 or 40 Black Belts from the US.
Even a number of US consulting firms are not aware of the true secrets of
Six Sigma. So don’t be too surprised if by 2005, US corporations coin
"Six Sigma" as another fad. It is nothing to do with Six Sigma- it is
how you deploy it.
Q. What lessons can Indian organisations learn from the US management model?
Indian companies must focus on Customer Satisfaction. They must make extra
efforts to understand the true voice of the Customer and take it seriously. The
reason for the global dominance of Japanese companies is their total
understanding of customers' needs.
Indian companies must also focus on Prevention Strategy and practice Robust
Engineering methodology. Indian companies must re-evaluate their strengths and
weaknesses. Organisations must continuously strive for transforming their
weaknesses into strengths.
Q. What are the other books you have written?
I just released my sixth book titled "The
Talent Era : Strategies for Achieving a High Return on Talent" (Financial Times Prentice Hall, December 2001) on December 15 in the US. In this timely
book, I present a complete strategy for leveraging talent to increase business
value. I have also focused on the real issues facing organisations seeking to
utilize talent more effectively. You'll discover why there's more to attracting
talent than inflating salaries, how managers handle talented subordinates, how
to measure the value of talent and ROT, and much more.
My previous books are: Management
21c: Someday We'll Manage This Way (1999), I also co-authored 2 books
with Japanese Quality Guru Dr. Genichi Taguchi titled Robust
Engineering (McGraw Hill, 1999) and Mahalanobis-Taguchi System (McGraw
Hill 2000). And my first book was QS-9000
Pioneers (1996).
Q. How and when did you start writing?
I used to write poetry while in school and college. Most of them have been
published in newspapers and magazines. After I immigrated to the US, I focused
on 'business management' writing as I believed I could educate global corporate
citizens through my books. My first book was published in 1996 for which I got
international recognition from the automotive industry to the honorable US
Congress. The success of that book motivated me to concentrate more on writing.
Q. Any important aspect of your childhood or family background that has
influenced your writing career?
I have always embraced literary works – be it fiction or non-fiction. In fact,
while I was a student at I.I.T. Kharagpur, it was at my instance that the
first literary magazine "Panchajanya" was introduced. In my
formative years, works of Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray greatly inspired
and influenced me.
Q. Any book/author that left a deep impression on you?
I am a big fan of Peter F. Drucker and W. Edwards Deming. Also Dr. G. Taguchi's
work on engineering inspire me.
Q. What are the kind of books you normally read?
Bengali poetry is my first love. I regularly read poetry - though now, most of
the time, I read business books. I love reading all kind of books, irrespective
of the subject. Most recently I finished reading " Stolen
Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail " by Malika Oufkir.
Q. Is your writing aimed at a target audience?
My most recent book is targeted at organisations - small or large. However, The
Power of Six Sigma is not targeted at anyone in specific. Virtually anyone
any can go through the book and appreciate the values of the Six Sigma.
Q. Who are your favourite writers?
In fiction I enjoy reading works of Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, Sunil
Gangopadhyay, Joy Goshami and Elisabeth Bumiller. In non-fiction I admire Peter
F. Drucker, Anita Roddick, Dr. W. Edwards Deming, Warren Bennis and Alvin
Toffler.
Q. What are you reading at the moment?
Currently I am reading Jack:Straight
From the Gut by Jack Welch.
Q. What are you working on?
I just finished writing "Design for Six Sigma" to be published in
April 2002. And I am currently working on "Organisation 21C: Someday All
Organisations Will Lead This Way" (September 2002).
Q. Anything else you might wish to tell the readers.
I want to thank all my readers in India. I would also like to thank
www.firstandsecond.com for supporting my work. All my readers would be pleased
to know that the author royalties of any Indian edition of my books are donated
to the benefits of poor and blind children of India.
Author Description:
Subir Chowdhury is Executive Vice President at the American Supplier
Institute(ASI) - an international consulting and training firm for Six Sigma and
quality management. Prior to ASI, he served as a quality management consultant
at General Motors Corporation. Hailed by The New York Times as a
"leading quality expert", Chowdhury was also recognized by the Quality
Progress of the American Society for Quality as one of the 'Voices of Quality in
the 21st Century'. His work is frequently cited in the national and
international media. Chowdhury's most recent international best selling book
"The Power of Six Sigma" has been translated in more than 10
languages.
Chowdhury has received numerous international awards for his leadership in
quality management and major contributions to the automotive industry. Chowdhury
was honoured by the prestigious Automotive Hall of Fame, and the Society of
Automotive Engineers awarded him its most prestigious recognition, the Henry
Ford II Distinguished Award for Excellence in automotive engineering. He also
received the honorable US Congressional Recognition. Most recently the
prestigious international Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) announced it
would be bestowing its highest honour - the SME GOLD MEDAL - to Chowdhury in May
2002.
Chowdhury's major expertise is in the field of quality strategy, management and
leadership. His most recent book "Management 21C: Someday We'll All Manage
This Way" (Financial Times - Prentice Hall, 2000) is a major
contribution in the field of management and praised by the best business
thinkers and CEOs, and taught by top business schools worldwide. He co-authored
two books on Quality Engineering with Japanese Quality Guru Dr. Genichi Taguchi
titled Robust Engineering, and The Mahalanobis-Taguchi System. In 1999-2000, he
served as Chairman of the American Society for Quality's Automotive Division. He
is also a fellow of the prestigious Royal Statistical Society.
Chowdhury lives with his wife Malini and daughter Anandi in Novi, Michigan.
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