Interview Questions

How effective can we implement six sigma principles in a very large software services organization?

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How effective can we implement six sigma principles in a very large software services organization?


Answer1:
Effective way of implementing sixsigma.
there are quite a few things one needs
1. management buyin
2. dedicated team both drivers as well as adopters
3. training
4. culture building - if you have a pro process culture, life is easy
5. sustained effort over a period towards transforming, people, thoughts and actions Personally technical content is never a challenge, but adoption is a challenge.

Answer2:
"Six sigma" is a combination of process recommendations and mathematical model. The name "six sigma" reflects the notion of reducing variation so much that errors -- events out of tolerance -- are six standard deviations from a desired mean. The mathematics are at the core of the process implementation.
The problem is that software is not hardware. Software defects are designed in, not the result of manufacturing variation.
The other side of six sigma is the drive for continuous improvement. You don't need the six sigma math for this and the concept has been around long before the six sigma movement.
To improve anything, you need some type of indicator of its current state and a way to tell that it is improved. Plus determination to improve it. Management support helps.

Answer3:
There are different methodologies adopted in sixsigma. However, it is commonly referenced from the variance based approach. If you are trying to look at sixsigma from that, for software services, fundamentally the measurement system should be reliable - industry has not reached the maturity level of manufacturing industry where it fits to a T. The differences between SW and HW/manufacturing industry is slightly difficult to address.
There are some areas you can adopt sixsigma in its full statistical form(eg in-process error rate, productivity improvements etc), some areas are difficult.
The narrower the problem area is, the better it gets even in software services to address adopting the statistical method.
There are methodologies that have a bundle of tools,along with statistical techniques, are used on the full SDLC.
A generic observation is ,SS helps if we look for proper fitment of methodology for the purpose. Else doubts creep in

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