The benefits of Six Sigma in industrial engineering

Industrial engineers work to eliminate waste of time, money, materials and other resources that do not generate value. Six Sigma is a set of tools and methods that will help industrial engineers make processes more efficient. Today we are talking about the benefits of Six Sigma in industrial engineering. 

The number of units produced, the number of defect possibilities per unit and the number of actual defects identified are the three fundamental elements of Six Sigma, which is based on data-driven methodology. 

Six Sigma has two main processes:

1. DMAIC (define, measure, analyse, improve, control) - typically applies to manufacturing or production and is used when improving existing processes.
2. DMADV (define, measure, analyse, design, verify) - used to create new processes and proves most applicable to customer relations. 

Engineers typically work in complex operations involving many different processes, people and projects. Industrial engineers that oversee large-scale manufacturing processes with an emphasis on improving their efficiency can benefit greatly from utilising DMAIC or DMADV methodologies.

Other areas of engineering include:

• Design engineers - usually working in the early stages of product development, design engineers seek errors in a product from the perspective of customer needs.
• Process engineers - much like industrial engineers, they oversee manufacturing processes, searching for ways to increase efficiency. 
• Systems engineers - they asses business processes at all levels, taking into account not only manufacturing efficiencies but also cost analysis and the distribution of resources across projects.

One of the main benefits of Six Sigma is that can it can help identify and eliminate waste in processes in terms of time, money, people, materials and such, that do not add value to the end customer or the organisation itself. By using data and statistical tools to measure, analyse, improve and control, Six Sigma can help reduce variation and defects in processes. Doing so helps to increase the quality and reliability of products and services, and reduces the cost of rework, scrap, warranty, and customer complaints. Furthermore, it can help deliver more value to customers, by understanding their needs and expectations and designing and delivering processes that meet or exceed them. 

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog post on the benefits of Six Sigma in industrial engineering. If you are thinking about studying abroad, take a look at our distance learning industrial engineering programme.