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Six Sigma provides a quantitive methodology of continuous (process) improvement and cost reduction, by reducing the amount of variation in process outcomes.
The production of a product, be it a tangible product like a car or a more abstract product like a service, consists of a series of processes. All processes consist of a series of steps, events, or activities. Six Sigma measures every step of the process by breaking apart the elements within each process, identifying the critical characteristics, defining and mapping the related processes, understanding the capability of each process, discovering the weak links, and then upgrading the capability of the process. It is only by taking these steps that a business can raise the high-water mark of its performance.
IT is now a fundamental part of business and business processes; this book demonstrates how IT can be made to work as an enabler to better business processes, and how the Six Sigma approach can be used to provide a consistent framework for measuring process outcomes.
ITIL defines the what of Service Management; Six Sigma defines the how of process improvement; together they are a perfect fit of improving the quality of IT service delivery and support. The Six Sigma approach also provides measures of process outcomes, and prescribes a consistent approach in how to use these metrics.
This Pocket guide, provides a coherent view and guidance for using the Six Sigma approach successfully in IT service organisations. It particularly aims to merge ITIL and Six Sigma into a single approach for continuous improvement of IT service organizations.
List of contents
Introduction
What is Six Sigma?
Aligning Six Sigma with ITIL
Summary
1 Why Six Sigma for IT Service Management?
The importance of quality management
Six Sigma for TQM
What is Service Management?
IT Service Management and Six Sigma
Summary
2 What is Six Sigma?
Definition of Six Sigma
Example: Time to fix a customer call about a defective laptop
Reduce variation
DMAIC walk-through
3 Combining Six Sigma and ITIL
What is ITIL?
Why Six Sigma complements ITIL
Integrating Six Sigma with ITIL: important considerations
Integrating Six Sigma and ITIL Processes: three possible scenarios
Summary
4 A Six Sigma approach to IT process improvement
IT processes in improving business services
The IT process improvement approach
The Six Sigma approach to IT process improvement
Six Sigma in the IT process improvement phases
5 IT process improvement - the project approach
IT process mapping
Summary
Appendix A: Six Sigma Glossary
Appendix B: Managing the Six Sigma project in practice
Appendix C: Techniques that can be used in ITSM Six Sigma projects
