Six Sigma Economics | Product Design and Development.

I’m all for spreading the word about Six Sigma, but some authors get a little bit silly about it. This article is a case in point. The article is a very interesting analysis of the news that the stock market, as measured by various indexes, has improved a great deal in recent weeks. The stock prices of most leading manufacturers has risen markedly in such industries as automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical devices. In some instances, the improvements are quite remarkable. Since March 10 Ford’s stock price has doubled and Radio Shack has nearly doubled. More significantly, leading indicators such as the Purchasing Manager’s Index,  employment, order backlogs and inventories have also improved. In short, things are looking up, at least at the moment.

My argument is not with the good news, which I welcome. It’s with the headline. What does any of this have to do with Six Sigma? As far as I can tell, nothing at all. In a world full of people who find Six Sigma to be abstruse and difficult to comprehend, headlines like this one can only add to the confusion.