IT Business Edge interviewedme last month regarding the results of the survey “Information Technology and Six Sigma” published in the 2006 May/June issue of iSixSigma Magazine. The interview was only three questions but that was enough to elaborate on a fewkey findings in the research.

For those of you who do not receive iSixSigma Magazine, the interview plus the executive summary of the research provide a good overview of the findings. Below is one of the questions from the interview dealing with the relationship between Six Sigma and IT management:

Question: Your survey found that 86 percent of respondents who “always” use Six Sigma to improve IT processes were companies that see IT as a key part of corporate strategy. What does this tell us about Six Sigma and its relationship to IT management?

Marx: Six Sigma and IT management are closely related. The management principles that define a successful Six Sigma initiative also define a successful IT initiative. Six Sigma is most effective — in terms of results, buy-in, lasting change — when it is linked to a company’s strategic priorities and goals. The same is true with IT. If you are an IT manager in a company for which IT is central to the business strategy, you’ll want to be a champion of Six Sigma. Six Sigma and IT are both means for executing business strategy. IT management can be influential in both the development and the execution of strategy.