Johnson Controls began their Six Sigma initiative in October, 1999. Six Sigma is practiced worldwide throughout the organization to improve manufacturing as well as business processes. Over 2,000 employees have been trained to drive projects that “eliminate defects and mistakes, reduce waste, drive out excess cost, enhance work efficiency, and shorten work cycles – helping customers get their products faster”.

Johnson Controls Six Sigma program has matured to include DFSS (Design for Six Sigma) as well as a supplier Six Sigma training program – the tell-tale signs that Six Sigma is part of the DNA of an organization.

Savings and Benefits

2004 Annual Report (PDF)

“This year, we recognized the fifth anniversary of our Six Sigma program. While Six Sigma projects have generated more than $1 billion in cumulative savings, the value of the initiative is much greater. Six Sigma drives our quality and our execution so we can continue to differentiate ourselves and find additional ways to grow. I believe that our financial performance would not be what it is today if we hadn’t deployed Six Sigma when we did.”

2004 Sustainability Report (PDF)

“We have completed more than 10,500 Six Sigma quality improvement projects involving 9,000 employees in 24 countries. Customers are seeing the results in continuous quality improvements in our products and services. To build on that success, we launched a global Continuous Improvement initiative that embodies Six Sigma along with Lean Manufacturing and our own Best Business Practices program. These initiatives focus on customer satisfaction, efficiency improvements, resource minimization in the supply chain, and the sharing of best practices across our organization.”

Articles and Links

Six Sigma at Johnson Controls – Official Six Sigma page on Johnson Controls’ website

Final Thoughts: Johnson Controls (PDF) – ASQ Six Sigma Forum Magazine, February, 2005

Johnson Controls Six Sigma Annual Report (PDF) – October, 2002

Six Sigma in the Life Science Industry (PDF) – White paper written by Steve Hoisington, Vice President Quality and Customer Satisfaction, Johnson Controls, Inc., September, 2004

Design Focus: Starting off on the right foot – Modern Plastics Worldwide – DFSS article that quotes a Johnson Controls Black Belt – February 1, 2005