Information Technology and Six SigmaExclusive iSixSigma Magazine Research

Information Technology and Six Sigma – Exclusive iSixSigma Magazine Research

Because of the drive for automation in business and the push to digitize processes, it is not unreasonable to expect that many, if not most, of the business improvement efforts that companies undertake involve technology to achieve the desired result. Likewise, given the ubiquity of IT capabilities in business – email, customer-facing websites, employee desktop support, etc. – the IT department seems a likely place to reap the benefits of Six Sigma.

However, in both respects, the findings of this iSixSigma Magazine research suggest something different. Survey respondents indicated far more often that solutions identified in Six Sigma projects are not technology based. And the majority of respondents said their company infrequently utilizes Six Sigma to improve IT processes.

956 Number of total survey respondents

55 Percent of respondents who reported that IT is a staff function in their company

45 Percent of respondents who said IT is a strategic component of business in their company

17 Percent of respondents who said their company always or usually uses Six Sigma to improve IT processes

50 Percent of respondents who reported that their company rarely or never uses Six Sigma to improve IT processes

31 Percent of respondents who reported that no Six Sigma BBs or MBBs are allocated to IT in their company

21 Percent of respondents who reported that IT personnel at their company are usually included on Six Sigma teams

58 Percent of respondents who reported that IT project development methodologies
(e.g., SDLC, CMMI, PSP) are not integrated with Six Sigma methodologies

55 Percent of respondents who reported that between 1 and 25 percent of Six Sigma projects at their company are IT related

1 Percent of respondents who reported that IT is a staff function in their company and that Six Sigma is always used to improve IT processes.

Critical findings of this exclusive benchmarking research include:

FINDING 1: Overall, Six Sigma is not frequently used to improve information technology processes.

FINDING 2: The extent to which Six Sigma is applied to information technology has to do with the role IT plays in a company – a staff function or a strategic component.

FINDING 3: The longer a company has been using Six Sigma, the greater the likelihood that the company has integrated Six Sigma with IT.

FINDING 4: Technology is not always the solution, and when it is, the solution often is not implemented.

More findings and all the figures and details are in this exclusive iSixSigma Magazine research study. Subscribe today to receive your personal copy.

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