Six sigma measurement in a service organisation

Six sigma was developed in manufacturing industry and provides a structured approach to business improvement focusing on customers’ needs, data collection and analysis. Recently six sigma has become popular in service organisations with some high profile success stories being reported e.g. GE Capital. We report research into the implementation of six sigma in an Australian financial institution. We explain how the performance management system was developed and used. The organisation has committed significant resources to the six sigma program and have addressed many of the critical issues for successful implementation. An integrated approach was used to develop the performance measurement system alongside a workflow system. Current results indicate that the six sigma program is likely to achieve its objectives.