Implementation of Six Sigma at Motorola to Revitalize the Production

Lean Implementation Case Report
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Lean Implementation Case Report
Streamlining the internal operations is something that every business entity needs bearing the associated benefits. Business organizations are currently engaged in the race to deliver high-quality products while also operating at lower production costs. Finding a balance between cost and quality is a primary challenge that most organizations have been forced to address in the dynamic operational environment where consumers keep demanding the best outcomes. One of the business entities that faced the dilemma of developing a match between cost management and quality production was Motorola. Motorola was an American company that operated in the telecommunications industry with a focus on business portfolios, including network equipment development, video recorders, as well as voice and data communications. The telecommunication industry is a highly dynamic and competitive one, a prospect that steered Motorola into advancing cost-effective operations while achieving the required quality and customer satisfaction indices. This paper explores the implementation of six sigma at Motorola as a strategic tool to revitalize the production. The analysis of the six sigma production policy at Motorola is vital in understanding the implementation process, associated projects, and the outcomes that define the success or failure of such a strategic move.
The Motivation
Motorola decided to implement six sigma as a process of operational improvement following the changes in the needs of their consumers and advancements in competition. Every business organization understands the need to improve its profitability index if it has to stay relevant in the operational environment (Papic et al., 2017). Profit-making is only achievable if the business entity is focused on managing all the other costs through the production lines. The move to implement the six sigma protocols at Motorola began in the 1970s when Motorola’s Quasar television unit was acquired by a Japanese company (Leduc, 2008). The new management began implementing drastic changes aimed at restructuring the factory operations from the ground up. The motivation was to eliminate the defects that would compromise the quality of the television sets while also increasing their production costs. Immediately after restructuring, the Quasar television factory began producing products with a one-twentieth defects rate compared to before the restructuring (Kulach, 2013). The challenging aspect of the outcomes was that the company had maintained its key aspects, including design work, machinery, and workforce. The motivation to implement the six sigma protocol, hence, focused on reducing defects on products with minimum changes on the production line, a move that would steer minimum costs and high profitability index attainments.
The Digital Six Sigma Project
The digital six sigma project is among the most monumental changes in business operations implemented by Motorola at the onset of this century. Motorola had pioneered the traditional six sigma inputs as early as 1986 (Leduc, 2008). With the implementation of a new production architecture came the required efficiency...