Fundamentals of Lean Six Sigma

A journey from statistical origins to global standard for excellence.

1986

Origins at Motorola

Bill Smith developed the Six Sigma metric at Motorola to meet the need for exponential improvement in Quality. The process capability index had been used in Japan for process analysis since the 1970s.

1990s

Global Expansion

While Motorola deployed Six Sigma through its Research Institute, other US giants like Compaq and IBM invested heavily to develop their own statistical methodologies.

1997-99

Standardisation by ASQ

The American Society for Quality (ASQ) developed a common Six Sigma body of knowledge. This program was launched globally in 2000, forming the root of most modern Lean Six Sigma courses.

2000s

Lean Six Sigma Today

Most Lean Six Sigma courses offered today have their roots in the ASQ program. The methodology continues to evolve, integrating process mining, analytics, and AI into improvement work.

"Most of the Lean Six Sigma courses offered today have their roots in the ASQ program launched globally in 2000."