Power of Six Sigma

Rating:
Summary: A great primer on Six Sigma
Review: OK, so the first book I bought was "Six Sigma, The Breakthrough Management Strategy..." and I barely got through half of it. They pretty much sold me on the idea that it was an effective program, but did a poor job explaining what Six Sigma is and how to apply it.

"The Power of Six Sigma", however, is a great introduction to Six Sigma. It's a quick and easy read that gives you a clear idea of what Six Sigma is and how it can help an organization. Better yet, the final chapters give an example of a Six Sigma program being implemented.

When I first heard that it was written as a conversation between 2 friends, I sort of cringed. But I was surprised to find that the book flowed very well, contained lots of information and didn't overdo it on the "fluffy" conversation.

Now, this will not make you an expert on Six Sigma, but it is an excellent starting point and gives you a clear answer to the question "What is Six Sigma and how can it be implimented?"

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!! Finally A Book on Six Sigma for All of Us
Review: Six Sigma is a NEW management initiative which has been successful in GE, Allied Signal etc. I always wanted to learn about the subject; and bought 2 previously published books on Six Sigma and all are DIFFICULT to understand as I am not from Quality field. I always embrace any book which explains in a simple tone.

The Power of Six Sigma is an EXCELLENT book that explains the complex subject in a non-threatning way for anyone to understand. The book reminded me 3 books: "THE GOAL", WHO MOVED MY CHEESE" or "FISH". If someone wants to understand what is the true power behind Six Sigma, please READ THIS BOOK. This is a STORY BOOK, which is for blue collars to white collars - for everyone.

All the organizations which are implementing Six Sigma MUST ADOPT THIS BOOK and MUST DISTRIBUTE THIS BOOK to EVERY EMPLOYEE. I mean every employee. I emphasize EVERYONE - because successful implementation of any major initiatives depend on everyone's acceptance. This Book WILL work as A CATALYST.

I strongly RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.

Rating:
Summary: A good primer
Review: So many books about this topic are dry and formulaic. In the style of Who Stole My Cheese, this book allows the reader to understand the basics of this approach to better business without drowning him in detail. This book gives just enough to allow one to understand a conversation on the topic and to decide whether or not to pursue more technical reading or outside assistance.

This is a quick read and worth the time.

Rating:
Summary: Informative and Entertaining for ALL Audiences
Review: The IDEAL book for communicating to employees how a typical Six Sigma program works. Using this book as a vehicle for communicating the goals, organization structures and mechanics of a Six Sigma program will give you the best bang for the buck of any communication alternatives.

I wish that we had this book six months ago when we started!

Rating:
Summary: Don't Waste your Money
Review: The only good thing about this book is that it is easy to read and only takes a couple of hours to read it. (Probably as long as the author took to write it). Proclaimed as Six Sigma's version of "The Goal", it bares no comparison either as a novel or as an introduction to the ideas of Six Sigma. Three pages at the end of the book summarise the little that is covered. There are far better books on Six Sigma available. I don't recommend you buy this one.

Rating:
Summary: Very informative and fun to read
Review: The Power of Six Sigma is extremely well written and gets directly to the point of what six sigma is and why it is important. Chowdhury's clever storybook approach to six sigma fundamentals is very informative, fun to read, and easily worth the investment. He has adeptly made a complex subject clear, entertaining, engaging and relevant.

Rating:
Summary: Short powerful intro to Six Sigma
Review: The Power of Six Sigma is written in story form. If you know nothing about six sigma this is a great book for picking up the salient details in a compact format. This is an engaging read. You will not be bored with tons of statistics, but will quickly understand the most import concepts of six sigma and why it is so important.

The Power of Six Sigma lays out the roles, goals and essence of six sigma projects in a compact and understandable format. A great introduction to six sigma. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Good Overview of the Six Sigma Concept
Review: The Power of Six Sigma provides a very accessible way to get a basic understanding of the six sigma concept. Presented as a discussion between a failed manager at an `old-style' management division and a shooting star at a six sigma division of a food company, the book outlines the six sigma concept and provides fictional examples of how the six sigma process can help in real-life situations.

The book is written as a primer for those who are considering using six sigma within their organization as well as for those participating as black belts (six sigma trained implementers), project sponsors or participating workers (called green belts). It identifies the rewards possible both for the organization and the implementers, and makes a strong case for trying it.

If you're looking for a brief, easy-to-read, overview this book fits the bill. If you are looking for instructions on how to lead a six sigma project, this book may serve as a good introduction, but does not contain the depth necessary to actually implement six sigma.

Rating:
Summary: Good Overview of the Six Sigma Concept
Review: The Power of Six Sigma provides a very accessible way to get a basic understanding of the six sigma concept. Presented as a discussion between a failed manager at an 'old-style' management division and a shooting star at a six sigma division of a food company, the book outlines the six sigma concept and provides fictional examples of how the six sigma process can help in real-life situations.

The book is written as a primer for those who are considering using six sigma within their organization as well as for those participating as black belts (six sigma trained implementers), project sponsors or participating workers (called green belts). It identifies the rewards possible both for the organization and the implementers, and makes a strong case for trying it.

If you're looking for a brief, easy-to-read, overview this book fits the bill. If you are looking for instructions on how to lead a six sigma project, this book may serve as a good introduction, but does not contain the depth necessary to actually implement six sigma.

Rating:
Summary: Simple intro to a complex subject
Review: This book is a valuable reference to those trying to understand the subject of six sigma. It is definitely not meant to be an all-encompassing reference on the subject, yet it is an important primer (yes, PRIMER) for those who wanto to understand six sigma. Many people immediately skip to the intricate details of six sigma without understanding what is ultimately the PURPOSE of six sigma, and hence fail to fully understand the subject.
The book is written in the first person story form about a man trying to understand from his colleague what six sigma is, how it is implemented, and who are the major players. At the beginning the terminology might be slightly confusing, but it becomes clearer towards the end as the author provides some helpful examples. As I said, will not make you an expert on the complexities of six sigma, but it will provide a useful introduction and will clear many misconceptions that you might have about the subject. The book is brief (shouldnt take anyone more than 3 days to read), well written in simple and logical order.