THE SIX SIGMA SYSTEM IN RELATION TO THE BUSINESS' STRATEGY AND PRIORITIES

Now more than ever, corporations the world over are scrambling to redefine the processes, techniques, and strategies they need to survive in an age of uncertainty. Businesses today seek an effective corporate performance measurement system to maximize the bottom line. With the advent of the Internet, ongoing globalization, and standardization in management systems, business leaders must focus on how to measure performance to monitor their continued viability and success. Many existing performance measurement systems were designed to support business practices and to monitor progress. With shrinking margins and competitive pressures, however, corporate performance measurement systems must do more than monitor. They must identify opportunities for optimizing profitability and growth, without pitting one against the other. The idea is to use performance measures to add value, instead of simply measuring for a formality. The Six Sigma method is not only a trendy "new solution", it is not a business whim linked to a single method or strategy - the study trying to draw attention to the fact that Six Sigma is a flexible system to improve the management and the performance of companies. The research paper seeks to demonstrate that the Six Sigma method refers to both the passion for customer service and a drive for new ideas, and to statistics and processing numbers, finding application in the fields of marketing, services, human resources, finance and sales, as well as in production and engineering.