Leading Six Sigma: A Step-by-Step Guide Based on Experience with GE and Other Six Sigma Companies

The Push for Tangible Benefits

Jack had given the businesses investment money to backfill MBBs and Black Belts, conduct training, and so on, and by 1997 he was expecting a payoff. To reinforce the point, he announced that 40 percent of bonuses paid to managers would be tied to Six Sigma results. This certainly got people's attention, and the money began to roll in seriously in 1997. The official numbers for 1997 were $400 million invested, $700 million saved. Recall that all of these numbers were rigorously audited—no creative accounting was involved.

In 1997, GE also began to place heavier focus on three initiatives that had begun in 1996: commercial quality (CQ) applications, creation of Green Belts (GBs), and Design for Six Sigma (DFSS). As ...