Information Technology and Six Sigma Research Report

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Because of the drive for automation in business and the push to digitize processes, it is not unreasonable to expect that many, if not most, of the business improvement efforts that companies undertake involve technology to achieve the desired result. Likewise, given the ubiquity of IT capabilities in business – email, customer-facing websites, employee desktop support, etc. – the IT department seems a likely place to reap the benefits of Six Sigma.

However, in both respects, the findings of this iSixSigma Magazine research suggest something different. Survey respondents indicated far more often that solutions identified in Six Sigma projects are not technology based. And the majority of respondents said their company infrequently utilizes Six Sigma to improve IT processes.

• 956: Number of total survey respondents
  
• 55: Percent of respondents who reported that IT is a staff function in their company.
  
• 45: Percent of respondents who said IT is a strategic component of business in their company.
  
• 17: Percent of respondents who said their company always or usually uses Six Sigma to improve IT processes.
  
• 50: Percent of respondents who reported that their company rarely or never uses Six Sigma to improve IT processes.
  
• 31: Percent of respondents who reported that no Six Sigma BBs or MBBs are allocated to IT in their company.
  
• 21: Percent of respondents who reported that IT personnel at their company are usually included on Six Sigma teams.
  
• 58: Percent of respondents who reported that IT project development methodologies (e.g., SDLC, CMMI, PSP) are not integrated with Six Sigma methodologies.
  
• 55: Percent of respondents who reported that between 1 and 25 percent of Six Sigma projects at their company are IT related.
  
• 1: Percent of respondents who reported that IT is a staff function in their company and that Six Sigma is always used to improve IT processes.