iSixSigma honors top Lean Six Sigma programs, projects

iSixSigma, the leading provider of content for the Six Sigma community through its websites, iSixSigma Magazine and live events, honored the winners and finalists of outstanding Six Sigma programs and projects recently at the iSixSigma Live! Summit in Miami.

iSixSigma.com and iSixSigma Magazine sponsored the competition, which received nearly 50 nominations from around the world. A team of certified Six Sigma Belts used a systematic and structured process to evaluate the entries in three categories – Most Successful Lean Six Sigma Start-up Program, Most Successful Re-energized Lean Six Sigma Program and Largest-Breakthrough Improvement Projects.

"All of the finalists exhibited 'breakthrough' improvements based on several specific criteria," said Jeannine Hall, director of events for iSixSigma.

To qualify for the competition, programs must have had a minimum return on investment (ROI) of 5x; projects must have delivered a 90 percent reduction in defects, a minimum $250,000 and 5x or more ROI, and a minimum 2-sigma increase in process sigma level.

Here are iSixSigma's program and project finalists and winners by category:

Most Successful Lean Six Sigma Start-up Program

Winner: EMCON Technologies

Finalists:Akron Children's Hospital; Erie County Government of New York State; U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) G-3/5/7 Distributed Learning Directorate

Most Successful Re-energized Lean Six Sigma Program

Winner: Hertel

Finalist: Department of the Army, Program Executive Office (PEO), Missiles and Space

Largest-Breakthrough Improvement Projects

Customer Service Winner: Sutherland Global Services – “Reduction of Critical Error Rate”

Finalists: Betfair; Sutherland Global Services; U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command

Supply Chain Winner: Vought Aircraft Industries – “C-17 Lead Time Reduction”

Finalists:General Electric Co., ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

Transactional Winner: Sutherland Global Services – “Reduction in Abandonment Rate %”

Finalists: Sutherland Global Services; Syntel Inc.

Manufacturing Honorable Mention: U.S. Navy, Naval Surface Warfare Center – “Submarine Valve Regulated Lead Acid Battery DMAIC Project”

"iSixSigma congratulates all the finalists and winners, and is honored to recognize the hard work and effort these companies and individuals have invested to achieve breakthrough improvement," said Jessica Harper, editor-in-chief of iSixSigma.