Similarities and Differences in Implementation of Quality Frameworks in Manufacturing and Service Sector
Introduction
A production defect in a company like GE (General Electric) might result in that specific product or the part being removed from the assembly line and not sent out as finished product.
However, in the service sector, a process error might prove to be costly as in the case of the JPMC or Citigroup (banking or financial services company that have adopted Six Sigma) where the leverage for each transaction is more and hence an error in a process can be magnified several times.
A literature review of the differences between adopting Six Sigma for manufacturing and services yields the finding that there are four things to consider before service organizations adopt Six Sigma as a way of life in their organizations.
Key Similarities and Differences between Manufacturing and Service Sectors
Leadership Practices
The leadership and management practices that have been found to have contributed to the successful implementation of the quality frameworks would be analyzed in this section. As the case study pertaining to the Dow Chemical implementation of Six Sigma framework shows, there needs to be sustained focus on the goals and objectives that have been set for the Six Sigma implementation.
The analysis of the Case Study of Dow Chemical shows how the leadership implemented a Staircase of Change Leadership model that has the ten attributes progressing from each step starting with the enunciation of vision and culminating in the success step of the staircase that represents the pinnacle of achievement for Dow.
Case Study of Dow Chemical
The Dow Staircase of Change Leadership consists of the following steps: Vision, Values, Attitude, Language, Behaviours, Best Practices, Articulated Strategy, Implementation, Culture Change and Success. The emphasis at each step of the model is to have a coherent strategy to implement Six Sigma and ensure that it is driven from the top as well as embraced by the bottom.
In short a combination of top driven and bottom-up strategies that enunciate a clear vision to be the leader in achieving Six Sigma compliance is the focus of the model as followed by Dow Chemicals.
The key points about this model are the emphasis on terminology that is unique to the framework and its implementation (the language step), the necessary behaviours that are needed to be followed by each employee and which were communicated as part of road shows and the adoption of best practices from across the industry and customizing them to the specific case of Dow Chemicals.
Case Study of Doosan Company
The other case study that is being analyzed for Leadership practices is the one that has been followed by the Doosan Company in South Korea. Under the six-sigma framework adopted by Doosan, there are five elements in the model that are aligned with each other in pursuit of the objective of quality excellence.
The five elements that Doosan incorporates in its model are
An analysis of the elements reveals the fact that each of them cannot function without the cooperation and collaboration of the other and a coordinated and synchronous approach towards pursuing the Six Sigma framework is what gives Doosan the edge over its competitors.
Related Articles
- Elements of Total Quality Management
- Total Quality Management Models
- Quality Management Tools
- What is Kaizen ?
- Role of Managers in TQM

Authorship/Referencing - About the Author(s)
The article is Written By Prachi Juneja and Reviewed By Management Study Guide Content Team. MSG Content Team comprises experienced Faculty Member, Professionals and Subject Matter Experts. We are a ISO 2001:2015 Certified Education Provider. To Know more, click on About Us. The use of this material is free for learning and education purpose. Please reference authorship of content used, including link(s) to ManagementStudyGuide.com and the content page url.