Fourth, executives need to directly participate in improvement projects not just "support" them .... By observing the successes and failures of improvement programs firsthand, rather than relying on someone else's interpretation, executives can make more accurate assessments as to which ones are worth continuing.
For Discussion
1. What are the key reasons the Six Sigma initiatives failed at this aerospace firm? Explain.
2. How can the balanced scorecard and strategy mapping process be used to increase the success of Six Sigma initiatives? Discuss.
3. Which of the three levels of control were missing from these process-improvement initiatives? Provide examples to support your conclusions.
4. Thinking back to what you learned about teams (Chapter 13) and organizational change (Chapter 10), what would you have done differently if you were leading these process-improvement initiatives? Explain.
5. What are the most important takeaways from this case? Explain your rationale.