Six Sigma is not an easy concept to get your mind around. Green Belts, Black Belts, VOC (Voice of the Customer), DFSS (Designed for Six Sigma), experiments, statistical data analysis—it’s enough to drive the average person crazy. What does it all mean? How does it affect my job and me? Are we being reengineered, downsized, right-sized, outsized?

When upper management starts spouting acronyms, the rank and file understandably gets nervous. Introduction to Business Process Improvement is an overview of Six Sigma that strips away the math, the acronyms, and the management mystique to deliver exactly what Six Sigma is: business process improvement.

After the Greek

Six Sigma, when you remove the Greek and pare it down to its fundamental concepts, is nothing more than a road map to success. It provides a step-by-step process, almost in checklist form, to improve your business. The course has captured the essence of the concept and put together a lighthearted simulation that gets all the major points across without the scary stuff.

In the style and tone of the original business fables, Introduction to Business Process Improvement walks you through the essence of Six Sigma in a Jetsons-like landscape. The cartoon format provides a non-threatening, relaxed foundation for the concepts that follow. The language, visuals, animation, and situations are all guaranteed to make you chuckle as you learn. I’m sure that the color scheme was designed to be mood-enhancing as well, but it strikes me as artificial and contrived. (A little too pastel for my taste.) The characterization of the three principal players is a bit stilted and formulaic, but it’s good to see women in power positions.

The program takes you though the trials of a fictitious company, All-Star Robotics (ASTRO), and their troubled product, Robomow, a robot lawn mower. You meet the team and start digging for solutions, all the while learning the key principles of Six Sigma and chuckling constantly along the way. Each key point is explained in down-to-earth terms and is followed up with an enactment within the simulation.

The voiceovers are professionally done, easy to understand, and well paced. The table of contents keeps track of where you are in the course and allows easy movement between chapters. The glossary at the bottom of each screen is context-sensitive for each screen shot. Sound quality wasn’t a problem even on my archaic speakers. You can turn the audio off if you wish to keep the simulation totally visual. There’s enough interactive movement within the program to satisfy most kinesthetic learners, in addition to the ample audio and visual stimulation for auditory and visual learners. But the best part of the program is that it’s just plain fun.

System requirements

Operating System:	Macintosh  Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0, 2000 or XP
Web Browser:	Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher; Netscape Navigator 4.79 or higher with Flash 6 Player; Netscape Navigator 6.2 or higher with Flash 6 Player
Processor:	Pentium III 500 Mhz or faster
Sound:	Speakers or headphones (audio can be disabled)
Memory:	128 MB
Bandwidth:	56 kbps modem or faster (CD-ROM Available)

Be aware that the program pops up in a separate window; if you’re using a popup blocker, the blank screen that greets you after clicking on the URL may catch you by surprise. The product is SCORM 1.1 and 1.2 compliant and integrates with leading LMS platforms. Short online tutorials explain to the learner how to use aspects of the program. Phone and email support are provided to corporate buyers.

As a simulation, the program is simplistic at best. The company offers other products that provide simulation veracity, but that isn’t the focus of this program. Business Process Improvement is designed to get the basics of Six Sigma out to a workforce that is diverse in breadth as well as depth of knowledge, and it does that splendidly. It’s useful to both executives and hourly employees.

Recommendation

If your company has never been involved with lean manufacturing, defect reduction, or TQM, is just starting a Six Sigma initiative, and must train large numbers of employees, buy this program. Or, if you just want an easy-to-understand primer of Six Sigma, this is it. For the ease of use, lighthearted tone, and fundamental practicality of the program, it’s a bargain at this price. The course gets the Six Sigma message across without a lot of acronyms and math, and that’s perfect for the statistically challenged or computer-hesitant workforce.

Introduction to Business Process Improvement
Holds user interest	3
Production quality	3.5
Interactivity	2.5
Value of content	3.5
Instructional value	3.5
Value for the money	4
Overall rating	3