I do business with a GE division. In the last month, I have had 3 incorrect invoices (documents that bill me MORE than the scale ticket indicates), two shipments rejected by my receiving plant because simple warehouse and trucking procedures weren't followed (seals on trucks, trucks clean, seal numbers on bills of lading) damaged shipments. We also had various product quality issues with these shipments. And these represent 100% of the business I did with GE in October. And this division is teaching our company the joys of 6 sigma. Oh, did I mention that this division recently had a manpower reduction? Obviously the six sigma culture isn't transferred on to the remaining employees who get bumped into new or extra duties or training is lacking. Funny, but in our training, they just told us that six sigma is so strong that even in downsizing the culture is so strong that people take the approach with them as they begin to tackle new assignments. Yeah.....sure!
That's not to say that there isn't merit to 6 sigma. But the GE approach is as much about error reduction and improvement as it is in selling 6 sigma as a product offering. But frankly, if my key customer would approve a competitors product offering (and that's in the process) I would be telling GE goodbye.
Now that I think of it I purchased a USB computer mouse by GTE and have yet to find a computer on which it will work.
So much for "Six Sigma" and/or TQM.