According to a report from benchmarking leader Best Practices LLC, successful Six-Sigma initiatives share three common characteristics: implementation teams led by senior executives, well-organized training programs, and the ability to create a corporate culture that values objective performance measurement. Companies that attempt to implement Six Sigma initiatives without addressing these three areas are far less likely to reap the rewards enjoyed by successful Six Sigma programs.

"Building Six Sigma Excellence: A Case Study of GE," available at www.BenchmarkingReports.com, examines how Six Sigma programs have been applied to nearly every business function including manufacturing, customer service and finance. The most successful initiatives eliminate redundancy, minimize hand-offs and track metrics that reflect satisfactory performance in the eyes of the customer. For example, a Master Black Belt at one company profiled in the report discovered that call center service representatives were inaccessible 24 percent of the time. After implementing Six Sigma initiatives, the company now boasts a 99 percent access rate for customers seeking to speak with a CSR on their first call.

The best practices, managerial insights and benchmark metrics in "Building Six Sigma Excellence: A Case Study of GE" are drawn from research on world- class companies that have implemented Six Sigma programs. Project analysts identified the key drivers in achieving Six Sigma success:

• Winning executive support for Six Sigma initiatives.
• Linking Six Sigma with succession planning.
• Defining critical objectives for the Six Sigma program.
• Demonstrating the impact of quality initiatives on customers.

"Any time there is a top-down program like Six Sigma, especially in a large company, you need enthusiastic implementation to overcome resistance," said Keith Symmers, Vice President of Best Practices, LLC.