Founders of Russian Association Six Sigma first got interested in modern tools and techniques of business process improvement during late 1990s – early 2000s. In year 2003 they completed Six Sigma Black Belt courses with More Steam University and received the appropriate certificate from the American Society of Quality (ASQ).
Russian Association Six Sigma was founded in 2004 and started its operations with development of original training programs: introductory course, Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt courses.
В 2004 году была создана Ассоциация “Шесть сигм”, подготовлены первые собственные учебные программы: вводный курс, курс “Зеленых поясов” и курс для “Чемпионов” Шести сигм.
Association Six Sigma holds first seminars – mostly for Russian representative offices of foreign companies, including John Deere, Samsung, Nissan, Corning Inc., Velsicol Chemical Corp., Rhodia. First Russian companies to attend Six Sigma seminars were Megafon (North-Western region) and RUSAL (alumina refinery division). First implementation project took place in 2005 at the Rostar LLC plant in Dmitrov (part of Russian Aluminum, JSC). Another notable event was a travelling seminar in Akademgorodok in Novosibirsk.
In 2005 representatives of Russian Association Six Sigma attended European office of BMGi, which resulted in execution of a partnership agreement. On April 8, 2005 Russian Association Six Sigma alongside with BMGi held the first open seminar “Introduction to Six Sigma” in Moscow. Event took place in Moscow hotel Metropol, its major speaker was Mark Lansley, internationally acknowledged Six Sigma Master Black Belt.
March 30-31, 2006 Russian Association Six Sigma with the support of Marcus Evans organized the First International Conference “Six Sigma and Lean in CIS: Combination of Quality, Speed and Cost Cutting to Achieve Financial Success”. Conference featured participation of all major Lean and Six Sigma professionals from both Russia and foreign companies. Since then Association executives and members regularly participate in various events, dedicated to the continuous process improvement techniques both in Russia and abroad.
From the very beginning of its operations, Association had financed translation and publication of the major Six Sigma books by the leading international experts. Association took part in publication of “The Six Sigma Way: How General Electric, Motorola and Other Top Companies are Honing Their Performance”, “What is Six Sigma?” and “The Six Sigma Way Team Fieldbook: An Implementation Guide for Process Improvement Teams” by Peter S. Pande; “Lean + Six Sigma” and “Lean Six Sigma for Service” by Michael L. George, etc. In 2009 Alexandr Kazintsev, Vice-President of Russian Association Six Sigma, published his book “Six Sigma in Russia: Method to Decrease Losses, Defects and Costs”, which described the Six Sigma technology taking into account the experience and peculiarities of its application in Russia.
In 2011-2012 Russian Association Six Sigma paid special attention to widening its partnership network and attempting access wider markets. We established mutually beneficial cooperations with leading international consulting companies, such as Ernst&Young, BDO Russia; partnership and sponsorship agreement with Minitab – developer of statistical packages and solutions for Six Sigma implementation.
Lately Association paid special attention to studying international experience of deployments of continuous process improvement techniques, especially Lean Six Sigma. We have carefully studied the experience of Six Sigma education by the leading European and American universities and consulting companies, experience of Lean Six Sigma deployment in the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Army, NASA, NAVSEA and other companies and organizations. Knowledge received became the basis for our new training prorams: “Lean Six Sigma Turbo Green Belt” and “Lean Six Sigma Turbo Black Belt”, designed for accelerated education on Lean Six Sigma technology, focused on application of modern automated software and information technologies for data processing and process mapping.
Professionals of Russian Association Six Sigma currently participate in Six Sigma deployment projects in many large companies in banking, oil&gas, food processing, aviation, pharmaceutical, telecommunication, mass production and shipbuilding sectors.
