nerdexam
Six_Sigma

ICGB · Question #83

In the late 1980's William Smith coined the name Six Sigma for a methodology that had its origins at __________________ for quality related work being done there.

The correct answer is D. Motorola. Motorola (D) is correct because William Smith, a Motorola engineer, developed and named the Six Sigma methodology in the late 1980s while working to improve manufacturing quality at Motorola - the company even trademarked the term. The distractors are plausible because Allied…

Define

Question

In the late 1980's William Smith coined the name Six Sigma for a methodology that had its origins at __________________ for quality related work being done there.

Options

  • AHoneywell
  • BAllied Signal
  • CGeneral Electric
  • DMotorola

How the community answered

(20 responses)
  • A
    5% (1)
  • B
    5% (1)
  • C
    10% (2)
  • D
    80% (16)

Explanation

Motorola (D) is correct because William Smith, a Motorola engineer, developed and named the Six Sigma methodology in the late 1980s while working to improve manufacturing quality at Motorola - the company even trademarked the term.

The distractors are plausible because Allied Signal (B) and Honeywell (A) were early adopters of Six Sigma in the 1990s (and Honeywell eventually merged with Allied Signal), making them easy to confuse with the origin. General Electric (C) is perhaps the most common distractor because GE, under Jack Welch in the mid-1990s, famously scaled Six Sigma into a cultural phenomenon - but GE came after Motorola, not before.

Memory tip: Think "Six Sigma started with the letter M - Motorola, and the Man who named it was William SMith."

Topics

#Six Sigma history#Motorola#William Smith#methodology origins

Community Discussion

No community discussion yet for this question.

Full ICGB Practice