Six Sigma was developed by Motorola in the 1980s as a total quality management approach. It is comparable to Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award of the U.S. or the European Quality Award . However, Six Sigma places more demands on a company and its organization than the aforementioned systems. The difference is that Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award of the U.S. and European Quality Award provide a framework, but do not describe how to develop and implement a Total Quality Management system in detail. The goal of Six Sigma is a shift in thinking throughout the organization. The core of the Six Sigma approach is the continuous improvement of Total Quality Management and the substantial improvement of business results.It is a metric for quality management that strives for perfection.The Six Sigma principle strives for strategies based on quantitative measurement that seek to optimize processes, limit variation or scatter, and eliminate defects or quality problems of all kinds. It does this by combining established quality assurance techniques with simple and higher level methods of data analysis and systematic training of employees at all levels of an organization. To implement Six Sigma, a structure and a teamwith defined roles and responsibilities is needed in the company. Source: www.quality.de See also: Total Quality Management Quality Management