Sound Off: Will VoIP Disconnect the Phone Companies?

Fri Dec 19 09:24:29 PST 2003

December 19, 2003

Welcome to Sound Off: Taking Sides on Critical IT Issues

Each week, we'll deliver reports on the current thinking
among IT executives on hot-button issues, and we'll give
you the chance to Sound Off.

********************CURRENT DISCUSSION******************
Will VoIP Disconnect the Telephone Companies?
Practically all of the major telephone companies will soon
offer VoIP services. Can they compete in a strange new arena?
http://comment.cio.com/soundoff/121803.html

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****************SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS DISCUSSION***********
Six Sigma: Are You a Believer?
Even the most loyal fans of Six Sigma admit that it
is a rigorous and time-consuming methodology.
Is it really worth the effort? Tell us your story.
http://comment.cio.com/soundoff/121103.html

Based on the comments of our readers, Six Sigma really
works. Remarks were overwhelmingly positive. Some examples:

     Six Sigma is an "outside in" way of improving what you
     do today. This approach helps an organization to align
     improvements in its products and services with an objective
     to meet its customers needs. For example, in an automobile
     company Six Sigma can actually drive changes to design
     components of a vehicle which meet the desires and
     expectations of customers. However, Six Sigma should
     only be used where there is value. If you already know
     the root cause of a problem, go fix it, don't apply
     Six Sigma.

     Six Sigma represents a highly disciplined--hence somewhat
     restrictive--approach to continuous improvement of
     quality and productivity. It is an excellent approach
     to improving defined processes. It is of little value
     in dealing with uncontrolled processes or in product
     design without some major deviations from "normal"
     Six Sigma. It can make a good company better--if it
     involves active engagement from top to bottom including
     CEO--but it cannot make a weak company good.

     I am a certified green belt with a Fortune 500 company.
     I can see some amazing improvements in processes that
     have been broken for years, but I've also seen the tools
     of Six Sigma taken too far and used where it doesn't
     make sense. Doing everything within the Six Sigma framework
     has actually increased costs and the time it takes to
     do some things. Overall, I'd give it a thumbs up, just
     because it is making us look at all of our processes.
     Is it worth it? For now, yes. Long term? I doubt it.

And finally, a dissenter:

     Six Sigma is just Jack Welchified TQM. It is a senior
     management copout when faced with real process reengineering
     a la Michael Hammer. Yes, my company uses Six Sigma , and
     it claims major cost savings. My actual experiences, however,
     are the most bogus spreadsheets in the history of the planet,
     total focus on costs, not benefits, and ridiculous assumptions
     presented as facts - e.g. "MySQL is the functional equivalent
     of MS SQL Server (a sure sign of early brain death), and
     mafia-like accounting practices. In the Michael Hammer
     approach, most of the non value adding senior managers
     would lose their jobs - hence, Six Sigma.

Tell us your Six Sigma story.
http://comment.cio.com/soundoff/121103.html

Art Jahnke
Web Editorial Director, CIO.com
ajahnke at cio.com

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