Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address reported weaknesses with existing equipment reliability improvement methods through their integration into the Six-Sigma DMAIC methodology.

Design/methodology/approach – The evaluation was done by assessing the weaknesses of traditional methods such as reliability centered maintenance (RCM), evaluating what Six-Sigma could potentially offer to close the gaps, and testing potential improvements through an example application.

Findings – It is concluded that Six-Sigma addresses many RCM flaws and weaknesses. It is also concluded that Six-Sigma, if integrated with other reliability techniques, can produce results that are far more objective and dependable.

Research limitations/implications – Six-Sigma, however, still bears its own cons and limitations. It requires good data which are sometimes unavailable. Six-Sigma is also lengthier and consumes more resources per single problem since it focuses at one problem at a time.

Originality/value – The introduction of Six-Sigma into equipment reliability/maintenance applications is quite original since this methodology has traditionally been limited to manufacturing and only recently to administrative processes. The outcome is of significant value as it opens up a new perspective into the development of reliability improvement measures for plant equipment.