State of Mind Leadership

As Six Sigma quality and process efficiency becomes less of a differentiator, understanding the voice of customers, constituencies, and markets will become a critical tool to master. ...

... "In the new normal, says Clifton, the old ways of doing business won't work anymore. The men and women who will conquer this new world will be the ones who best understand their constituencies' state of mind. " ...

Via Gallup: Next Generation Leaders

Google Voice of the Customer VOC Design Criteria

Google plans to launch an operating system in direct competition with Microsoft. The company is targeting netbook computers, as soon as 2010 and will collaborate with the open source community to meet the aggressive launch window. The voice of the customer is clear in Google's design criteria. ...

... "We hear a lot from our users and their message is clear — computers need to get better. People want to get to their email instantly, without wasting time waiting for their computers to boot and browsers to start up. They want their computers to always run as fast as when they first bought them. They want their data to be accessible to them wherever they are and not have to worry about losing their computer or forgetting to back up files. Even more importantly, they don't want to spend hours configuring their computers to work with every new piece of hardware, or have to worry about constant software updates. And any time our users have a better computing experience, Google benefits as well by having happier users who are more likely to spend time on the Internet. " ...

Via Official Google Blog: Chrome OS

DFSS Discovers Hidden Customer Needs

Various types of innovation are discussed. Innovative ideas must be generated and shaped into achievable concepts. Understanding the voice of the customer and hidden customer needs can be improved by leveraging the DFSS process. ...

... "The process begins by first understanding that there are hidden customers who must be discovered, and then working together to find the best way to satisfy their needs. Today, the Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) is a systematic methodology to provide the means to attain new services and innovative designs. " ...

Via American Society for Training & Development: Innovation

Six Sigma Tax Process Uses VOC

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea recognizes government entities for their efficiency and stewardship ...

... "Six sigma quality is applied to make tax assessments more accurate, and the Voice of Customer (VOC) system is in place to listen to taxpayer complaints and transform them into a foundation for directing administrative policies. " ...

Via Korean Times: Korean Government

Voice of Customer: Key to Continuous Improvement and Innovation

Do continuous improvement programs stifle innovation? Not if they embrace the voice of the customer and leverage customer input in the product development process. Marketplace competition increasingly involves new value chains that require collaboration across enterprises. ...

... "Whatever the process, be it Stage-Gate, Six Sigma, the Lean Methodology, or a combination thereof, the concept of continuous improvement is generally at its core. The best industrial innovators, irrespective of their size, constantly ask themselves questions such as: What do our customers want? " ...

Via E-Commerce News: Customer Feedback

Innovation Six-Sigma Collision Course

Are Six Sigma and innovation in competition with one another? At some companies, yes. However, Six Sigma brings some tools to the innovation table --- the Voice of the Customer, the House of Quality, DFSS, Design of Experiments (DOE), etc. Let's find an equilibrium to leverage the best of both. ...

... "By its very nature, Six Sigma fosters a very low tolerance for risk because risk increases variation. Innovation, on the other hand, seeks to brave undiscovered, uncertain territory. " ...

Via Business Week: Six Sigma at Odds with Innovation?