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42 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2025 enhancing customer satisfaction. Total Quality Management (TQM) has become an umbrella term for various quality improve- ment efforts with various methodologies devel- oped to drive improve- ments and quality. Toyota's practice of Kaizen is based on the genesis of the word: "Kai" means change, and "zen" means good. Lean, Six Sigma, and Lean Six Sigma are the guiding principles of quality improvement in manufacturing and offer the most comprehensive toolkit for addressing waste reduction and quality improvement at any level of manufac- turing. In the aggregate, these systems speak directly to defect reduction. Lean Lean focuses on eliminating waste and improving process efficiency. It remains the greatest influence on improving manufactur- ing operations worldwide and is the philo- sophical foundation for smart manufacturing and the Factory of the Future. Kaizen is the guiding principle of Lean man- ufacturing and requires defining value from the customer's perspective—both internal and external customers—and using a pull system for improvement driven by customer demand, which the system then responds to meet. It requires mapping the value stream across the manufacturing (or busi- ness) process to create an opti- mum flow between pro- cesses to reduce or elimi- nate downtime and waste in a designated area. Ultimately, this con- tinuous improvement approach seeks 100% defect-free, downtime- free perfection. While not consistently attain- able, the continued striv- ing moves you toward it until the variance from "per- fection" is relatively small. A 98% yield isn't 100%, but it is far more per- fect than a yield of 85%. Six Sigma More data-driven and structured than Lean, Six Sigma aims to reduce variability and defects using statistical tools and either the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) or DMADV (Design, Measure, Ana- lyze, Design, Verify) frameworks. e term "Six Sigma" refers to a statistical concept that measures how far a process deviates from perfection, in this case, six standard devia- tions (sigma) from the mean in a normal dis- tribution curve. Achieving Six Sigma quality means having fewer than 3.4 defects per mil- lion opportunities. is statistical data-based approach is ideal for a large-volume manu- facturing environment, but the principles can Lean Focus Eliminate waste and maximize value to customers with minimal investment Methodology Originated from the Toyota Production System (officially named "The Toyota Way" in 2001), it involves streamlining processes and removing non-value-adding steps Tools Uses visual tools and principles like Just in Time (JIT) and Jidoka (integrating human intelligence and automation) to improve efficiency Goal Enhance production efficiency by reducing waste in various forms (e.g., overproduction, idle time, errors)