Six-sigma reform and education in Australian Defence: lessons learned give rigour and efficiency to ordnance, aircraft and ship testing

Abstract

In 2010 U.S. Defense introduced mandatory use in test and evaluation (T&E) of statistical techniques from six-sigma (SS), including the necessary education and competency for test and acquisition staffs. Australian Defence quickly offered these courses to T&E staff for three years without achieving use of the techniques. However, a new educational and reform approach in the last two years has seen the SS techniques used in several Defence test organisations with benefits in test rigour and efficiency. This paper outlines the lessons learned in adopting SS within a Defence force. This longitudinal review of SS reform in Australia’s Defence spans six years and leverages a case study in its first official use from 2015, a curricular reform study in teaching SS techniques from 2016, and then six case studies of effective use since. The review finds that test policy, properly leveraged and powerful as it is in the U.S. Defense, is a change factor that Australian Defence could not easily mimic. Instead, a bottom-up reform was necessary where it was critical for penetration that the right test staff were targetted for attendance, rather than maximum attendance, and that the education included hands-on competence in the classroom, mentored use and assessment back in the workplace, and case study presentation for management. This review is of benefit to any beaucratic organisation hoping to leverage SS techniques. Educators of SS will find key pedagogies reinforced and encoragement to adopt long-term partnering on implementation and culture, rather than simply student numbers.