Six Sigma Fitness™ vs. Six Sigma Business

Six Sigma Fitness™ is not intended to be an exact replica of Six Sigma used for business improvement processes but rather its own system using preexisting and new proprietary framework consisting of a methodology matrix of assessments, screens, tests and surveys along with automated analysis and protocols to create a strategic path to improvement for health, fitness and performance that mirrors the structure and spirit of Six Sigma for Business. At the core, the systems have similar objectives, to increase the quality of the product or service, in order to provide a higher level of client satisfaction resulting in better outcomes. Whether you manufacture a high quality, reliable widget, service the documents for a mortgage closing or provide weight management services, the quality of the service provided should remain high with a low enough level of errors or defects in the process so as to produce a near perfect product that the client is highly satisfied with. In the health profession this means more positive outcomes and happier clients. For health practitioners this means a more confident, stable and reliable service that garners higher revenue through both price and volume, due to enhanced market reputation and more referrals.

Six Sigma for business is often applied to high volume transactional processes, and therefore, an optimal target for a 6 sigma process. As such, a defect error of 3.4 in 1 million is a possibility in a high transaction business, but not very useful as a measurable statistic for an individual's habits or lifestyle. In addition 6 sigma is a target for a specific manufacturing purpose, but in different industries or services, the client may reach an optimal standard and successful outcome with a target of 3 sigma, 4 sigma or 5 sigma. Six Sigma is a “title” for a framework and not a rigid standard. Six Sigma stands for any process that reduces defects or error rates to an acceptable standard in which the client will be satisfied. For example, a human doesn't need a ratio of only 3.4 high calorie meals out of every million meals to achieve a normal healthy weight level. Not only is it impractical, it isn't necessary or feasible. What is important, is to achieve a level of high calorie meals that we may deem as defects or errors in our dietary regimen to be adequately low enough to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle. These are the core common theories of application that each methodology and tool you learn to use in the Six Sigma Fitness™ will adhere to. The sigma objectives are contained within the analytics built into the technology app.

The main difference is in the processes and related defects that individuals produce are smaller in volume and only reasonable amounts of data that can be measured simply and accurately. An individual's health statistics are not high volumes of data and normally don’t change rapidly and error statistics need to be quantified and analyzed based on relative optimal standards. 

The broader goal of Six Sigma Fitness™ is to use an established problem-solving framework and technological tools to apply known statistical and quantitative health research to applied health applications, and at the same time, short-cut the highly statistical and more complex aspects normally found in the Six Sigma Business methodology.  This allows the Coach / Practitioner to quickly gather data from the client / athlete and through the platform, apply known scientific principles and algorithms to the data to produce the recommended changes and programming required to optimize the health, fitness and performance outcomes of the client. Essentially, we are applying cloud-based technology and low-level artificial intelligence to create a data repository, perform analytics and create a report with findings and recommendations—a tedious process that could normally take hours or days for most Coaches and Practitioners but only minutes inside the app.

Data collection, statistical analysis and normative values for health and fitness have been created in numerous forms of research for many decades.  And unlike the unique and individual variability of a plant floor or manufacturing line where the analysis and measurement markers may change depending on the product manufactured or problem at hand, humans have a more defined optimal human health potential.  The system capitalizes on the similarity of the process and methods of data collection and analysis, even though the measurement markers are unique.