Title: The application of modified 'Defect Per Million Opportunities' (DPMO) and sigma level to measure service effectiveness

Authors: Djoko Setijono

Addresses: Divison of Quality Technology and Management, Linkoping University, Sweden

Abstract: This paper presents an application of Dissatisfaction Per Million Opportunities (DisPMO), Delight Per Million Opportunities (DePMO), right-side and left-side sigma levels to measure the service effectiveness of a property developer|s selling process based on the service outcome (customer satisfaction). The thoroughness of sales staff in explaining the buying process and printed sales materials significantly affect the overall buying satisfaction, thus these attributes are assigned as the Critical-To-Quality (CTQ) attributes. Based on the extended data using simulation technique, it is found that measuring sigma level based on output (DPMO) or outcome (DisPMO) lead to consistent results and the sigma level of the property developer|s selling process is more or less at the same level as most service organisations. Hence, the logic of DPMO and sigma level is consistent and comparable whether the measurements are based on indicators that are usually identified within the boundary of an organisation (i.e. output) and outside the boundary of an organisation (outcome).

Keywords: DPMO; defects per million opportunities; sigma level; service effectiveness; simulation; customer satisfaction; house building; construction; property developers; selling process; six sigma.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSCA.2009.025168

International Journal of Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, 2009 Vol.5 No.2, pp.173 - 186

Published online: 14 May 2009 *

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