More than half the respondents in a recent survey on Six Sigma in manufacturing said they planned to implement the methodology in their work forces within the next six months to two years. The survey also revealed that manufacturers are faced with many challenges specific to labor management. Ninety-four percent indicated they don’t have access to real-time labor data, and many said they still rely on manual data collection processes. With foreign labor cost pressures mounting, many managers see Six Sigma as a way to monitor and reduce labor costs, optimize their work forces and improve output.

The survey was conducted by IndustryWeek and sponsored by Kronos Inc. The results were announced at the 2004 APICS International Conference and Exposition, held Oct. 10–13 in San Diego.

“We have always known that too many of today’s manufactures are relying on manual processes to manage their work forces,” says Shawn O’Brien, manufacturing industry manager at Kronos Inc. “The survey results certainly confirm this. However, the good news is that these organizations realize that these processes are hindering productivity and they recognize the need to change.”

For more information, visit www.kronos.com.

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