Fundamentally, some of the specific challenges that Samsung Company faced after it decided to begin its Six Sigma thrust include challenges of poor execution, absence of commitment, and inadequate understanding of the Six Sigma concept. In its initial quest to undertake the concept, the company faced the challenge associated with poor execution, which regards the wrong application of the concept by the human resources and the management. The company also experienced the challenge of commitment. It is notable to explain that some human resources, as well as the managers of the company, were initially unwilling to commit fully to the concept because they were uncertain about the results. Additionally, the challenge concerning inadequate understanding transpired in the company because several employees working for the organization did not adequately understand the concept. Practically, the challenges took place because the concept that the company decided to introduce to its operations was new.
The prior focus on quality that Six Sigma focuses on made it easier to implement in Samsung Electronics Company (SEC). Since the focus of the concept entailed quality improvement, managers and human resources working in the company saw it as a way of developing its product to achieve increased sales and profits. The fact that the concept aims at minimizing the processes that a supply chain undergoes before delivery of products to consumers makes it attractive to management and employees of any given organization, which includes Samsung. As such, it was easy to convince the human resources and management of Samsung Company to implement the concept in its operations.
Some of the specific types of Six Sigma projects evident in the supply chain include the improvement of communication, the use of effective facilities, and extensive research on client requirements. These projects are among the main projects that SEC undertook in its attempt to improve the efficiency of its supply chain and ensure that the final products are those desired and demanded by its potential clients in the market.
Remarkably, the guiding principles of Toyota represent growth and development. The meaning that these guiding principles represent emanates from the fact that they focus on the integration of product development with the cultures, demands, and expectations of consumers in the global and national markets. Since these principles champion for respect and harmony among the diverse cultures within the areas that Toyota operates, they represent success and overall development. On the other hand, the guiding principles of Toyota Company have a close relationship with the principles of total quality. The principles of total quality emphasized the consumer, effective communication, employee involvement, continual change, and integration. These principles are a replica of what Toyota’s guiding principles represent. For instance, continual improvement is a total quality principle that has a close relationship with the Toyota guiding principle that advocates for innovation and harmony.
Non-manufacturing companies have a lot to learn from the philosophy and practices of Toyota Company. Some of the important lessons that non-manufacturing companies can learn from Toyota Company include equal involvement of employees in an organization, an effective system of communication, continual development, as well as research on consumer demands. By understanding these issues, which are part of the Toyota philosophy and practice, non-manufacturing companies will succeed and enjoy an increased consumer base. Consequently, education and government can also learn from the practices and philosophy of Toyota Company. Practically the government can employ concepts such as harmony, continued innovation, and respect for individual culture in its quest to provide fair and just treatment and efficient service delivery. As such, the philosophy and practices of Toyota Company are useful to other companies, the education sector, and the government.