Thread regarding General Electric Co. layoffs

Six Sigma, the way it was implemented at GE, was always a scam. People were required to incorporate some six sigma stuff in their success reports, and that artificially inflated its benefits. Six sigma instructors are another worthless bunch of scam, not many of those left in my branch of GE business thankfully.

Six Sigma was just the means to an end. It helped manufacturing and supply chain get more visibility and standard tools/processes/mgt support to improve. Like anything centralized, Welch/GE could not apply it to some and not to others - requires too much work to understand the details of each job.

So what if some had to do green belt projects that didn't make sense (e.g., secretaries complained about this). But they learnt some basics, tools and skills to analyze problems.

Immelt's point was that he would rather take bold bets on technology, rather than processes in existing businesses. He was a visionary, surrounded by bigger visionaries like Ruh and Comstock who promised Google-like future for GE as tech company. Strategy without execution is just a dream, which turned into nightmare when Fossil fuel power industry slumped. If GE Power did not get caught with pants down, Immelt would have pushed the narrative few more years, declared success and retired. Many tragic ends to companies involve over-reaching into new areas and neglecting paying the bills.

Bad managers and management are to blame, gamblers like Immelt and b---s---ters like Comstock. Six sigma a manufacturing process improvement designed by Motorola. Welsh tried to bolt it onto a banking system. Fast works and pivoting how to really waste money, act like a startup most fail.

People working in additive within GE will face competition soon. HP is entering that business and they have a lot more experience than GE in 3D printers:

https://www.3dnatives.com/en/hp-metal-additive-manufacturing080620184/

This will grow right up to the point where they get stupid about it, meaning that the meteorology characteristics will be superseded. Metal hasn't changed that much, and what will happen is that the GE wiz bangs will push the limits in the name of profits and a part will be used in the absolute wrong application, and someone will die for it.

Agree about additive but what excites GE black belts is they control the making a very complex part that once was cast, maybe welded and machined and post heat treated. They get wood when they can cut the supplier out of the complex process. Until, they get bill to maintain the hardware and have to keep some smart cookies on staff to run the machines and program them. Not to mention cycle time should come down for the part. To everyone’s point it is not scalable to liking of GE top executives without spending lots of $$. In a few years GE leadership will get bored and move onto the next wonder gadget or process. GE is not a leader in this technology that is if for sure. Does it support their business’s heck yeah but they cannot scale it to the size that truly impacts the balance sheet.

"additive manufacturing makes a s---load more sense".... Not so fast. It is hard to reach the economy of scale. It is still a niche process. Look at all the metal parts, what percentage can be 3D printed economically? Just a very small percentage. How can GE profit using this process without scale? In addition, GE excel in business with high cost of entry, 3D printing is not one. 3D printing plastic is common long ago. There are many players in 3D printing metal, GE does not have unique advantage. GE management has jumped and hyped into additive just as they did on 6 sigma and software. .... Many got promoted by being black belts.... The recent dire situation validates the pitfalls.

For all the COE leaders that followed six sigma like it was their religion, you are also to blame for GE’s failure. Either you have no backbone or you are simply stupid. Maybe both? I can think of specific COE leaders in Greenville that made me want to vomit preaching this garbage. Especially the facility COE leader in Greenville. It’s not just the six sigma garbage alone. It’s your GE koolaid-aholic culture in addition to the six sigma garbage.

For those of us that were around and took the those silly classes...Jack was putting the spin on things to justify multiples on the stock and push for stock splits. I was there for 2-1 and 3-1 splits then the sh_t hit the fan. GE was and is a joke ! We all knew it but hell the stock was flying ..who cares.

"I 'm rich beoch" in the words of Dave Chappelle!