Last month’s online poll asked readers to indicate whether their companies are applying Six Sigma tools and methods. A slight majority (52%) reported their companies are not practicing Six Sigma while 48% are applying Six Sigma tools and methods. Six Sigma is a management philosophy developed by Motorola that emphasizes setting extremely high objectives, collecting data, and analyzing results to a fine degree as a way to reduce defects in products and services. In April, Medical Edge readers answered a similar poll about Lean manufacturing practices. Seventy-nine percent of the respondents said their companies are practicing lean manufacturing as they strive to wring out waste from the manufacturing stream. The two poll results are somewhat of a concern as Lean and Six Sigma, when practiced together are an effective manufacturing-quality combination. For more on lean and Six Sigma sources, I recommend contacting either, or both, Lean Enterprise Institute, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers’ Lean Manufacturing Enterprise Technology Group . This month’s Reader Poll question asks if you would recommend your company as a good place to work. Please take a moment to provide us with your answer. In return, you’ll get instant poll results that reflect your input, and we will report the final results next month. Stay tuned.