In the current dynamic industrial scenario, quality alone is not the winning criteria; a consistent supply of quality goods as per the committed delivery schedules makes the customers happy.

It is therefore recommended that every company have a Continuous Process Improvement program, with employee engagement from the CEO down to the entry-level personnel.

This journey begins with learning some basic tools and methodologies, developing a plan of action, implementing tested solutions and measuring the results.

Six Sigma has emerged as one of the most effective business improvement strategies worldwide.

This breakthrough improvement strategy delivers results of productivity, profitability and quality improvements based on its highly effective approach.

We take here a case of a national economy & apply these principles.

Define: Problem Statement:  

At present, the national debt is $25 trillion dollars and climbing at a rate of A% each year, with interest on the debit at A%. At this rate, it would take A# of years to pay it off (if we stopped all government spending all together).

Defect: The Deficit ($)  Goal: Reduce the annual debit to A (level) where the government can pay off the debt within A # of years or eliminate the federal debt all together Data Source: Official government websites Data Type: Discrete - "Is there a budget deficit? (Y/N) 

Measurement of how much the government owes its creditors.

The terms "national deficit" and "national surplus" usually refer to the government's budget from year to year, not the cumulative amount of debt.

A deficit year increases the debt, while a surplus year decreases the debt as more money is received than spent.

There are two components of gross national debt: "Debt held by the public" & "Debt held by government accounts or intragovernmental debt"

All these can be measured by the standard tools of Fishbone, Gauge R&R, Process Capability Analysis   

Analyze:

Value Stream Map, Process Map (of the process of establishing Govt spending programs), geographical summaries, hypothesis testing of independent & dependent variables, SIPOC (Supplier Input, Process, Output, Customer) and FMEA (Failure Mode Effect Analysis). Preparing and Assessing the Debt Sustainability Analysis, by knowing the short-term external debt, the foreign direct investments, the concessional debt, the grant elements etc... are of importance in the measurement of the fats & figures therein. 

Improve:

The Design of the Experiment (DOE) to test the results of various options for reducing the national debt, a list of (tested) solutions, risk analysis, and CBA (Cost Benefit Analysis) / ROI (Return Over Investment).

Some of the improvement initiatives could be to Reduce or Eliminate Benefits for Lower-Income Beneficiaries. ... Reduce or Eliminate Subsidized Loans, Including Grants for Undergraduate College Students. ... Reduce Disabled Veteran Benefits. ...etc..

Control:

Control plan, mistake proofing plan, control charts, and plan to leverage key learning to help State level governments.

Some of the controlling factors of national debt could be: Avoiding War / Reducing unnecessary military spending, Raising Pension Age, Broaden the Tax Base, Enforce Debt Ceilings etc. 

There are true benefits to using lean and Six Sigma to reduce the national debt, but it's important to emphasize that these tools alone are not a solution for all government budget ailments. There are a number of other excellent quality improvement methods available, and it is crucial to match the right tool with specific needs.

Once, during a common meeting with Business Advisors, I was asked...

"Is Productivity improvement key to maintaining competitiveness at the country level"?

I am of the firm opinion that Productivity is key to maintaining competitiveness, at both the organization and country levels, and in ensuring sustainable socio-economic development.

The various productivity-enhancing tools, techniques, methods, and practices that have been developed and adopted over the years in the production and consumption of goods and services are essential to the dynamism of economies. The concept of productivity has evolved over the years to represent more than an efficiency ratio. From cost and quality issues, its scope has expanded to embrace social concerns - such as job creation, job security, poverty alleviation, resource conservation, and social responsibility - to business excellence, governance, and environmental protection.

The productivity-improving or enhancing initiatives, which can be in the form of a basic principle, tool, technique, method, practice, guideline, model, or approach should be presented to fit into the larger picture of an organization’s productivity goals. They may be grouped into the following four Ps, which represent areas of concern in any organization that is aspiring to achieve productivity improvements - people, product, policy, and processes.

People-focused: When a productivity-enhancing initiative aims to directly raise the efficiency and effectiveness of a worker.

Product-focused: When a productivity-enhancing initiative aims to improve the quality and responsiveness of a product to consumer demand.

Process-focused:  When a productivity-enhancing initiative aims to make the planning, design, production, and delivery of goods and services more efficient and effective.

Policy-focused: When a productivity-enhancing initiative aims to improve the overall environment for the production and/or consumption of goods and services.

All the above can be easily taken care of by the tools & techniques of six sigma, which we can call as Six Sigma Productivity System in general, by applying the relevant tools & techniques in the right way.