In the middle of 2000, BHP Billiton implemented a Six Sigma Plus business improvement program known as Operating Excellence. It was developed based on a business bottom line initiative to deliver 35 - 40c/share and was one of the BHP Billiton strategies to deliver $2 earnings per share and a longer term $40 share price (BHP share price). Cannington is a silver, lead and zinc mine owned and operated by BHP Billiton. Through implementing Six Sigma Plus Cannington wanted to:have in-house capabilities to change and improve;tailor for the needs of each business unit and department;have Sharing of its Knowledge' as a tool for improvement and have a competitive edge across Cannington - to be better than our competitors;learn from and leverage off the successes of improved safety and prior business improvement efforts; andensure networking and sharing of information have common measurement systems across all assets. As with most business improvement programs - Six Sigma Plus was met with some degree of skepticism, especially given the amount of resources involved. After 18 months, much of this skepticism has been replaced with enthusiasm as people's understanding and acceptance of its fundamental concepts are being realised. The idea behind Six Sigma Plus is that it combines sound technical solutions with high acceptance by those who need to work with or implement the change. The future vision for Six Sigma Plus is that it become part of what we do at Cannington - just like safety and environment - so that Six Sigma tools and methodologies are used in our every day work.