c
c 

Not to be confused with Sigma 6.

The often-used six sigma symbol.

c
c  is a business management strategy originally developed by Motorola, USA in

1981.[1] As of 2010, it enjoys widespread application in many sectors of industry,
although its application is not without controversy.

Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing
the causes of defects (errors) and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business
processes.[2] It uses a set of quality management methods, including statistical methods,
and creates a special infrastructure of people within the organization ("Black Belts",
"Green Belts", etc.) who are experts in these methods.[2] Each Six Sigma project carried
out within an organization follows a defined sequence of steps and has quantified
financial targets (cost reduction or profit increase).[2]

The term Ô
Ô  originated from terminology associated with manufacturing,
specifically terms associated with statistical modelling of manufacturing processes. The
maturity of a manufacturing process can be described by a Ô  rating indicating its
yield, or the percentage of defect-free products it creates. A six-sigma process is one in
which 99.99966% of the products manufactured are statistically expected to be free of
defects (3.4 defects per million). Motorola set a goal of "six sigmas" for all of its
manufacturing operations, and this goal became a byword for the management and
engineering practices used to achieve it.

ë


[hide]

VÊ 1 Historical overview
VÊ 2 Methods
VÊ 2.1 DMAIC
VÊ 2.2 DMADV or DFSS
VÊ 2.3 Quality management tools and methods used in Six Sigma
VÊ 3 Implementation roles
 VÊ 3.1 Certification
VÊ 4 Origin and meaning of the term "six sigma process"
VÊ 4.1 Role of the 1.5 sigma shift
VÊ 4.2 Sigma levels
VÊ 5 Software used for Six Sigma
VÊ 6 List of Six Sigma companies
VÊ - Criticism
VÊ -.1 Lack of originality
VÊ -.2 Role of consultants
VÊ -.3 Potential negative effects
VÊ -.4 Based on arbitrary standards
VÊ -.5 Criticism of the 1.5 sigma shift
VÊ 8 See also
VÊ 9 References
VÊ 10 Further reading

R       

Six Sigma originated as a set of practices designed to improve manufacturing processes
and eliminate defects, but its application was subsequently extended to other types of
business processes as well.[3] In Six Sigma, a defect is defined as any process output that
does not meet customer specifications, or that could lead to creating an output that does
not meet customer specifications.[2]

Bill Smith first formulated the particulars of the methodology at Motorola in 1986.[4] Six
Sigma was heavily inspired by six preceding decades of quality improvement
methodologies such as quality control, TQM, and Zero Defects,[5][6] based on the work of
pioneers such as Shewhart, Deming, Juran, Ishikawa, Taguchi and others.

Like its predecessors, Six Sigma doctrine asserts that:

VÊ Continuous efforts to achieve stable and predictable process results (i.e., reduce
process variation) are of vital importance to business success.
VÊ Manufacturing and business processes have characteristics that can be measured,
analyzed, improved and controlled.
VÊ Achieving sustained quality improvement requires commitment from the entire
organization, particularly from top-level management.

Features that set Six Sigma apart from previous quality improvement initiatives include:

VÊ A clear focus on achieving measurable and quantifiable financial returns from any
Six Sigma project.[2]
VÊ An increased emphasis on strong and passionate management leadership and
support.[2]
 VÊ A special infrastructure of "Champions," "Master Black Belts," "Black Belts,"
"Green Belts", etc. to lead and implement the Six Sigma approach.[2]
VÊ A clear commitment to making decisions on the basis of verifiable data, rather
than assumptions and guesswork.[2]

The term "Six Sigma" comes from a field of statistics known as process capability
studies. Originally, it referred to the ability of manufacturing processes to produce a very
high proportion of output within specification. Processes that operate with "six sigma
quality" over the short term are assumed to produce long-term defect levels below 3.4
defects per million opportunities (DPMO).[-][8] Six Sigma's implicit goal is to improve all
processes to that level of quality or better.

Six Sigma is a registered service mark and trademark of Motorola Inc.[9] As of 2006
Motorola reported over US$1- billion in savings[10] from Six Sigma.

Other early adopters of Six Sigma who achieved well-publicized success include
Honeywell (previously known as AlliedSignal) and General Electric, where Jack Welch
introduced the method.[11] By the late 1990s, about two-thirds of the Fortune 500
organizations had begun Six Sigma initiatives with the aim of reducing costs and
improving quality.[12]

In recent years, some practitioners have combined Six Sigma ideas with lean
manufacturing to yield a methodology named Lean Six Sigma.

R  

Six Sigma projects follow two project methodologies inspired by Deming's Plan-Do-
Check-Act Cycle. These methodologies, composed of five phases each, bear the
acronyms DMAIC and DMADV.[12]

VÊ DMAIC is used for projects aimed at improving an existing business process.[12]

DMAIC is pronounced as "duh-may-ick".
[12]
VÊ DMADV is used for projects aimed at creating new product or process designs.
DMADV is pronounced as "duh-mad-vee".

R 
ë

The DMAIC project methodology has five phases:

VÊ ^› › the problem, the voice of the customer, and the project goals, specifically.
VÊ ë›Ô› key aspects of the current process and collect relevant data.
VÊ Õ
› the data to investigate and verify cause-and-effect relationships.
Determine what the relationships are, and attempt to ensure that all factors have
been considered. Seek out root cause of the defect under investigation.
VÊ r › or optimize the current process based upon data analysis using
techniques such as design of experiments, poka yoke or mistake proofing, and
 standard work to create a new, future state process. Set up pilot runs to establish
process capability.
VÊ  the future state process to ensure that any deviations from target are
corrected before they result in defects. Implement control systems such as
statistical process control, production boards, and visual workplaces, and
continuously monitor the process.

R 

 
cc

The DMADV project methodology, also known as DFSS ("

esign or cix cigma"),[12]
features five phases:

VÊ ^› › design goals that are consistent with customer demands and the enterprise
strategy.
VÊ ë›Ô› and identify CTQs (characteristics that are ëritical o uality), product
capabilities, production process capability, and risks.
VÊ Õ
› to develop and design alternatives, create a high-level design and
evaluate design capability to select the best design.
VÊ ^›Ô  details, optimize the design, and plan for design verification. This phase
may require simulations.
VÊ u›
the design, set up pilot runs, implement the production process and hand it
over to the process owner(s).

R   

 


 
c
c 

Within the individual phases of a DMAIC or DMADV project, Six Sigma utilizes many
established quality-management tools that are also used outside of Six Sigma. The
following table shows an overview of the main methods used.

VÊ 5 Whys VÊ Histograms
VÊ Analysis of variance VÊ Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
VÊ ANOVA Gauge R&R VÊ Pareto chart
VÊ Axiomatic design VÊ Pick chart
VÊ Business Process Mapping VÊ Process capability
VÊ Cause & effects diagram (also VÊ Quantitative marketing research
known as fishbone or Ishikawa through use of Enterprise Feedback
diagram) Management (EFM) systems
VÊ Chi-square test of independence and VÊ Regression analysis
fits VÊ Root cause analysis
VÊ Control chart VÊ Run charts
VÊ Correlation VÊ SIPOC analysis (cuppliers, nputs,
VÊ Cost-benefit analysis rocess, utputs, ëustomers)
VÊ CTQ tree VÊ Taguchi methods
VÊ Design of experiments VÊ Taguchi Loss Function
VÊ Failure mode and effects analysis VÊ TRIZ
(FMEA)
 VÊ General linear model

R 

 

One key innovation of Six Sigma involves the "professionalizing" of quality management
functions. Prior to Six Sigma, quality management in practice was largely relegated to the
production floor and to statisticians in a separate quality department. Formal Six Sigma
programs borrow martial arts ranking terminology to define a hierarchy (and career path)
that cuts across all business functions.

Six Sigma identifies several key roles for its successful implementation.[13]

VÊ ï
›
 ›››Ô  includes the CEO and other members of top management.
They are responsible for setting up a vision for Six Sigma implementation. They
also empower the other role holders with the freedom and resources to explore
new ideas for breakthrough improvements.
VÊ ë Ô take responsibility for Six Sigma implementation across the
organization in an integrated manner. The Executive Leadership draws them from

VÊ


upper management. Champions also act as mentors to Black Belts.
Ô› 
› Ô, identified by champions, act as in-house coaches on Six
Sigma. They devote 100% of their time to Six Sigma. They assist champions and
guide Black Belts and Green Belts. Apart from statistical tasks, they spend their
time on ensuring consistent application of Six Sigma across various functions and
departments.
VÊ  
› Ô operate under Master Black Belts to apply Six Sigma methodology to
specific projects. They devote 100% of their time to Six Sigma. They primarily
focus on Six Sigma project execution, whereas Champions and Master Black
Belts focus on identifying projects/functions for Six Sigma.
VÊ °››› Ô are the employees who take up Six Sigma implementation along with
their other job responsibilities, operating under the guidance of Black Belts.

Some organizations use additional belt colours, such as › › Ô, for employees that
have basic training in Six Sigma tools.

R ë  


In the United States, Six Sigma certification for both Green and Black Belts is offered by
the Institute of Industrial Engineers[14] and by the American Society for Quality.[15]

In addition to these examples, there are many other organizations and companies that
offer certification. There currently is no central certification body, either in the United
States or anywhere else in the world.
R  



 

 
 

Graph of the normal distribution, which underlies the statistical assumptions of the Six
Sigma model. The Greek letter ı (sigma) marks the distance on the horizontal axis
between the mean, µ, and the curve's inflection point. The greater this distance, the
greater is the spread of values encountered. For the curve shown above, µ = 0 and ı = 1.
The upper and lower specification limits (USL, LSL) are at a distance of 6ı from the
mean. Because of the properties of the normal distribution, values lying that far away
from the mean are extremely unlikely. Even if the mean were to move right or left by
1.5ı at some point in the future (1.5 sigma shift), there is still a good safety cushion. This
is why Six Sigma aims to have processes where the mean is at least 6ı away from the
nearest specification limit.

The term "six sigma process" comes from the notion that if one has six standard
deviations between the process mean and the nearest specification limit, as shown in the
graph, practically no items will fail to meet specifications.[8] This is based on the
calculation method employed in process capability studies.

Capability studies measure the number of standard deviations between the process mean
and the nearest specification limit in sigma units. As process standard deviation goes up,
or the mean of the process moves away from the center of the tolerance, fewer standard
deviations will fit between the mean and the nearest specification limit, decreasing the
sigma number and increasing the likelihood of items outside specification.[8]

R   

 


Experience has shown that processes usually do not perform as well in the long term as
they do in the short term.[8] As a result, the number of sigmas that will fit between the
process mean and the nearest specification limit may well drop over time, compared to an
initial short-term study.[8] To account for this real-life increase in process variation over
time, an empirically-based 1.5 sigma shift is introduced into the calculation.[8][16]
According to this idea, a process that fits six sigmas between the process mean and the
nearest specification limit in a short-term study will in the long term only fit 4.5 sigmas ±
either because the process mean will move over time, or because the long-term standard
deviation of the process will be greater than that observed in the short term, or both.[8]

Hence the widely accepted definition of a six sigma process as one that produces 3.4
defective parts per million opportunities (DPMO). This is based on the fact that a process
that is normally distributed will have 3.4 parts per million beyond a point that is 4.5
standard deviations above or below the mean (one-sided capability study).[8] So the 3.4
DPMO of a "Six Sigma" process in fact corresponds to 4.5 sigmas, namely 6 sigmas
minus the 1.5 sigma shift introduced to account for long-term variation.[8] This takes
account of special causes that may cause a deterioration in process performance over time
and is designed to prevent underestimation of the defect levels likely to be encountered in
real-life operation.[8]

R c 

A control chart depicting a process that experienced a 1.5 sigma drift in the process mean
toward the upper specification limit starting at midnight. Control charts are used to
maintain 6 sigma quality by signaling when quality professionals should investigate a
process to find and eliminate special-cause variation.
See also: Three sigma rule

The table[1-][18] below gives long-term DPMO values corresponding to various short-term
sigma levels.
Note that these figures assume that the process mean will shift by 1.5 sigma toward the
side with the critical specification limit. In other words, they assume that after the initial
study determining the short-term sigma level, the long-term Cpk value will turn out to be
0.5 less than the short-term Cpk value. So, for example, the DPMO figure given for 1
sigma assumes that the long-term process mean will be 0.5 sigma „›
 the
specification limit (Cpk = ±0.1-), rather than 1 sigma    it, as it was in the short-term
study (Cpk = 0.33). Note that the defect percentages only indicate defects exceeding the
specification limit to which the process mean is nearest. Defects beyond the far
specification limit are not included in the percentages.

c  
 
 c

 


 
     ë ë
1 691,462 69% 31% 0.33 ±0.1-
2 308,538 31% 69% 0.6- 0.1-
3 66,80- 6.-% 93.3% 1.00 0.5
4 6,210 0.62% 99.38% 1.33 0.83
5 233 0.023% 99.9--% 1.6- 1.1-
     
- 0.019 0.0000019% 99.9999981% 2.33 1.83

R c    c
c 

Main article: List of Six Sigma software packages

R   c
c  


Main article: List of Six Sigma companies

R ë   

R    
 

Noted quality expert Joseph M. Juran has described Six Sigma as "a basic version of
quality improvement", stating that "[t]here is nothing new there. It includes what we used
to call facilitators. They've adopted more flamboyant terms, like belts with different
colors. I think that concept has merit to set apart, to create specialists who can be very
helpful. Again, that's not a new idea. The American Society for Quality long ago
established certificates, such as for reliability engineers."[19]

R   
 


The use of "Black Belts" as itinerant change agents has (controversially) fostered an
industry of training and certification. Critics argue there is overselling of Six Sigma by
too great a number of consulting firms, many of which claim expertise in Six Sigma
when they only have a rudimentary understanding of the tools and techniques involved.[2]

R  
 
 

A Œ › article stated that "of 58 large companies that have announced Six Sigma
programs, 91 percent have trailed the S&P 500 since". The statement is attributed to "an
analysis by Charles Holland of consulting firm Qualpro (which espouses a competing
quality-improvement process)."[20] The summary of the article is that Six Sigma is
effective at what it is intended to do, but that it is "narrowly designed to fix an existing
process" and does not help in "coming up with new products or disruptive technologies."
Advocates of Six Sigma have argued that many of these claims are in error or ill-
informed.[21][22]

A Ô ›ÔÔ›› article says that James McNerney's introduction of Six Sigma at 3M
may have had the effect of stifling creativity. It cites two Wharton School professors who
say that Six Sigma leads to incremental innovation at the expense of blue-sky work.[23]
This phenomenon is further explored in the book, ° ›, which describes a related
approach known as lean dynamics and provides data to show that Ford's "6 Sigma"
program did little to change its fortunes.[24]

R !
 


While 3.4 defects per million opportunities might work well for certain
products/processes, it might not operate optimally or cost effectively for others. A
pacemaker process might need higher standards, for example, whereas a direct mail
advertising campaign might need lower standards. The basis and justification for
choosing 6 (as opposed to 5 or -, for example) as the number of standard deviations is not
clearly explained. In addition, the Six Sigma model assumes that the process data always
conform to the normal distribution. The calculation of defect rates for situations where
the normal distribution model does not apply is not properly addressed in the current Six
Sigma literature.[2]

R ë    

 


The statistician Donald J. Wheeler has dismissed the 1.5 sigma shift as "goofy" because
of its arbitrary nature.[25] Its universal applicability is seen as doubtful.[2]

The 1.5 sigma shift has also become contentious because it results in stated "sigma
levels" that reflect short-term rather than long-term performance: a process that has long-
term defect levels corresponding to 4.5 sigma performance is, by Six Sigma convention,
described as a "6 sigma process."[8][26] The accepted Six Sigma scoring system thus
cannot be equated to actual normal distribution probabilities for the stated number of
standard deviations, and this has been a key bone of contention about how Six Sigma
measures are defined.[26] The fact that it is rarely explained that a "6 sigma" process will
have long-term defect rates corresponding to 4.5 sigma performance rather than actual 6
sigma performance has led several commentators to express the opinion that Six Sigma is
a confidence trick.[8]

R c 
VÊ Business process
VÊ Design for Six Sigma
VÊ Total quality management
VÊ Total productive maintenance
A reference guide to each tollgate in a DMAIC project.

By Patrick Waddick

The DMAIC methodology should be used when a product or process is in existence at

your company but is not meeting customer specification or is not performing adequately.
For DMAIC milestone reviews, there are certain deliverables, checkpoints, questions and
concerns that the Black Belt and improvement team should be aware of prior to a
tollgate/milestone review.

In lieu of or in addition to your Master Black Belt tollgate/milestone preparation review,

the following Six Sigma DMAIC quick reference sheets can help prepare for your
milestone review.

Jump to: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control





 


VÊ Fully trained team is formed, supported, and committed to work on improvement

project.
VÊ Customers identified and high impact characteristics (CTQs) defined, team
charter developed, business process mapped.

ë

 ë 


›› ›ÔÔ

VÊ Team is sponsored by a champion or business leader.

VÊ Team formed and team leaders (MBBs/Coaches and BBs/Project Leads) assigned.
VÊ Improvement team members fully trained on Six Sigma and DMAIC.
VÊ Full participation by members in regularly held team meetings.
VÊ Team members perform project work when assigned and in a timely fashion.
VÊ Team members regularly document their project work.
VÊ Team is equipped with available and reliable resources.

ëÔ ›Ôë Ô

VÊ Customer(s) identified and segmented according to their different needs and

requirements.
VÊ Data collected and displayed to better understand customer(s) critical needs and
requirements.
›ë›

VÊ Project management charter, including business case, problem and goal

statements, project scope, milestones, roles and responsibilities, communication
plan.

Ô ›ÔÔ
›ÔÔ 

VÊ Completed, verified, and validated high-level 'as is' (not 'should be' or 'could be')
business process map.
VÊ Completed SIPOC representation, describing the Suppliers, Inputs, Process,
Outputs, and Customers.

 
 

   


›› ›ÔÔ

VÊ Who are the improvement project team members, including BBs/Project Leads
and MBBs/Coaches?
VÊ Has everyone on the team, including the team leaders, been properly trained (on
DMAIC)?
VÊ Does the team have regular meetings?
VÊ How often are the team meetings?
VÊ Is there regularly 100% attendance at the team meetings? If not, have appointed
substitutes attended to preserve cross-functionality and full representation?
VÊ If substitutes have been appointed, have they been briefed on the project charter
and goals and received regular communications as to the project's progress to
date?
VÊ Has the project work been fairly and/or equitably divided and delegated among
team members who are qualified and capable to perform the work? Has everyone
contributed?
VÊ Are there any constraints known that bear on the ability to perform project work?
How is the team addressing them?
VÊ How is the team tracking and documenting its work?
VÊ Is the team adequately staffed with the desired cross-functionality? If not, what
additional resources are available to the team?

ëÔ ›Ôë Ô

VÊ Has the customer(s) been identified?

VÊ Are there different segments of customers?
VÊ Has the improvement team collected the 'voice of the customer' (obtained
feedback - qualitative and quantitative)?
VÊ What customer feedback methods were used to solicit their input?
VÊ Have the customer needs been translated into specific, measurable requirements?
How?
›ë›

VÊ Has a team charter been developed and communicated?

VÊ Has the charter changed at all during the course of the project? If so, when did it
change and why?
VÊ Does the charter include the following?

- Business Case: What are the compelling business reasons for embarking on this
project? Is the project linked to key business goals and objectives? What key business
process output measure(s) will the project leverage and how? What are the rough order
estimates on cost savings/opportunities on this project?

- Problem Statement: What specifically is the problem? Where does it occur? When does
it occur? What is its extent?

- Goal Statement: What is the goal or target for the improvement team's project? Do the
problem and goal statements meet the SMART criteria (specific, measurable, attainable,
relevant, and time-bound)? Has anyone else (internal or external to the organization)
attempted to solve this problem or a similar one before? If so, what knowledge can be
leveraged from these previous efforts? How will the project team and the organization
measure complete success for this project?

- Roles and Responsibilities: What are they for each team member and its leadership?
Where is this documented?

- Project Scope: What are the boundaries of the scope? What is in bounds and what is
not? What is the start point? What is the stop point? How does the project manager
ensure against scope creep? Is the project scope manageable? What constraints exist that
might impact the team?

- Milestones: When was the project start date? When is the estimated completion date? Is
the project currently on schedule according to the plan? Has a project plan, Gantt chart,
or similar been developed/completed? How did the project manager receive input to the
development of the plan and the estimated completion dates/times of each activity? Is
there a critical path to complete the project? How will variation in the actual durations of
each activity be dealt with to ensure that the expected project completion date is met?

- Communication Plan: What are the dynamics of the communication plan? What critical
content must be communicated - who, what, when, where, and how? When are meeting
minutes sent out? Who is on the distribution list? How do you keep key subject matter
experts in the loop?

Ô ›ÔÔ
›ÔÔ 

VÊ Has a high-level 'as is' process map been completed, verified and validated?
 VÊ Has a SIPOC diagram been produced describing the Suppliers, Inputs, Process,
Outputs, and Customers?
VÊ Is the improvement team aware of the different versions of a process: what they
think it is vs. what it actually is vs. what it should be vs. what it could be?
VÊ Is the current 'as is' process being followed? If not, what are the discrepancies?
VÊ Are different versions of process maps needed to account for the different types of
inputs?
VÊ How was the 'as is' process map developed, reviewed, verified and validated?
VÊ What tools and roadmaps did you use for getting through the Define phase?

 


 


Key measures identified, data collection planned and executed, process variation
displayed and communicated, performance baselined, sigma level calculated.

ë

 ë 


o›
›Ô›Ô› ›

VÊ Key measures identified and agreed upon.

VÊ High impact defects defined and identified in the business process.

^ë ›
  ݕ
›
›

VÊ Solid data collection plan established that includes measurement systems

analysis.
VÊ Data collected on key measures that were identified.


›ÔÔ  ^ Ô 
ݑ 
›

VÊ Process variation components displayed/communicated using suitable charts,

graphs, plots.
VÊ Long term and short term variability accounted for.

› 
›ԛ › ë
  

VÊ Measure baseline process performance (capability, yield, sigma level).

 
 

   


o›
›Ô›Ô› ›

VÊ What are the key input variables? What the key process variables? What are the
key output variables?
 VÊ What key measures identified indicate the performance of the business process?
VÊ What are the agreed upon definitions of the high impact characteristics (CTQs),
defect(s), unit(s), and opportunities that will figure into the sigma calculations and
process capability metrics?

^ë ›
   ï
›
 

VÊ Was a data collection plan established?

VÊ What data was collected (past, present, future/ongoing)?
VÊ Who participated in the data collection?
VÊ How did the team select a sample?
VÊ What has the team done to assure the stability and accuracy of the measurement
process?
VÊ Was a gauge R&R conducted?
VÊ Was stratification needed in the data collection and analysis?


›ÔÔ  ^ Ô 
ݑ 
›

VÊ What charts has the team used to display the components of variation in the
process?
VÊ What does the chart tell us in terms of variation?

› 
›ԛ › ë
  

VÊ What is the current process performance in terms of it capability indices?

VÊ What is the current process performance in terms of its yield or sigma level(s)?
VÊ How large is the gap between current performance and the customer-specified
(goal) performance?
VÊ Have you found any 'ground fruit' or 'low-hanging fruit' for immediate remedies
to the gap in performance?
VÊ What particular quality tools did the team find helpful in getting through the
measure phase?





 


Data and process analysis, root cause analysis, quantifying the gap/opportunity.

ë

 ë 


^
›ÔÔ 
Ô Ô

VÊ Identify gaps between current performance and the goal performance.

 ëԛ 
Ô Ô
 VÊ Generate list of possible causes (sources of variation).
VÊ Segment and stratify possible causes (sources of variation).
VÊ Prioritize list of 'vital few' causes (key sources of variation).
VÊ Verify and quantify the root causes of variation.


›°!  


VÊ Determine the performance gap.

VÊ Display and communicate the gap/opportunity in financial terms.

 
 

   


^
›ÔÔ 
Ô Ô

VÊ What does the data say about the performance of the business process?
VÊ Did any value-added analysis or 'lean thinking' take place to identify some of the
gaps shown on the 'as is' process map?
VÊ Was a detailed process map created to amplify critical steps of the 'as is' business
process?
VÊ How was the map generated, verified, and validated?
VÊ What did the team gain from developing a sub-process map?
VÊ What were the crucial 'moments of truth' on the map?
VÊ Were there any cycle time improvement opportunities identified from the process
analysis?
VÊ Were any designed experiments used to generate additional insight into the data
analysis?
VÊ Did any additional data need to be collected?
VÊ What model would best explain the behavior of output variables in relation to
input variables?

 ëԛ 
Ô Ô

VÊ What tools were used to generate the list of possible causes?

VÊ Was a cause-and-effect diagram used to explore the different types of causes (or
sources of variation)?
VÊ What tools were used to narrow the list of possible causes?
VÊ Were Pareto charts (or similar) used to portray the 'heavy hitters' (or key sources
of variation)?
VÊ What conclusions were drawn from the team's data collection and analysis?
VÊ How did the team reach these conclusions?


›°!  


VÊ What is the cost of poor quality as supported by the team's analysis?

VÊ Is the process severely broken such that a re-design is necessary?
VÊ Would this project lend itself to a DFSS project?
 VÊ What are the revised rough order estimates of the financial savings/opportunity
for the improvement project?
VÊ Have the problem and goal statements been updated to reflect the additional
knowledge gained from the analyze phase?
VÊ Have any additional benefits been identified that will result from closing all or
most of the gaps?
VÊ What were the financial benefits resulting from any 'ground fruit or low-hanging
fruit' (quick fixes)?
VÊ What quality tools were used to get through the analyze phase?

 


 


Generate (and test) possible solutions, select the best solutions, design implementation
plan.

ë

 ë 


°›› ›Ô  ÔÔ „ ›  Ô

VÊ Possible solutions generated and tested.

› ›
 ››Ô  Ô

VÊ Optimal solution selected based on testing and analysis.

VÊ New and improved process ('should be') maps developed.
VÊ Cost/benefit analysis of optimal solution(s).
VÊ Small-scale pilot for proposed improvement(s).
VÊ Pilot data collected and analyzed.
VÊ Improved process ('should be') maps modified based on pilot data and analysis.
VÊ Project impact on utilizing the best solution(s).

^›Ô   ››  

VÊ Solution implementation plan established, including schedule/work breakdown

structure, resources, risk management plan, cost/budget, and control plan.
VÊ Contingency plan established.

 
 

   


°››  ›Ô  ÔÔ „ ›  Ô

VÊ How did the team generate the list of possible solutions?

VÊ What tools were used to tap into the creativity and encourage 'outside the box'
thinking?
› ›
 ››Ô  Ô

VÊ What tools were used to evaluate the potential solutions?

VÊ Were any criteria developed to assist the team in testing and evaluating potential
solutions?
VÊ What were the underlying assumptions on the cost-benefit analysis?
VÊ Are there any constraints (technical, political, cultural, or otherwise) that would
inhibit certain solutions?
VÊ Was a pilot designed for the proposed solution(s)?
VÊ Describe the design of the pilot and what tests were conducted, if any?
VÊ What conclusions were drawn from the outcomes of the pilot?
VÊ What lessons, if any, from the pilot were incorporated into the design of the full-
scale solution?

^›Ô  › ››  

VÊ Is the improvement plan best served by using the DFSS approach?

VÊ What is the implementation plan?
VÊ What poka-yoke or error proofing will be done to address some of the
discrepancies observed in the 'as is' process?
VÊ What does the 'should be' process map/design look like?
VÊ How does the solution remove the key sources of variation discovered in the
analyze phase?
VÊ What attendant changes will need to be made to ensure that the solution is
successful?
VÊ What communications are necessary to support the implementation of the
solution?
VÊ How will the team or the process owner(s) monitor the implementation plan to see
that it is working as intended?
VÊ What is the team's contingency plan for potential problems occurring in
implementation?
VÊ How will the organization know that the solution worked?
VÊ What tools were most useful during the improve phase?

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Documented and implemented monitoring plan, standardized process, documented

procedures, response plan established and deployed, transfer of ownership (project
closure).

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 VÊ Control plan in place for sustaining improvements (short and long-term).


›ÔÔ  

VÊ New process steps, standards, and documentation are ingrained into normal
operations.

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››Ô

VÊ Operating procedures are consistent.

VÊ Knowledge gained on process is shared and institutionalized.

›Ô ԛ 

VÊ Response plans established, understood, and deployed.

Ô › !›Ô  "›
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VÊ Transfer ownership and knowledge to process owner and process team tasked
with the responsibilities.

 
 

   


     

VÊ What is the control/monitoring plan?

VÊ How will the process owner and team be able to hold the gains?
VÊ What key inputs and outputs are being measured on an ongoing basis?
VÊ How will input, process, and output variables be checked to detect for sub-optimal
conditions?
VÊ How will new or emerging customer needs/requirements be
checked/communicated to orient the process toward meeting the new
specifications and continually reducing variation?
VÊ Are control charts being used or needed?
VÊ How will control chart readings and control chart limits be checked to effectively
monitor performance?
VÊ Will any special training be provided for control chart interpretation?
VÊ Is this knowledge imbedded in the response plan?
VÊ What is the most recent process yield (or sigma calculation)?
VÊ Does the process performance meet the customer's requirements?


›ÔÔ  

VÊ Has the improved process and its steps been standardized?

^
››
››Ô
 VÊ Is there documentation that will support the successful operation of the
improvement?
VÊ Does job training on the documented procedures need to be part of the process
team's education and training?
VÊ Have new or revised work instructions resulted?
VÊ Are they clear and easy to follow for the operators?

›Ô ԛ 

VÊ Is a response plan in place for when the input, process, or output measures
indicate an 'out-of-control' condition?
VÊ What are the critical parameters to watch?
VÊ Does the response plan contain a definite closed loop continual improvement
scheme (e.g., plan-do-check-act)?
VÊ Are suggested corrective/restorative actions indicated on the response plan for
known causes to problems that might surface?
VÊ Does a troubleshooting guide exist or is it needed?

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VÊ Who is the process owner?

VÊ How will the day-to-day responsibilities for monitoring and continual
improvement be transferred from the improvement team to the process owner?
VÊ How will the process owner verify improvement in present and future sigma
levels, process capabilities?
VÊ Is there a recommended audit plan for routine surveillance inspections of the
DMAIC project's gains?
VÊ What is the recommended frequency of auditing?
VÊ What should the next improvement project be that is related to the process?
VÊ What quality tools were useful in the control phase?

› Ô     ››Ô#o  ››› Ô

VÊ What other areas of the organization might benefit from the project team's
improvements, knowledge, and learning?
VÊ How might the organization capture best practices and lessons learned so as to
leverage improvements across the business?
VÊ What other systems, operations, processes, and infrastructures (hiring practices,
staffing, training, incentives/rewards, metrics/dashboards/scorecards, etc.) need
updates, additions, changes, or deletions in order to facilitate knowledge transfer
and improvements?
The benefits of Six Sigma can include breakthrough improvements, cost savings, defect
reduction and greater customer satisfaction. To reap these benefits, organizations must
pay close attention to six key factors that can make or break a deployment.

By Koundinya Nemana

Six Sigma is a powerful tool for solving business problems and driving excellence in
organizations. Its benefits can include breakthrough improvements, cost savings, defect
reduction, greater customer satisfaction, and higher productivity and efficiency. To reap
these benefits, however, organizations must pay close attention to six key factors that can
make or break a Six Sigma deployment.

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Top management team members must show their support for the deployment. Simply
sending emails is not enough; they must take the responsibility of leading from the front,
through involvement in the following areas:

VÊ Selecting projects and teams

VÊ Reviewing project milestones
VÊ Approving improvement ideas
VÊ Resolving conflicts
VÊ Recognizing teams

For example, if an organization¶s chief operating officer (COO) oversees support

functions, such as HR, administration, training and finance, etc., the COO, as the sponsor,
needs to be involved in projects from selection to closure.

Another important role for the top management is to resolve conflicts between Green
Belts, Black Belts or process owners who are working on Six Sigma projects. Because of
the power of their position, senior management team members should step in to diffuse
situations.

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When selecting a project, organizations need to make sure that the project has a
manageable scope. If the perspective is too wide, the project will demand too many
resources and take a long time to complete. As the project drags on, team members may
lose interest mid-way through, thus reducing the chances of the project¶s survival. By
selecting projects with manageable scope, the organization will be able to demonstrate
early wins, and the Six Sigma program will gain momentum and appreciation.

Another important factor that must be considered while selecting a Six Sigma project is
the operational stability of the process. Consider this scenario: A team starts a project to
reduce recruitment cycle time. The current process is influenced by the people doing the
recruitment. However, the management team has decided to roll out a highly automated
recruitment process within the next couple of months. Because of the drastic changes
involved, it is easy to imagine that the project will be scrapped mid-way.

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Many organizations find success by selecting a project leader who belongs to the
operational process being improved and has a stake in that process. For example,
appointing a member of the HR team to lead a project to bring improvements to a finance
process simply because the HR team member is available can easily backfire. Sometimes
it is worth appointing a co-project lead as a back up. This is especially helpful if the
project is focused on a process or function where the roles and responsibilities of team
members change dynamically due to their customers¶ needs.


 
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Another significant success factor is the inclusion of project efforts in the performance
objectives of all team members working on a project. The objectives should be
measurable and have clear deadlines. Communicating these objectives to all the team
members and their managers at the beginning of the project will bring accountability and
apply positive pressure on the team to deliver as planned.

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Sometimes organizations use help from an external consultant in deploying Six Sigma.
Others may designate a leader from within the organization to act as Champion of the
deployment. It is extremely important for an organization to make sure that the consultant
or internal Champion understands the purpose of the deployment, as well as the context
and culture of the organization.

The consultants or internal Champions must not dump all of their knowledge onto the
team members at once. Training needs to be flexible according to the participants¶ work
schedules and carefully designed and delivered, with relevant examples and exercises that
suit the business context.

Six Sigma training and mentoring should consist of more than mere academic modules
on statistics. The objective should be to transform people into knowledge assets in the
areas of root-cause analysis, innovative problem solving and process improvements so
that they can bring value to the organization.

 


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Finally, the management team needs to make sure that there is timely recognition of the
effort put in by the project teams and that they are rewarded as per the organization¶s
policies and strategy. The celebration and evangelization of ³wins´ in a Six Sigma project
can generate interest and inspire people to contribute to the organization¶s journey of
excellence.
What is Six Sigma?

The Six Sigma approach identifies and eliminates defects with a structured, data-driven,
problem-solving method of using rigorous data-gathering and statistical analysis. The
statistical representation of Six Sigma describes quantitatively how a process is
performing. To achieve Six Sigma, a process must not produce more than 3.4 defects per
million opportunities. A Six Sigma defect is defined as anything outside of customer
specifications.

Six Sigma differs from traditional quality improvement programs in its focus on input
variables. While traditional process improvement methods depend upon measuring
outputs and establishing control plans to shield customers from organizational defects, a
Six Sigma program demands that problems be addressed at the input root cause level,
thereby eliminating the need for unnecessary inspection and rework processes.

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Leadership Commitment

Achieving Six Sigma is not easy ± it requires serious commitment in the form of time,
effort, and resources. For a company to be successful, such commitment must come first
from the top executive leadership of the organization and must be practiced by everyone.

Managing Decisions with Data

It is not enough to run a business based on one's experience or "tribal knowledge."

Decisions must be based on data versus the typical "I think", "I feel", or "In my opinion"
practices that often exist today. With the maturation of the information economy, data is
available to virtually everyone in the organization, along with the tools for analyzing that
data. Properly using data to Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control performance forms
the foundation of the Six Sigma methodology.

Training and Cultural Change

Improved performance does not and will not happen automatically. High-caliber training
is required. Disciplined implementation must follow, and people at all levels have to
change the way they go about doing their jobs. In short, new ways of thinking,
communicating, and operating must pervade the entire organization. You also need a
methodology. DMAIC and DFSS provide a structured problem solving roadmap and
tools towards obtaining the results you expect.

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The core elements of implementing Six Sigma ± training for Black Belts, Green Belts,
Yellow Belts, Ground School, Master Black Belt, Leading Six Sigma, RADD and Senior
Executive Six Sigma ± to deliver Six Sigma skills throughout your organization.
Black Belt Certification Options
The Black Belt is a key change agent for the Six Sigma process. Typically the "best of
the best," these individuals lead teams working on chronic issues that are negatively
impacting the company¶s performance.

Champion Training
The Champion will acquire the skills and tools to select projects, implement
improvements, execute control, and alleviate roadblocks to success in the deployment of
Six Sigma.

Design for Six Sigma (DFSS)

Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) is a rigorous approach to designing products and services
to meet customer expectations.

Green Belt Training

This course is designed to enhance technical problem solving skills in line managers.
Participants will successfully complete a project while completing the classroom portion
of the training.

Master Black Belt (MBB)

As a leader, the MBB will have responsibility for overseeing projects with multiple Black
Belt and Green Belt participation that will significantly change the way the organization
does business.

Origins of Six Sigma

Six Sigma as a measurement standard in product variation can be traced back to the
1920's when Walter Shewhart showed that three sigma from the mean is the point where
a process requires correction. Many measurement standards, such as Zero Defects, later
came to the fore, but credit for coining the term "Six Sigma" goes to a Motorola engineer
named Bill Smith. "Six Sigma" is a federally registered trademark of Motorola.

In the early and mid-1980s, Motorola engineers decided that the traditional quality levels
± measuring defects in thousands of opportunities ± didn't provide enough depth of
information. They wanted to measure the defects per million opportunities. Motorola
developed this new standard and created the methodology and needed cultural change
associated with it. Six Sigma helped Motorola realize powerful bottom-line results in
their organization ± they proceeded to documented more than $16 Billion in savings as a
result of our Six Sigma efforts.

Since then, hundreds of companies around the world, most notably GE, have adopted Six
Sigma as a way of doing business. This is a direct result of many of America's leaders
openly praising the benefits of Six Sigma. Companies such as Allied Signal, and General
Electric Company rolled out their Six Sigma effort early and with outstanding results.

How Does Six Sigma Work?

The fundamental objective of the Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of a
measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction
through the application of Six Sigma improvement projects. This is accomplished
through the use of DMAIC. The Six Sigma DMAIC process (define, measure, analyze,
improve, control) is an improvement system for existing processes falling below
specification and looking for incremental improvement. This Six Sigma process is
executed by Six Sigma Green Belts and Six Sigma Black Belts, and are overseen by Six
Sigma Master Black Belts.

Typically, companies that have engaged Six Sigma Qualtec for their improvement
process are looking to do more than diversify the skills of a few strategic individuals.
With this investment, they initiate a company-wide culture shift geared toward
breakthrough change and the pursuit of perfection. This approach is geared towards a
more comprehensive deployment that will yield breakthrough improvements in your
processes and bottomline profitability.

Six Sigma Qualtec has developed a deployment model consisting of five major
workstreams as outlined in the figure below. Our objective is to move the company as
quickly as possible to self-sufficiency (knowledge transfer) and self-sustainment
(measurable financial results).

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Workstream 1

Initiative Planning & Startup (RADD, Policy Deployment, HR, Finance,

Communications)

Client Organization is Prepared to gain full benefits of Six Sigma

Workstream 2

Executive Training & On-Boarding

Client Executives are prepared to lead and select projects with impact

Workstream 3

Employee Training & On-Boarding (Black Belt, Green Belt, Yellow Belt, DFSS,
Awareness Training)

Client Begins to Reap Program Benefits

Workstream 4
Transition Training & Implementation

Client is Prepared to Train Future Waves

Workstream 5

Initiative & Project Management Activities (Account Management, Executive Coaching,

Evaluation & Certification, Project Tracking)

Client Attains Self Sufficiency & Program is Self Sustaining

Six Sigma Deployment

To achieve Six Sigma, you must determine how to focus and deploy Six Sigma so that
key business priorities and strategy issues are addressed. Deployments can range from
simply training a few employees to become Black Belts to a larger scale deployment that
embraces and mobilizes the entire organization. Whatever the strategy selected, it must
flow down from the executive leadership, making executive and champion training
imperative.

The key to Six Sigma improvement success is the building

up of an effective infrastructure. An effective
infrastructure lays the foundation for the success of the
organization in its implementation of Six Sigma. The
success of Six Sigma is determined by the projects
selected and the strategy of their organization.

Roles and Responsibilities

Champion
Responsible for coordinating a business roadmap to successfully achieve optimum Six
Sigma results within their organization. Will acquire the skills and tools to select projects,
implement improvements, execute control, and alleviates roadblocks to success.

Master Black Belt

Mentor, teacher and leader of Black Belts and Green Belts in the organization.
Responsible for overseeing projects with multiple Black Belt and Green Belt
participation that will significantly change the way the organization does business.

Black Belt
A Black Belt is a key change agent for the Six Sigma process, leading teams
implementing the Six Sigma methodology on projects. Introduces the methodology and
tools to team members and the broader organization. A Black Belt is typically a two-year
dedicated position responsible for executing the Six Sigma process on selected projects.
Green Belt
Deliver successful small, focused departmental projects using the success strategy.

Yellow Belt
Participates on project teams. Supports the goals of the project, typically in the context of
his or her existing responsibilities. Are expected to continue to utilize learned
competency Six Sigma methodology and tools as part of his or her normal job.

With Six Sigma Qualtec , your company will receive training that has been designed by a
team of instructional curriculum design professionals schooled in adult learning theory to
maximize knowledge transfer. On-site project support will leverage the decades of
experience in both Six Sigma and your industry. The training timeline will be jointly
designed to maximize participation from your employees.