The DMAIC methodology
- By David Perera
- Nov 17, 2008
- Define process improvement goals consistent with enterprise strategy.
- Measure key aspects of the current process and collect relevant data.
- Analyze the data to verify cause-and-effect relationships.
- Improve or optimize the process based upon data analysis.
- Control to ensure that any deviations from the target process are corrected before they result in defects.
Six Sigma’s benefits:
- Emphasizes the need to recognize opportunities and eliminate defects as defined by customers.
- Recognizes that variation hinders the ability to reliably deliver high-quality services.
- Requires data driven decisions and incorporates a comprehensive set of quality tools under a powerful framework for effective problem solving.
- Provides a highly prescriptive cultural infrastructure effective in obtaining sustainable results.
- When implemented correctly, promises and delivers $500,000 or more of improved operating profit per black belt per year — a hard dollar figure many companies consistently achieve.
LEAN’s benefits:
- Focuses on maximizing process velocity.
- Provides tools for analyzing process flow and delay times at each activity in a process.
- Centers on the separation of value-added from non-value-added work with tools to eliminate the root causes of non-valued activities and their cost.
8 types of waste/non-value-added work
- Wasted human talent — Damage to people.
- Defects — Stuff that’s not right and needs fixing.
- Inventory — Stuff waiting to be worked.
- Overproduction — Stuff made too frequently/too early.
- Waiting time — People waiting for stuff to arrive.
- Motion — Unnecessary human movement.
- Transportation — Moving people and stuff.
- Processing waste — Stuff we have to do that doesn’t add value to the product or service we are supposed to be producing.
When Six Sigma and Lean practices are combined, the result is a means to quantify and eliminate the cost of complexity.
Source: Defense Business Transformation Agency’s Lean Six Sigma Office