D469 Quality, Continuous Improvement, and Lean Six Sigma

DMAIC

Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control

The Design Phase

analysis of the problem to solve

collection of the voice of the customer

selection of improvement projects

The Measure Phase

maps out the process and collects essential data to understand why the problem is occurring

Data collection

current and target performance are measured

The Analyze Phase

comprises different methodologies and statistical tools to analyze collected data and draw up possible solutions

The Improve Phase

solutions are chosen

The Control Phase

process six sigma has been applied

is evaluated to assess whether the desired results are achieved

possibility of transferring the identified solutions to other areas is considered

Impact of the Project on the Strategy

evaluation parameter and associated weights are identified as well as the evaluation scale

a score can be determined for each project

The Effort Required to Achieve Goals

the score provides useful information to determine whether it should be assigned to a black or green belt

Black Belt

complex project requiring time and resources

Green belt

Less complex project

Collection of the Customer Voice

Identify and collect customer’s needs

translate them into measurable technical factors to define the goal

Correlate critical features with process features to understand the aspects which need monitoring

Critical to Quality (CTQ) identifiers

Define what needs to be measured

measure

target values

specification limits (defects allowance expressed in parts per million ppm)

Suppliers, Input, Process, Output, and Customers (SIPOC) provided information

carried-out activities

input and output of each phase

suppliers

customer

time and schedule

people responsible for each phase

Cause-effect diagrams (fishbone / ishikawa diagrams)

graphically represents the cause of the problem (direct and indirect) and arranges them by type and detail level

Identifying Measures

consider the objectives of the analysis

identify the measures to study to limit costs and time of analysis as well as problems related to the management of high volume of data

Identifying Specification Limits

identifies higher and lower specification limits for both inputs and outputs

Define the Data Collection Plan

accurate definition of the collection plan reduces the likelihood of making mistakes during the measurement phase

allow to operate with lower costs and shorter time schedules

must account for:

operating conditions during collection

sampling plan

type of measurement

measurement method, type of instrument, and precision

profile of the staff in charge of the measurement

Most commonly encountered error in data collection

lack of measurement precision and controlled conditions

Best way to collect data

Collection Sheet

Project Charter

describes the project, objectives, scope, and responsibilities for key stakeholders approval

Process Map

communicates how a process works

identifies why errors occur

Fishbone Diagram

helps members visually diagram a problem or condition’s root causes, leading to a problem diagnostic

Solutions used in the Analyze phase

Pareto analysis, histogram, development, and correlation diagrams

tools to assess whether the supposed solutions can produce a really positive effect on the analyzed process/products

Correlation analysis and linear regression

multivariate analysis

tools such as: DOE and ANOVA

ANOVA analysis

helps identify parameters with the greatest impact on specifications and producing the greatest variability

DOE

helps identify values parameters of the process that should be set up (temp, pressure, speed)

Six Hats Thinking Technique

investigates an issue from various perspectives but in a clear, conflict-free way

2×2 Matrices

decision support technique where the team plots options on a quadrant chart. each axis represents a decision.

Criteria Selection Matrix

grid used to generate a meaningful, numerical evaluation of the solution alternatives against the same set of evaluation criteria

Pugh Matrix

Compares solutions against a baseline

Mistake Proofing

provides methods for increasing the visibility of errors, improving reaction time to errors, and creating systems to prevent errors from recurring

Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA)

structured approach to discovering potential failures that may exist within the design of a product and processes

such as production and cleaning

SMART

specific criteria for setting goals and project objectives

Weaknesses of Six-Sigma

costs, times, and complexity of the data