Six Sigma Foundations and Principles

Flashcards for key concepts and terminology related to Six Sigma foundations and principles.

Common cause variation

The natural, expected fluctuation in a process that is inherent and affects all outcomes to some degree.

Continuous improvement

An ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes over time through incremental and breakthrough improvements.

Control chart

A graphical tool used to monitor process behavior over time and distinguish between common cause and special cause variation.

COPQ (cost of poor quality)

The total cost associated with producing defective products or services, including rework, returns, and lost customer trust.

DMAIC

A structured, data-driven problem-solving methodology consisting of Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control phases.

DPMO (defects per million opportunities)

A metric used to measure the number of defects in a process per one million opportunities.

PDCA

Plan-Do-Check-Act, a cyclical improvement methodology used for continuous improvement.

Process mapping

A visual representation of a process that outlines each step and decision point to identify inefficiencies and variation.

Root cause analysis

A problem-solving technique used to identify the fundamental cause of a defect or problem.

Sigma level

A statistical measure of process capability that indicates how often defects are likely to occur.

Six Sigma

A data-driven methodology aimed at reducing defects and variation to improve quality and efficiency.

Special cause variation

Unexpected variation in a process that can be traced to a specific, unusual event or circumstance.

Variation

The differences in process output that can affect quality; includes both common and special causes.

VOC (Voice of the Customer)

The process of capturing customer needs and preferences to guide quality and improvement efforts.