Introduction To DMAIC As Part Of Six Sigma By Ryan J Bell At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Most business processes have room for improvement. The size of the organization, the number of clients (both internal and external), scope of the deliverables, and the number of years a particular process has been integrated doesn't suggest a lack of need. When defects or flaws are identified, it's not always clear what is causing them. DMAIC is a strategy that is used to analyze shortcomings in quality, performance, and other deliverable failings.

DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. Each segment is a self-contained phase during which all details regarding a process are studied in order to identify problems and eliminate them. In this article, I'll provide an overview of each step. You'll learn how the methodology is deployed within businesses to eliminate defects, reduce variances in quality, and provide a greater level of control over deliverables.

Defining The Deliverables

During the Define phase, six sigma operatives identify the company's goals and customers to whom products are delivered. They must also define those customers' expectations and requirements as well as issues that are considered "critical to quality" (known as CTQs). Finally, the problem that needs to be resolved must be outlined using variables that can be measured. All of these factors must be considered in context of the defective process.

Measuring The Data

This is the phase during which the project gains form. If something can't be quantified, it can't be measured. The goal of this step is for the black belt project manager and his team to determine process-related metrics. They need to outline the inputs, outputs, and any factors that influence the CTQs that were defined during the first phase (see above). A critical part of this step is to collect data that is already generated by the process. If possible, the team should study variances and trends over time. This is the only way to measure whether improvements are actually taking place.

Analyzing The Cause The objective of the Analyze phase is to find the root cause (or causes) of the process defects. In the previous step, data was collected in order to measure improvement. That data is now used to help determine causality. The six sigma team tries to determine which factors are contributing to variances in performance. Once those variables have been identified and can be supported with data, steps can be taken to improve - or eliminate - the flaws.

Improving The Process

The Improve stage requires the six sigma project team to study the data and root causes of process defects. Then, they're tasked with designing creative solutions to eliminate those root causes (or reduce their effect as much as possible, given their resources). A comprehensive approach entails determining the effect of not eliminating the process flaws, so that a management team can decide how best to proceed.

Controlling The System

The last phase of DMAIC is largely dependent upon the thoroughness of the first 4 stages. The solutions that were created during the Improve step are now integrated and various tools are deployed to track CTQs. Other important variables that can impact deliverables are also tracked. The six sigma team must also design a transition plan to move the project into the hands of those who will be tasked with ongoing tracking and maintenance.

DMAIC is one of the fundamental methodologies used by all six sigma operatives. By having a team carefully go through the 5 phases described above, senior managers can improve their organization's processes. That helps them ensure that customers' expectations are met, company resources are conserved, and the business operates efficiently.

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