The DMAIC methodology
When Six Sigma and Lean practices are combined, the result is a means to quantify and eliminate the cost of complexity.
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Source: Defense Business Transformation Agency’s Lean Six Sigma Office
NEXT STORY: Air Force ISR Agency gets new commander