Six Sigma as we discussed in our earlier post is not intended to as a quick fix but is rather a systematic process and procedure that is focused on ongoing quality improvement. The ultimate goal of a Lean Six Sigma project is continually improved and sustained quality through an improved and more efficient process.
Six Sigma delivers these improvements by focusing on reducing and removing defects and eliminating waste. This is accomplished through research and data collection so it’s not a quick process but rather one that requires time. Organizations can over time reduce errors and rework saving the company time, lost business opportunities and money. The real goal like other quality improvement projects is to ensure that the product or service meets the standards of the customer!
To accomplish this, organizations need to meet several deliverables under the DMAIC model.
Define
- Build a project team capable of actually accomplishing the objectives & committed to solving the problem(s). Ensure that management buy-in includes all the necessary resources to actually solve the issues.
- Identify the issues that actually matter & develop a project charter which should include the known business processes.
Measure
- Identify the key measures and come up with a plan to ensure that this information can be obtained. Create an initial baseline and communicate this to all parties.
Analysis
- Where do we want to be? It’s important to define the final goal so that you can compare the current state.
- Conduct root cause analysis and gap analysis on the current state. Check all existing processes to ensure that they are being utilized correctly.
Improve
- Probably the most critical stage, but also the most difficult. Define and develop possible solutions, along with an implementation plan.
Control
- Standardization is the key with control. Standardize the processes, document procedures and implement the monitoring plan to ensure that the improvements have had the desired effect.