The DMAIC Method -Road Map

Why Use an Improvement Method?

An Improvement Method:

– Provides a framework.– Provides a common

language.– Provides a checklist

to prevent you from skipping critical steps.

– Allows you to improve how you improve.

Overview of the DMAIC Method

Step 1: Define• Goal– Define the project’s purpose

and scope and get background on the process and customer

• Output– A clear statement of the

intended improvement and how it is to be measured

– A high-level map of the process

– A list of what isimportant to thecustomer

Define: Approach

Develop Business Case and

Team Charter

Map the current process

Listen to the Voice of the Customer

Elements of a Team Charter– Purpose– Importance– Scope (focus and direction)– Deliverables– Measures (indicators)– Resources accessible

to the team

Work as a Process

– Applies to all kinds of work, whether repetitive in nature or “one-of-a-kind.”– Having a high-level view of a process helps

• to define project boundaries (starting and ending points).• to describe where to collect data.

S U P P L I ER S

C U S T O M E R S

OutputsInputs Process

Translating VOC into CTQs

• (CTQ = Critical to Quality)

need

VOC CTQ Tree

I want

CTQ

CTQ

CTQ

CTQ

CTQ

CTQ

CTQ

CTQ

Step 2: Measure• Goal– Focus the

improvement effort by gathering information on the current situation

• Output– Data that pinpoints problem

location or occurrence– Baseline data on current

process sigma– A more focused problem

statement

Data

Sampling

Gage R&R

PatternsCapability

Measure and DMAIC• Links

– You should have a solid project definition from Define (Step 1).– In this step, you’ll collect data to provide a factual

understanding of what now happens in the process you are working to improve.

– This data will provide the basis for Analyze (Step 3).

Measure: Approach

Collectbaselinedata ondefects

andpossiblecauses

Develop a Sampling Strategy

Analyze patterns in data

Determine process

capability

Validate your

measurement system using

Gage R&R

Data Collection Plan

Operational Definition and Procedures

Data Collection Plan Project:What questions do you want to answer?

DataWhat Measure type/

Data typeHow measured Related conditions

to record2Sampling notes How/where recorded

(attach form)

NOTES1) Be sure to test and monitor

any measurement procedures/ instruments.

2) “Related factors” are stratification factors or potential causes you want to monitor as you collect data

How will you insure consistency and stability? What is your plan for starting data collection? (attach details if necessary)

How will the data be displayed? (Sketch below)

Round 2

– Collect end-of-round Performance Data

– Produce Histogram and Run Chart

– Calculate Sigma

Step 3: Analyze

• Goal– Identify deep

causes and confirm them with data

• Output– A theory that has

been tested and confirmed

DoEIMPROVE

Analyze and DMAIC• Links

– The data from Measure (Step 2) should help you focus on specific aspects of the problems you’ve identified.

– Here you’ll develop theories about causes of those problems and verify them with data.

– Design experiments and optimize them.– The verified causes will form the basis for

solutions in Improve (Step 4).

Analyze: Approach

Develop afocused problem

statement

Process Doorversus

Data Door

Organizepotentialcauses

HypothesisTesting andRegression

Analysis

Design ofExperiments

and ResponseSurface

Cause-and-Effect Diagram

Causes grouped by relationship

to each other

Arrows indicate the direction of

potential cause-and-

effect

Potential causes at lower level

would contribute to cause at next

level up

Narrowly defined problem forms

head of the fish; causes listed on

the diagram should potentially contribute to this

problem

One “spine” leads into head (problem

statement). Contributing causes are arranged on smaller and

smaller “bones.”

Power Bulb

Plug/Cord Lamp

Lamp Doesn’tTurn On

Switch Broken

SwitchMissing

No Contact

Corroded

Vandal

Cord Cut

Chewed by Dog

Not Plugged In

Assembly error

Missing

LooseIs Bill Paid?

Is Current On?

OldBurnedOut

Broken

Replace Bulb

Storm

Power Outage

Power Plant Failure

Circuit Breaker

No HouseCurrent

Unpaid Bill Wall Switch Turned Off

High humidity

Value-Added and Nonvalue-Added Steps

• Value-added step:– Customers are willing to pay for it– It physically changes the product– It’s done right the first time

• Non-value-added step:– Not essential to produce output– Does not add value to the output– Includes:

• Defects, errors, omissions • Preparation/setup, control/inspection• Over-production, processing,

inventory• Transporting, motion, waiting, delays

Value Analysis Matrix• You can track specific types of nonvalue-added time with a value-analysis

matrix. This helps clarify not only the types of waste present in the process, but also the percentage of the overall process each nonvalue-added step adds.

Process Step

Time (Hours)

Value-Added

Non-value-added

Fixing errors

Control/Inspection

Delay

Prep/Set-up

Transporting/Motion

Total

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total %Total

12 10 1 10 20 6 10 1 10 20 100 100%

4

8

48

22

100

18

4%

8%

48%

22%

18%

100%

Step 4: Improve• Goal– Develop, try out,

and implement solutions that address root causes

• Output– Identification of

planned, tested actions that should eliminate or reduce the impact of the identified root causes

Solutions

FMEA

Pilot

Imple

men-

tation

IMPROVE

Improve and DMAIC• Links

– Start from the verified causes identified in Analyze (Step 3).

– Decide whether to do iterative improvement/ fundamental redesign.

– Develop and implement solutions specifically targeted at those verified causes.

– Draft and execute implementation plans.– Plan how you will evaluate results in Control (Step

5).

Improve: Approach

Generate,evaluate,

and selectsolutions to

identifiedroot causes

Generate,evaluate,

and selectsolutions to

identifiedroot causes

Assessand pilotsolutions

Assess risksand pilotsolutions

Developimplementation

plans

Developimplementation

plans

Constraints for Round 3 Changes

– No customer changes

– Same headcount

– No flat-rate pricing (pricing structure does not change)

– No new technology

– You must pilot

To do

– Brainstorm possible solutions

– Design new process

– Pilot

Round 3

– Collect end-of-round Performance Data

– Produce Histogram

– Calculate Sigma

Step 5: Control• Goal– Use data to evaluate both the

solutions and the plans

– Validate that all changes adhere to all operating company change control, GMP, and compliance requirements

– Maintain the gains by standardizing processes

– Outline next steps for on-going improvement

• Output– Before-and-After analysis– Monitoring system– Completed documentation

of results, learnings, and recommendations

Control

Standardize

DocumentMonitorEvaluate

Closure

IMPROVE

Control and DMAIC

• Links– Many times, however, a solution doesn’t quite

meet expectations, and you may have to jump back to Define (Step 2), Measure (Step 3), or Improve (Step 4) to rethink certain aspects of your project.

– In this step, you take the methods that proved effective in Improve (Step 4), review your work from all the previous steps, document your achievements, identify remaining gaps, and communicate the final status to the rest of the organization.

Control: Approach

Quality Control & Process Change

Management

Quality Control & Process Change

Management

Standardize andDocumentEffectiveMethods

Standardize andDocumentEffectiveMethods

EstablishOngoingProject

Monitoring

EstablishOngoingProject

Monitoring

EvaluatingResults

EvaluateResults

Hand Off,Summarize KeyLearnings and

Draft Future Plans

Hand Off,Summarize KeyLearnings and

Draft Future Plans