Cheat Sheet

Six Sigma For Dummies

From Six Sigma For Dummies, 2nd Edition by Craig Gygi, Bruce
Williams, Stephen R. Covey (Foreword by) [with Neil DeCarlo]

To apply Six Sigma to your business and produce the best results, you
need to understand what Six Sigma is, the principles of Six Sigma,
and the DMAIC problem-solving method. The correct tools and use of
the Six Sigma scale and methods will keep your data dependable and
reusable.
What Is Six Sigma?
Generally, Six Sigma is a problem-solving methodology that helps
enhance business and organizational operations. It can also be
defined in a number of other ways:

 A quality level of 3.4 defects per million opportunities

 A rate of improvement of 70 percent or better

 A data-driven, problem-solving methodology of Define-Measure-

Analyze-Improve-Control

 An initiative taken on by organizations to create bottom-line

breakthrough change
Six Sigma Principles
Six Sigma is based on a handful of basic principles, and these
principles create the entire Six Sigma arrangement. Here are Six
Sigma’s fundamental principles:
 Y=f(X) + ε: All outcomes and results (theY) are determined by
inputs (theXs) with some degree of uncertainty (å).
 To change or improve results (the Y), you have to focus on the
inputs (theXs), modify them, and control them.
 Variation is everywhere, and it degrades consistent, good
performance. Your job is to find it and minimize it!
 Valid measurements and data are required foundations for
consistent, breakthrough improvement.
 Only a critical few inputs have significant effect on the output.
Concentrate on the critical few.
 Every decision and conclusion has risk (ε), which must be
weighed against the context of the decision.
The Six Sigma Scale
The Six Sigma scale shows how well a vital feature performs
compared to its requirements. The higher the sigma score, the more
efficient the feature is. This table shows the universal Six
Sigma scale:
Sigma Defects per Million Percent Defects Percent Success Capability (CP)
Level (Z) Opportunities (DPMO) (%) (Yield %)
1 691,462 69 31 0.33
2 308,538 31 69 0.67
3 66,807 6.7 93.3 1.00
4 6,210 0.62 99.38 1.33
5 233 0.023 99.977 1.67
6 3.4 0.00034 99.99966 2.00

The DMAIC Method of Six Sigma

The DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) project
method is a formalized problem-solving process of Six Sigma. It’s
made-up of five steps to apply to any procedure of a business to
improve effectiveness.
1. Define: Set the context and objectives for your improvement
project.
2. Measure: Determine the baseline performance and
capability of the process or system you’re improving.
3. Analyze: Use data and tools to understand the cause-and-
effect relationships in your process or system.
4. Improve: Develop the modifications that lead to a validated
improvement in your process or system.
5. Control: Establish plans and procedures to ensure that your
improvements are sustained.
The Tools-Methods Landscape of Six Sigma
Having the right tools and knowing how to apply them to your Six
Sigma projects will help you produce accurate, acceptable, and
reusable outcomes. Here’s an overview of the Six Sigma landscape:
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