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 projects
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 is
important to the
customer

Define: Approach

Develop
Develop Business
Business
Case
Case and
and
Team
Team Charter
Charter

Map
Map the
the
current
current
process
process

Listen
Listen to
to the
the
Voice
Voice of
of the
the
Customer
Customer

Elements of a Team Charter

Purpose
Importance
Scope (focus and direction)
Deliverables
Measures (indicators)
Resources accessible
to the team

Work as a Process
S
U
P
P
L
I
E
R
S

Inputs

Process

Outputs

C
U
S
T
O
M
E
R
S

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.

Translating VOC into CTQs

VOC

CTQ Tree
CTQ
CTQ

I want

CTQ

need

CTQ

CTQ
CTQ

CTQ

CTQ

(CTQ = Critical to Quality)

 Goal

Step 2: Measure

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

Ca

Pa
tte
rns

pa

bi
lit

Measure and DMAIC

Links
You should have a solid project definition from
Define (Step 1).
In this step, youll 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

Collect
baseline
data on
defects
and
possible
causes

Develop a
Sampling
Strategy

Validate
your
measurement
system
using
Gage R&R

Analyze
patterns
in data

Determine
process
capability

Data Collection Plan

Data Collection Plan

Project:

What questions do you want to answer?

Data
What

Measure type/
Data type

How will you insure consistency and stability?

NOTES
NOTES
1)
1) Be
Be sure
sure to
to test
test and
and monitor
monitor
any
any measurement
measurement
procedures/
procedures/ instruments.
instruments.
2)
2) Related
Related factors
factors are
are
stratification
stratification factors
factors or
or
potential
potential causes
causes you
you want
want
to
to monitor
monitor as
as
you
you collect
collect data
data

Operational Definition and Procedures

How measured

Related conditions
to record2

Sampling notes

How/where recorded
(attach form)

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

IMPROVE

Output
Do
E

A theory that
has been tested
and confirmed

Analyze and DMAIC

Links
The data from Measure (Step 2)
should help you focus on specific
aspects of the problems youve
identified.
Here youll 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

Analyze: Approach

Develop
Developaa
focused
focusedproblem
problem
statement
statement

Process
Process Door
Door
versus
versus
Data
Data Door
Door

Organize
Organize
potential
potential
causes
causes

Hypothesis
Hypothesis
Testing
Testing and
and
Regression
Regression
Analysis
Analysis

Design
Designof
of
Experiments
Experiments
and
and Response
Response
Surface
Surface

Cause-and-Effect Diagram
Potential causes
at lower level
would contribute
to cause at next Storm
level up

Power

Bulb
Old
Burned
Out

Power Outage
Power Plant
Failure

Broken
Is Current
Loose
On?
Is Bill
Paid?
Missing

Circuit Breaker

Arrows
indicate the
direction of
potential
cause-andeffect

Replace
Bulb

No House
Current
Wall Switch
Turned Off

Unpaid Bill

Assembly error

Not Plugged In

Switch
Broken

Chewed
by Dog

Causes
grouped by
relationship
to each
other

Switch
Missing

Cord Cut

No Contact

Vandal
Corroded

Plug/Cord

Lamp
High humidity

Narrowly defined
problem forms
head of the fish;
causes listed on
the diagram
should potentially
contribute to this
problem

Lamp
Doesnt
Turn On

One spine leads

into head (problem
statement).
Contributing
causes are
arranged on
smaller and
smaller bones.

Value-Added and
Nonvalue-Added Steps

Value-added step:
Customers are willing to pay for it
It physically changes the product
Its 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,

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

10

Time (Hours)

12

10

10

20

10

10

20

Total %Total
100

100%

4%

18

18%

8%

Delay

48

48%

Transporting/Motion

22

22%

100

100%

Value-Added
Non-value-added
Fixing errors
Prep/Set-up
Control/Inspection

Total

Step 4: Improve
Goal
Develop, try out,
and implement
solutions that
address root
Solut
causes
io

ns

Output

FMEA

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

IMPROVE

t
Pilo

n
e
m
e n
pl tio
Im ta

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,
Generate,
evaluate,
evaluate,
and
andselect
select
solutions
solutionstoto
identified
identified
root
rootcauses
causes

Assess
risks
Assess
and
andpilot
pilot
solutions
solutions

Develop
Develop
implementation
implementation
plans
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

at
e

IMPROVE

Control

Output
Before-and-After analysis
Monitoring system
Completed documentation
of results, learnings, and
recommendations

e
rdiz

Clo
sur

nt

Outline next steps for

on-going improvement

me
cu
Do

Maintain the gains by

standardizing
processes

Ev
al u

r
ito
on
M

Validate that all changes

adhere to all operating
company change control,
GMP, and compliance
requirements

nda
Sta

Goal
Use data to evaluate both
the solutions and the plans

Control and DMAIC

Links
Many times, however, a solution doesnt
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
QualityControl
Control &&
Process
Process Change
Change
Management
Management

Standardize
Standardize and
and
Document
Document
Effective
Effective
Methods
Methods

Establish
Establish
Ongoing
Ongoing
Project
Project
Monitoring
Monitoring

Evaluate
Evaluating
Results
Results

Hand
HandOff,
Off,
Summarize
Summarize Key
Key
Learnings
and
Learnings and
Draft
DraftFuture
Future Plans
Plans