6 sigma

• Six Sigma is a methodology that organizations use to improve the capability of their business processes through process variation reduction, which leads to defect reduction and improvement in profits, employee morale, and quality of products or services.
  • Six Sigma quality generally indicates that a process is well-controlled (within process limits ±3s from the center line in a control chart and requirements/tolerance limits ±6s from the center line).
  • Six Sigma experts utilize qualitative and quantitative tools, such as statistical process control, control charts, failure mode and effects analysis, and process mapping, to drive process improvement.
  • Six Sigma professionals follow the DMAIC problem-solving approach, which stands for define, measure, analyze, improve, and control.
  • Six Sigma quality performance generally meets a standard of 3.4 defects per million opportunities.
• Lean Six Sigma is a philosophy of improvement that values defect prevention over detection, drives customer satisfaction and bottom-line results by reducing variation, waste, and cycle time, and promotes the use of work standardization and flow.
  • Lean focuses on reducing process variation and enhancing process control, while lean drives out waste and promotes work standardization and flow.
• The difference between lean and Six Sigma has blurred, and the term “lean Six Sigma” is used more and more often because process improvement requires aspects of both approaches to attain positive results.
• The Six Sigma deployment should begin with the lean approach to make the workplace as efficient and effective as possible, reducing waste and using value stream maps to improve understanding and throughput.
• For true success, executive-level support and management buy-in is necessary.
• Six Sigma implementation strategies can vary significantly between organizations.
• Organizations have two basic options to implement Six Sigma: implement a Six Sigma program or initiative, or create a Six Sigma infrastructure.
  • Option 1: Implement a Six Sigma program or initiative: Practitioners are taught statistical tools from time to time and asked to apply a tool on the job when needed.
  • Option 2: Create a Six Sigma Infrastructure: Six Sigma training provides a process-oriented approach that teaches practitioners a methodology to select the right tool at the right time for a predefined project.
• Training and certification for Lean Six Sigma are available for individuals, including Master Black Belt certification, Black Belt certification, Green Belt certification, and Yellow Belt certification.

• Continuous improvement frameworks:

  • DMAIC
  • Six Sigma
  • Lean

• DMAIC:

  • Acronym for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control.

  • Data-driven quality approach.

  • Five stages:

    • Define:

      • Set up for success.
      • Approval to proceed.
      • Business problem.
      • Importance to business.
      • Urgency.
      • Team members.
      • Sponsor.
      • Others impacted and their support.
      • Scope boundaries.
      • Learn from previous solutions.

    • Measure:

      • Understand current state.
      • Voice of customer.
      • Baseline of performance.
      • Processes and support.
      • Define and quantify what is bad.

    • Analyze:

      • Clearly define problem statement.
      • Articulate root causes.
      • Define priority solutions.

    • Improve:

      • Design solutions.
      • Address potential risks.
      • Ensure sustainability.
      • Engage those impacted.
      • Ensure pull for improvement.

    • Control:

      • Adoption of new ways.
      • Embracing new ways.
      • Stop old ways.
      • Achieving expected results.
      • Sustaining change.
      • Learnings and sharing.

• Six Sigma:

  • Statistical, data-driven approach.

  • Focus on eliminating defects.

  • Tools:

    • Process capability (Cp and Cpk).
    • Defects per million opportunities (DPMO).
    • Measurement system analysis (MSA).

• Lean Management:

  • Predefined interventions and principles.

  • Examples of interventions:

    • 5S.
    • Visual workplace.
    • Kanban.
    • Takt.
    • Product families.
    • Demand profiles.
    • Theory of constraints and Pacemaker.
    • Mistake proofing.
    • SMED.
    • Kaizen.

• Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that combines the lean and Six Sigma principles to improve organizational performance and eliminate waste processes.

• Lean management and Six Sigma both aim to eliminate waste and improve business processes, but lean management relies on people to identify problem areas, while Six Sigma relies on data.

• The Lean Six Sigma methodology recognizes the role that stakeholders play in a project’s success and the importance of analyzing data to understand workflow effectiveness.

• Lean Six Sigma uses various tools for process improvement: 5 Whys, Kanban inventory control cues, Heijunka box, Ishikawa fishbone diagrams, Takt time calculations, and Value stream mapping.

• Lean Six Sigma recognizes eight types of waste that do not add value to customers: Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-utilized talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, and Extra processing.

• Lean Six Sigma is a powerful tool in optimizing business processes, streamlining customer relations, and improving profits. Xerox has implemented Lean Six Sigma internally and offered Lean Six Sigma consulting services to its customers.

• There are five Lean Six Sigma certification levels: White Belt, Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt, and Master Black Belt.

• Lean Six Sigma offers several benefits for employees, businesses, and customers, including higher levels of employee engagement, cost reduction, improved customer satisfaction, and reduced billing and repayment errors.

• Lean Six Sigma can be used in various sectors, such as manufacturing, construction, IT system downtime prevention, customer service, payroll, and environmental impact reduction.

None

• Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that reduces waste and variation in processes
  • Lean methodology reduces non-value activities and cycle times
  • Six Sigma improves overall quality by identifying and reducing variability
  • LSS uses DMAIC to improve existing processes, and DFSS for new ones
• DMAIC:
  • Defines the problem, customers, and process
  • Measures existing data
  • Analyzes root causes of defects
  • Improves process with solutions
  • Controls process to sustain improvements
• DMADV:
  • Defines goals for product, service, or process
  • Measures critical characteristics and risks
  • Analyzes data to find best design
  • Designs and tests the product
  • Verifies and validates design output requirements under real or intended use conditions
  • Added “O” or “Optimize” phase improves design after implementation
• Similarities Between DMAIC and DMADV:
  • Use structured methods to solve problems
  • Collects and analyzes data
  • Are customer-focused
  • Use similar tools (brainstorming, FMEA, DOE)
• Differences Between DMAIC and DMADV:
  • DMAIC addresses existing process; DMADV addresses design process
  • DMAIC reduces and eliminates defects; DMADV prevents defects
  • DMAIC includes specific solutions; DMADV is part of the solution design process
  • DMAIC includes controls to sustain the gains; DMADV includes verification and validation of finished design
• Purdue University offers online Lean Six Sigma certificate programs in Green Belt, Black Belt, and Lean Principles
• To learn more, fill out form or email LSSonline@purdue.edu

• Six Sigma certification is great for the industry, but usually, the company will have its program in place.
  • Lean and Six Sigma are useful everywhere, but in manufacturing and operations is where it shines.
  • If an individual is not in that role, Six Sigma is only a way to get another certification, and it is not necessarily helpful.
• Instead of Six Sigma, one can consider getting a PE or PMP certification because it might be more differentiating.
• Six Sigma is dependent on the people teaching it, and some well-known institutions will be respected that will get someone an employable degree.
• Six Sigma is not under copyright, and it is not a set curriculum, so an individual has to research what they want to do and where they want to go.
• Six Sigma might be valuable if someone wants to improve their problem-solving skills and learn about quality management principles.
  • The Six Sigma certification may make an individual more attractive to potential employers.
• Some large companies pay for employees to receive Six Sigma, PE, and PMP certifications.

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What are the qualifications required for each Six Sigma belt level?

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What are the benefits of implementing Six Sigma?

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How does Lean Six Sigma relate to Six Sigma?

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What is the difference between DMAIC and DMADV?

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What is the purpose of the DMAIC approach?

• Overview of Six Sigma

  • Statistical approach to improving business processes
  • Reduces defects and causes in manufacturing process
  • Focuses on reducing variation to improve product quality and company profit
  • Takes place in teams
  • Members have expertise in different areas

• Six Sigma Methodology

  • Process or product design
  • Discovered in 1920s, introduced earlier by Carl Friedrich Gauss
  • Contains various goals aimed at identifying weaknesses and resolving them
  • Goals developed by considering customer needs
  • Contains belt rankings that signify the qualifications of an individual

• Different Methodologies

  • Two distinct methodologies in Six Sigma: DMAIC and DMADV
  • DMAIC methodology used in situations where a product is already being manufactured, but is encountering defects and/or not meeting customer expectations
    • Steps in DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control
    • Define stage: goals of project are developed, taking customer’s point of view into consideration
    • Measure stage: identify key parts and gather data
    • Analyze stage: determine cause of defects, brainstorm ways to improve process
    • Improve stage: take steps to ensure future processing is defect-free
  • DMADV methodology used in situations where a new product is being developed or when an existing product needs improvement
    • Steps in DMADV: Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify
    • Define stage: goals of project are developed, taking customer’s point of view into consideration
    • Measure stage: identify key parts and gather data
    • Analyze stage: determine requirements and design alternatives
    • Design stage: develop detailed design and optimize
    • Verify stage: verify performance and ability to meet customer needs

• Six Sigma Example

  • Mr. Rayne’s company, Up and Away Umbrella Company, implements Six Sigma approach to reducing defects
  • Two distinct methodologies in Six Sigma: DMAIC and DMADV
  • DMAIC methodology used to address a specific defect in high-wind umbrellas
  • Steps in DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control
  • Six Sigma team uses DMAIC to identify cause of defects and implement solution

• Six Sigma refers to a statistical measure of how far a process deviates from perfection, and has a failure rate of only 0.00034%.
  • Six Sigma was developed by Motorola in the 1980s, and has since been adopted by many other companies around the world.
  • It is used in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, finance, and service industries to improve customer satisfaction, reduce costs, and increase profits.
• Six Sigma is a set of methodologies and tools used to improve business processes by reducing defects and errors, minimizing variation, and increasing quality and efficiency.
  • The goal of Six Sigma is to achieve a level of quality that is nearly perfect, with only 3.4 defects per million opportunities.
  • This is achieved by using a structured approach called DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) to identify and eliminate causes of variation and improve processes.
• Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that combines two powerful process improvement techniques: Lean and Six Sigma.
  • Lean focuses on minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency by identifying and eliminating non-value-adding activities.
  • Six Sigma is a statistical approach to process improvement that aims to reduce variation and defects by using data-driven decision making.
• Six Sigma has its foundations in five key principles that include focusing on the customer, measuring the value stream, getting rid of waste, involving all stakeholders, and ensuring a flexible and responsive ecosystem.
• The Six Sigma methodology includes two main methodologies: DMAIC and DMADV.
  • DMAIC is a data-driven method used to improve existing products or services for better customer satisfaction.
  • DMADV is a part of the Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) process used to design or re-design different processes of product manufacturing or service delivery.
• The Six Sigma process of the DMAIC method has five phases: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control.
• The Six Sigma methodology uses a mix of statistical and data analysis tools such as process mapping and design, brainstorming, root cause analysis/the 5 whys, voice of the customer, the 5S system, Kaizen (continuous improvement), benchmarking, poka-yoke (mistake-proofing), and value stream mapping.
  • Six Sigma training levels conform to specified training requirements, education criteria, job standards, and eligibility, including white belt, yellow belt, and green belt levels.

None.

• Six Sigma is a quality-control methodology for process improvement that uses statistics, financial analysis, and project management to achieve improved business functionality and better quality control by identifying and then correcting mistakes or defects in existing processes
  • Developed by a scientist at Motorola in the 1980s
  • The five phases of the Six Sigma method, known as DMAIC, are defining, measuring, analyzing, improving, and controlling
• Six Sigma is based on the idea that all business processes can be measured and optimized
• Six Sigma quality is achieved when long-term defect levels are below 3.4 defects per million opportunities (DPMO)
• Six Sigma has evolved into a more general business concept, focusing on meeting customer requirements, improving customer retention, and improving and sustaining business products and services
  • Among its best-known proponents was the longtime General Electric CEO Jack Welch
• Six Sigma certification programs confer belt rankings similar to those in the martial arts, ranging from white belt to black belt
  • Belt levels:
    • White belt: basic knowledge to become team members
    • Yellow belt: knowledge to lead small projects and assist managers who hold more advanced belts
    • Green belt: prepare them to become project leaders
    • Black belt: prepare them for leadership roles in larger and more complex projects
• Lean Six Sigma is a team-focused managerial approach that seeks to improve performance by eliminating waste and defects while boosting the standardization of work.
  • Combines Six Sigma methods and tools and the lean manufacturing/lean enterprise philosophy, striving to reduce the waste of physical resources, time, effort, and talent while assuring quality in production and organizational processes
  • Any use of resources that does not create value for the end customer is considered a waste and should be eliminated
• Six Sigma is used by many companies, local governments, and other institutions
• Six Sigma helped Microsoft improve the availability of its servers, boost productivity, and increase customer satisfaction
• Six Sigma helped Ventura County, California, credited the use of Lean Six Sigma for a savings of $33 million, due in part to the introduction of more efficient new systems and by eliminating unnecessary, but time-consuming, steps from its prior processes.

• Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven approach to eliminate defects in any process.
  • It aims to achieve six standard deviations between the mean and the nearest specification limit.
• Six Sigma is used in manufacturing, transactional, product, and service processes.
• The statistical representation of Six Sigma describes quantitatively how a process is performing by not producing more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities.
  • A Six Sigma defect is anything outside of customer specifications.
• To achieve Six Sigma, companies use the DMAIC process (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) for existing processes and DMADV (define, measure, analyze, design, verify) for new processes or products.
  • The processes are executed by Green Belts and Black Belts, and are overseen by Master Black Belts.
• Black Belts can complete four to six projects per year and save companies approximately $230,000 per project.
• GE first implemented Six Sigma in 1995 and has estimated benefits on the order of $10 billion during the first five years of implementation.
• Many frameworks exist for implementing the Six Sigma methodology.

• Reddit post from 5 years ago discussing Six Sigma’s reputation in engineering and other technical fields
  • User with a Lean Six Sigma black belt cert shares experience where it was useful, but ultimately failed due to lack of upper management buy-in
  • Another user agrees that it won’t work unless there is top-down implementation
  • Some users share experiences of engineers with Six Sigma training being useless while others without it apply its practices successfully
  • Some argue that Six Sigma is useful where it works, but bad where it doesn’t
  • Six Sigma is a structured problem-solving method that can be used in conjunction with Lean manufacturing
  • Many companies require Six Sigma as a badge on your resume, especially in manufacturing environments
  • Six Sigma has been used as an excuse to lay off a bunch of people claiming the company is trying to go lean
  • One user as an engineering manager looks more for a track record where an engineer demonstrated root-cause problem-solving behavior. Next, they look for their ability to coach and teach. Whether they have a green, blue, black belt, or a freakin’ ninja diploma doesn’t mean much.

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What is the best 6 Sigma product?