Scribd
Upload
272 views6 pages

Lean Six Sigma DMAIC Guide

The document outlines the five phases of the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC process for improving existing processes with unknown causes. The five phases are: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. Each phase is described in 1-2 paragraphs explaining the key steps and goals of that phase, such as defining the problem, measuring current performance, analyzing causes, implementing and verifying solutions, and controlling the improved process.

Uploaded by

lipsy25
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
272 views6 pages

Lean Six Sigma DMAIC Guide

The document outlines the five phases of the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC process for improving existing processes with unknown causes. The five phases are: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. Each phase is described in 1-2 paragraphs explaining the key steps and goals of that phase, such as defining the problem, measuring current performance, analyzing causes, implementing and verifying solutions, and controlling the improved process.

Uploaded by

lipsy25
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Introduction to Lean Six Sigma: Introduces Lean Six Sigma methodology by outlining the five DMAIC phases aimed at improving processes and solving problems.
  • Phase 1: Define: Focuses on defining the process problem, setting goals, and establishing a project charter to guide improvement efforts.
  • Phase 2: Measure: Describes the methods to quantify current process performance and identify where improvements are needed.
  • Phase 4: Improve: Outlines the improvement phase where solutions are developed, tested, and implemented to fix root causes.
  • Phase 3: Analyze: Analyzes process data to uncover the root causes of issues, preparing ground for targeted improvements.
  • Phase 5: Control: Emphasizes on maintaining the improvements and monitoring processes to ensure issues remain resolved.

Lean Six Sigma: Step by Step (DMAIC Infographic)

[Link]/lean-six-sigma-step-by-step/

April 13, 2012

1/6
2/6
3/6
Lean Six Sigma is simply a process for solving a problem. It consists of five
phases: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, & Control. This process is also
known as DMAIC (“duh-may-ik”), its acronym. DMAIC is a five-step method for
improving existing process problems with unknown causes.

Phase 1: Define
Define the problem. What problem would you like to fix? The Define Phase is the first
phase of the Lean Six Sigma improvement process. In this phase the project team
creates a Project Charter, a high-level map of the process and begins to understand the
needs of the customers of the process. This is a critical phase in which the team outlines
the project focus for themselves and the leadership of the organization.

1. Define the Problem by Developing a “Problem Statement”


2. Define the Goal by Developing a “Goal Statement”
3. Define the Process by Developing Process Maps
4. Define the Customer and Their Requirements
5. Inform Others of Project Progress

Phase 2: Measure
Quantify the problem. How does the process currently perform? Or in other words,
what is the magnitude of the problem? Measurement is critical throughout the life of the
project. As the team starts collecting data they focus on both the process as well as
measuring what customers care about. That means initially there are two focuses:
reducing lead time or improving quality. In the Measure Phase, the team refines the
measurement definitions and determines the current performance or the baseline of the
process.

1. Determine How the Process Currently Performs


2. Create a Plan to Collect the Data
3. Ensure the Data is Reliable
4. Gather the Baseline Data
5. Update Your Project Charter
4/6
Phase 3: Analyze
Identify the cause of the problem. What is causing the problem? The Analyze Phase is
often not given enough attention and, without analysis, teams jump to solutions before
knowing the true root causes of the issues. The result is teams who implement solutions
but don’t resolve the problem! These efforts waste time, consume resources, create
more variation and, often cause new problems. The ideal is for teams to brainstorm
potential root causes (not solutions), develop hypotheses as to why problems exist and
then work to prove or disprove their hypotheses. Verification includes both process
analysis and data analysis and has to be completed before implementing solutions. This
is the crux of the Analyze Phase!

1. Closely Examine the Process


2. Graphically Display the Data
3. Look for What Might be Causing the Problem
4. Verify the Cause(s) of the Problem
5. Update Your Project Charter

Phase 4: Improve
Implement and verify the solution. How will the team mitigate the root causes of the
problem? Once the project teams have determined the root causes it’s time to develop
solutions. The Improve Phase is where the team brainstorms solutions, pilots process
changes, implements solutions and lastly, collects data to confirm there is measurable
improvement. A structured improvement effort can lead to innovative and elegant
solutions that improve the baseline measure and, ultimately, the customer experience.

1. Brainstorm Solutions That Might Fix the Problem


2. Select the Practical Solutions
3. Develop Maps of Processes Based on Different Solutions
4. Select the Best Solution(s)
5. Implement the Solution(s)
6. Measure to Ensure Improvement

Phase 5: Control
Maintain the solution. How do you sustain the improvement? Now that the process
problem is fixed and improvements are in place, the team must ensure that the process
maintains the gains. In the Control Phase the team is focused on creating a Monitoring
Plan to continue measuring the success of the updated process and developing a
Response Plan in case there is a dip in performance. Once in place, the team hands these
plans off to the Process Owner for ongoing maintenance.

1. Ensure the Process Is Properly Managed and Monitored


2. Document the Improved Process
5/6
3. Apply Improvements to Other Areas
4. Continuously Improve the Process Using Lean Principles

Subscribe to [Link] to access our FREE Yellow Belt Training!

Privacy Policy
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

What’s next?

6/6

You might also like