Process Department

Six Sigma Concept

What is Six Sigma?


Six Sigma is a disciplined, statistical-based, data-driven approach and continuous improvement methodology for eliminating defects in a product, process or service

A six sigma process is one in which 99.99966% of all opportunities to produce some feature of a part are statistically expected to be free of defects.

Six Sigma strategies seek to improve the quality of the output of a process by identifying and removing the causes of defects and minimizing impact variability in manufacturing and business processes.


Each Six Sigma project carried out within an organization follows a defined sequence of steps and has specific value targets, for example: reduce process cycle time, reduce pollution, reduce costs, increase customer satisfaction, and increase profits.


The term “six sigma” comes from statistics and is used in statistical quality control, which evaluates process capability. Originally, it referred to the ability of manufacturing processes to produce a very high proportion of output within specification. Processes that operate with “six sigma quality” over the short term are assumed to produce long-term defect levels.defects per million opportunities (DPMO)

In recent years, some practitioners have combined Six Sigma ideas with lean manufacturing to create a methodology named Lean Six Sigma.The Lean Six Sigma methodology views lean manufacturing, which addresses process flow and waste issues, and Six Sigma, with its focus on variation and design, as complementary disciplines aimed at promoting “business and operational excellence”

The DMAIC project methodology has five phases:

Define



Define the system, the voice of the customer and their requirements, and the project goals, specifically.

Measure


Measure key aspects of the current process and collect relevant data; calculate the ‘as-is’ Process Capability.

Analyze


Analyse the data to investigate and verify cause-and-effect relationships. Determine what the relationships are, and attempt to ensure that all factors have been considered. Seek out root cause of the defect under investigation.

Improve


Improve or optimize the current process based upon data analysis using techniques such as design of experiments, poka yoke or mistake proofing, and standard work to create a new, future state process. Set up pilot runs to establish process capability.


Control


Control the future state process to ensure that any deviations from the target are corrected before they result in defects. Implement control systems such as statistical process control, production boards, visual workplaces, and continuously monitor the process. This process is repeated until the desired quality level is obtained.

The DMADV project methodology, known as DFSS (“Design For Six Sigma”),features five phases:

Define


Define design goals that are consistent with customer demands and the enterprise strategy.

Measure


Measure and identify CTQs (characteristics that are Critical To Quality), measure product capabilities, production process capability, and measure risks.

Analyze


Analyze to develop and design alternatives

Design


Design an improved alternative, best suited per analysis in the previous step.

Verify


Verify the design, set up pilot runs, implement the production process and hand it over to the process owner.

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