Six Sigma is a proven well-established methodology that improves process efficiency. It uses DMAIC methodology to identify problems that hinder overall process performance and provide solution to those problems. Now the obvious question is – What is DMAIC? We will discuss this briefly in the rest of the article. However if you want to know this in detail, you should enroll for lean Six Sigma training and certification offered by any reputed institute.
Let’s start by answering what is DMAIC? DMAIC is the founding block of Six Sigma and stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. The scope of any Six Sigma project is to identify potential problem areas and providing solution. If you observe the steps followed in DMAIC, you would know that nothing can be as systematic and logical as this in attaining the goal of the project.
It starts with defining the problem area that is creating hindrance in achieving the business goals of any organization. The business goal can be related to financials, product or service quality and can be from any areas of business: be it sales & marketing, manufacturing, finance etc. In define stage, it is important to state the problem areas, business goal and the potential benefits as specific as possible. The success of the project will depend a lot on how clearly it is done in the define phase.
The next step is ‘measure’. As it is rightly said – if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Here, data related to the problem statement are collected. Data may or may not be available from the existing system/database in the organization. In case it is not available, team members need to put effort to capture those data.
After data collection is over, those data need to be processed using statistical tools in the analyze phase. This step is extremely important as data is being converted to information which shows the areas to be focused on.
In improve phase, a detailed root cause analysis is done by using several techniques like fishbone analysis and 5 whys. By doing this, one can drill down to the root cause of the problem. After this phase, one may observe that many potential problems at superficial level may have the same root cause and multiple problems can be solved if the common root cause is addressed. This helps in simplifying the process and reaching to the solution to deliver outstanding result.
By the end of this phase, some actionable points come out as solutions to the root cause. Once, these points are acted upon, it brings the improvement in the targeted area of operation.
Last step is control which is the most important of all. Any improvement will not deliver business result unless it is sustained over a long period of time. So, it is important that results are monitored on a regular basis to ensure that the continual improvement is taking place in the process.
All these can be learnt if you enroll yourself for lean Six Sigma training and certification. There are different levels of training and certification programs like white belt, yellow belt, green belt, black belt etc. Which course to opt for will depend on your experience and expertise.
Ever wondered what is DMAIC ? Get yourself enrolled for lean Six Sigma training and certification to know all about it.