LEAN Six Sigma courses cover the Six Sigma approach, which includes the DMAIC process. This acronym stands to Define, Measure Analyze and Improve, Control. Six Sigma training is free. These are the five phases that every Six Sigma project must go through in order to be successful. It is often overlooked how important the Measure phase is. This article will focus solely on the 6 key deliverables from the Measure phase of DMAIC’s process.
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Let’s now take a look at five key deliverables. These deliverables are nothing more than the objectives. Let’s take a look at each one.
5 Key Deliverables from the DMAIC Process Measure Phase
Data to be collected during DMAIC process
The Measure phase of DMAIC’s DMAIC process begins with the first key deliverable, which is the data to collect. The data collection method is crucial. These questions include Who, Where and When data will be collected, and What will happen to the data.
First, identify the X variables to be collected and baseline these Y variables. The ‘X’s are Process and Input variables; that affect the Critical-To- Quality (CTQ) and Critical-To- Process (CTP) factors and the ‘Y’s are Output variables; that effect Critical-To-Satisfaction (CTS) factors. In this phase, the ‘X’ data is collected concurrently with ‘Ys. This allows for the analysis of the relationships between Xs and Zs in the Analyze phase. The ‘Y’ data are required to establish a baseline for the process’s performance that needs to be improved.
Important acronyms in DMAIC Measure Phase
A few acronyms are important to know. The CTQ (Critical To Quality) factors are internal quality parameters that relate directly to the customer’s wants and needs. There are two types of CTQs. KPIV is the first category, and KPOV is the second. KPIV stands for Key Process Input Variable, and KPOV stands for Key Process Output Varable. CTP (Critical to Process) factors refer to KPIV and CTS, which is an acronym that stands for Critical-To-Satisfaction, factors refer to KPOV.
DMAIC process: Operational definition Worksheet
The Operational Definition Worksheet is the second key deliverable. The Operational Definition Worksheet is key to obtaining good data. When collecting any type of data, we need the Operational Definitions Worksheet. An Operational definition is a precise description of the ‘Y’ that will be measured during the Measure phase. These will be used for baseline performance. The definition provides a single, agreed-upon meaning for each ‘Y’. This ensures that consistency and reliability are built up-front during measurement – an important deliverable for the Measure phase.
Data collection plan or matrix
The Data Collection Plan, or Matrix, is the third deliverable from the Measure phase of DMAIC’s DMAIC process. It outlines the exact steps and the sequence required to gather the data needed for each Six Sigma project. The plan’s purpose is to ensure that data collected are valid and meaningful, and that all relevant data are simultaneously collected (the Xs as well as the Ys).
Measurement System Analysis (MSA).
The fourth key deliverable in the DMAIC process Measurement Phase revolves around Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA). MSA is a specially designed experiment that identifies the components of variation in measurement. An MSA is performed to ensure that the measurement system produces valid data. MSA is also known by Gage R&R, but it’s more than Gage R&R. Gage Repeatability & Reproducibility is also known as Gage R&R. Gage R&R studies are used to determine the magnitude of variation in a measurement system.