A Six Sigma Method Overview
In the Six Sigma world, there are two models used by a professional hierarchy of knowledge levels, or ‘belts’, used to help companies improve the quality of their production, their service or the relationships with others. These two models are acronyms for processes; the DMAIC and the DMADV.
The DMAIC process and the DMADV process are equally helpful and the project leader would decide which needs to be used in each occasion. As a general rule, the DMAIC method is used when fixing or altering an existing business process while the DMADV method is used when developing a new business process.
The DMADV method stands for define, measure, analyze, design and verify. The DMAIC model stands for define, measure, analyze, improve and control. These are all phases of the project that the Six Sigma professionals will explain to the company executives and monitor progress as each phase is played out within the implemented plan.
The first three steps for both methods are exactly the same; the issues will be defined for the company executives after a discussion with the Six Sigma professionals about where the key problems might be. Then the facts and information are written down for clarification and measuring. The compiled results of this information are analyzed in the third stage. This is when issues and problems are eliminated.
The two methods differ in their final stages. For the DMADV process, design and verify are next. This is when a new product or service is designed and verified to be what the customer’s want and the quality they need. For DMAIC, Improvement is next. This is when the existing process is improved upon in order to fix the problems that were found.
The goal is to increase shareholder/employee satisfaction and to increase productivity and service quality. The last phase is the control phase, where the improved process is checked and studied to make sure that the problem was accurately fixed, and that that the products and serviced produced by the process are what customers want and that they are at the quality level they need.
Projects are begun, worked through and completed by teams of Six Sigma professionals. There are several levels of professionals educated and certified in the 6 Sigma methods which are organized into a hierarchy. The top level is the Black Belt. These individuals know the most about the 6 Sigma methods and how to utilize them to improve the company’s functioning.
Black Belts designate team members, create plans of action with the help of the other team members, delegate tasks and monitor progress. Green Belts are the second level; the second in command, so to speak. Some Green Belt professionals have enough experience and understanding of Six Sigma to lead projects on their own with a Black Belt professional supervising the project.
If they are not leading the project, they will work with the Black Belt as an assistant, making sure things are running smoothly and doing most of the statistical collection and analysis. Green belts will also direct Yellow Belts, the lowest level of the Six Sigma Hierarchy, who work as support staff for the rest of the team.
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