Six Sigma Essay

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What is six sigma? Six sigma is a systematic approach which takes into consideration customer needs and requirements and focuses on reducing number of defects to 3.4 defects per million opportunities.  Similar to lean manufacturing Six Sigma focuses on process improvement  Developed by Motorola in 1986  Outlines procedures to eliminate defects in a process Techniques for implementing six sigma  DMAIC – Current product/process  DFSS – New product/process DMAIC  Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control  Most widely used for implementing Six Sigma into a manufacturing plant  5 phase system  Closed-loop for continuous improvement Define  Define the problems in a process  Define customer needs and expectations  Identify goals and projects  A process map is created to lay out process failings which prevent the product from meeting customer requirements Measure  Current performance of a process is evaluated  The factors influencing performance are identified  Defects generated in a process are recorded  A baseline is produced using the information gathered  Allows for better understanding of customer requirements Analyze  The baseline is used to identify the root cause of the problem  Analyze the root cause to create an actionable response  The root causes which have the greatest impact on improvement are selected to pursue Implement  Brainstorming possible solutions for the root cause  Discuss various process improvement techniques  Implement:  Fishbone diagrams  Box plots  Linear regression  Hypothesis testing  Address and implement the discussed solutions Control  Verify whether the changes have had an effect  Compare improvements to baseline  Monitor changes to control and make sure improvements are maintained Design For Six Sigma  Builds on Six Sigma Principles  Focuses heavily on

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