Chapter 2 – Define Phase

DMAIC - Green belts – confined to single dept- work parttime and not intensely trained like BB.
Projleaders for single proj and headed by MBB / champions

Defining the aims

Measuring the current procedure

Analy..the curr. Proc and loopholes bet curr proc and aimed results

Improving curr proc and finding innovative techniques

Ctrlling improv techniques

Define phase – inherent problems identifed and problem statement developed. Strategic
organisational support for particular proj evaluated. Proj goals and milestones defined

Process mapping, flowcharting, proj charter development, prob solving tools and 7M tools

Measure Phase – second step in implementaing Six Sigma – measures the current process for
defects, opportunities and units. Process control techniques and data analysis. Data collection plan
form e<suring defects.

This phase covers Principles of measurement, basic capability indices, study of continuious and
discrete data, graphical analysis techniques

Analyse Phase – find rootcauses of defects and use data analysis techniques to analyse the sources
of variations.

Chi-sq tables, statistical process control charts, spl ctrl charts, regression, statistical analysis of cause
effect relationship

Improve phase – to improve the system with proper statistical analysis of the problem and solving
the flaw.

DOE such as ANOVA and process optimisation

Control Phase – improvements are to be controlled ; new plan has to be developed, documented
and implemented to prvent the process reverting to the previous way. Trialös runs for process from
planned to production transition

Process control planning, using SPC for operations and pre-control

Objectives of Define phase

Develop a team / project charter, customer identification and req, CTQ factors considered and high
level process map made

Proj charter – main element. Single page document and acts as agreement be grps (mgmt, BB / GB,
MBB, champions, team) success dpeends on how wellt he proj charter is defined (indispensable
resources and limitations)

Business case – how a business can be improved, hast o be first identified. Team should know to
spend time on iumprovement. Eg., increasing revenues through delivery

Proj scope – define boundaries fort he proj team and should be achieved within 4-6 months. Large
time tob e avoided by creating consensus (general agreement) on what the ptoj should be:
Proj leader (BB / GB) Mentor (MBB) – provide imp references to Proj Leader

Proj commencement date – for docu purpose and proj becomes operational on that date

Proj Conclusion date – set by mentor (MBB). Help in business settting, workload planning, holidays
schedule

2.1 Goals and expected benefits of the proj

Goals tob e achieved with9in a finite period

Expected benefits oft he proj are anticipated (to set demanding but practical targets.

Process measurements – determine effectiveness of the proj

Proj Milestone - team provided with reqd proj mgmt resources by the leader to achieve the time

Team memebers (roles & definitions) – meticulously chosen team, memebers who are most qualified
and strateically improtant should stay with thr proj till the completion. Team Leader BB /GB

Identifying customers (needs and req) – once team(proj) charter formulated and validated, the
customer identification is done. User (consumer) of product or service – customer (internal /
external) tot he org.
Segment the customers according to their diff req (segmenting done based on market, revenue,
geographic location).

VoC - Tools (samle survey, focus grps, CTQ tree) – best way to find shifting req oft he customer.
Feedback collection to get overview of cust. Satisfaction

Kano model – quality measurement technique to show customer happiness / satisfaction. Using a
relationship diagram for the product attributes which are importantly considered by the customer
for their satisfaction

Rank req for each Segment’s needs (differentiate must haves and differential attributes). Kano model
hlps GB to change custo9mer viewpoint and will know which points are most important and plan
opereations in Six sigma program

Product attributes ;

Basic/ threshold attr (normally assumed tob e present in the product). They are must haves and
lower part oft he graph

Performance / Linear attr (presence of these attr directly prop to cust satisfaction. Represntation of
these attr. Linear and symmetric line in the graph (45 degrees line in the center of Kano graph)

Exciters / Delighters – if present causes high satisfaction but when absent does not cause any
dissatisfaction (upper part of the graph

Sample surveys

Answers to a set of questions collected from general population about the product for inherent
features

Important tool for detremining cust req – helps to check the current quality is at par with compan’s
identified goals

Descriptive questions according to Thomas Pyzdek How does it look? Normative How well it works?

Determnng what to measure, selecting the sample, survey construction

Survey construction- 1. open ended questions, ranking ques, yes / no, fill in the blank,

Likert’s scale – determine strength of a response (smaller ranges 1 to 5 better than larger 1-10
ranges)

Semantic differentials – respondent’s choices in 2 bipolar values (e.g., very good and very bad

Tactics to develop questions –professional expertise and experience reqd; clear concise format with
relevant questions; unbiased questiuons and answers. Clear and mutually exclusive answers for
better understanding. Responses quantified.

Margin of Error - Sample collected from larger populationand margin of error

calculates how precise the sample picked up is or how survey measures true feelings oft he popul.

Amount of variability in the sample p, std deg of precision of 95% confidence interval, sample size n

Focus groups- Different customers (representative or member) share opinions ideas through
answering a set of questions for a common goal.
Adv : Greater nr of ideas than indivi. Interviews, ideas simulate add. questions

Disadv: untrained / inexperienced faciltator analyzes the results, phy location of grps, dominating
personalities influence opinion, difference of opinion for gathering consensus

CTQ Tree – ctritical to quality factors are found using brainstorming the cusimer needs collected for
the process targeted for improvement.

CTXs – variables that inbfluence a product (CTS (satisfaction cust success), CTQ (product or process
quality), CTC (cost or final price), CTD (cycle time to deliver)

Step1 – CTQ- cust ident – then segmentation ? – yes if diff req for diff cust

Step 2 - cust need – (level 1 of tree)

Step 3 – first set of req identifed – level 2 of CTQ tree – 2 or 3 measures

Step 4 – every level 2 element ton ext level of speciality – level 3 factors

Step 5 – validating cust req – important as there may be diff between team ideas and cistomer ideas
or req – helped via focus groups, customer interviews, sample surveys

Cust 1-to -1 interview adv record repsonses and detailed follow up of answers, Disadv – experienced
interviewers reqd, expensive task

Cust complaints – suggestions or feedback tot he mgmt (positive or disapproving) . Selection bias.
Cmpy sometimes communicate with its cust and employees thro‘ case studies, field experiemnts and
by already available data

/M Tools – affinity diagrams, intererelationship diagrams, tree diagrams, prioritization matrices,

matrix diagram, process decision program chart (PDPC), Activity network diagram

7M tools manage several mgmt operations effectively

Affinity diagram – KJ method (Kawakito Jiro) ideas generated using brainmstorming are gropued into
sets

Intererelationship diagram – relationship bet complex issues; elements which operate as rootcause
and the outcomes of the root cause

Influence arrow: elements with most outgoing arrows (root causes / drivers); with most incoming
arrows (key outcomes / results)

Tree diagrams – large issue didvined into small manageable parts. Ultimate goal oft he problem on
left side and process of achieving it on the right side

Prioritization matrices – combination of tree diagram and matrix chart. Ideas narrowed down; when
root causes recognised and most important identified; brainstoming ideas are complex and strongly
interrelated; resources of progress are limited and only few activities are foused upon.

Score = Rating x weight (weights are mentioned along with prioritization or decision criteria)

Matrix diagram – relation bet. 2 or more sets of elements. Tabular form represen.
leftmost row & Topmost column – interrelated elements Other rows & columns are symbols or nrs
which show the weightage of relationships.

These diagrams help set priorities and compare effectioveness and effieciency of options; any nr of
elements compared;

Forms of these diagrams: LYX,T,C,etc

L – 2 sets or only 1 set compares to itself (first row top column); T- two sets X and Y related to Z but X
and Y are not related

Y – 3 sets of elements X and Y are related to Z and both X and Y must be related to each other

X – 4 sets fdlated to each other im circular manner; C – 3 sets of elemens simultaneusly related in 3 D
manner

Pocess decision prog chart (PDPC) – foreseeing the prob for a plan under development. This helps in
revising plan for avoiding or countering the prob. PDPC prepared before implementing a plan (mainly
if plan is sizeable and complex) . also if the plan to be finished on schedule.

Steps

1. Define high level tree diagram of plan(plan aspect)

2. Final level tree diagram every task cited (plan task) and brainstormt he prob expected tob e
enocuntered (possible prob) which are linked to tasks cited
3. Brainstorm countermeasures tot he prob illustrated (possible solution). Illustrated with
irregular outlines
4. Determine the feasibility of countermeasure (factors like time, price, effort needed are taken
into account for cost effective countermeasures)

Activity network diagram – also known as arrow diagrams, network diagrams, activity charts, node
diagrams. A version of this diagram is called PERT (Program Evaluation and review technique) chart

PERT- graph. Repres. Of a project’S timeline. Indivi. Tasksof a proj broken down for analysis

Chain of actions to complete a proj – Actions known beforehand. Apply most organized path or seq.
Interdependencies between various tasks.

Steps: Tasks which can be done simultaneously can be performed together (above or below vertically
placed tasks). Numbering tasks , join tasks in a seq with arrows; time calculated for each task

Calculate Proj’s earliest completion time by working out the critical path (longest path of proj)

Foremost start time Foremost Finish time (earliest possible time)

Latest Start time Latest finish tme (latest time to begin or conclude with disturbing the proj
timetable)