Introduction To Six Sigma: UNIT-4

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LECTURE NOTES BY SHEEMA SADIA

INTRODUCTION TO SIX SIGMA
OVERVIEW:-Six Sigma (6σ) is a set of techniques and tools (STATISTICALS) for

process improvement. A six sigma process is one in which 99.99966% of all
opportunities to produce some feature of a part are statistically expected to be
free of defects. . It is usually related to 3.4 defects per million opportunities.
It is a business concept and used to achieve high quality and defect free
business, service or manufacturing process leading to customer satisfaction. It
is a highly disciplined process that helps us focus on developing and delivering
near perfect products and services. The central idea behind the six – sigma is
that if you can measure how many ‘defects’ you have in a process, you can
systematically figure out how to eliminate them and get as close to zero defects
as possible.
HISTORY
It was introduced by American engineer Bill Smith while working

at Motorola in 1986. Six Sigma was initially targeted to quantify the defects
occurred during manufacturing processes, and to reduce those defects to a
very small level. Motorola claimed to have saved several million dollars.
Another very popular success was at General Electric. Jack Welch made it
central to his business strategy at GE in 1995. Six Sigma contributed over US $
300 million to GE's 1997 operating income.
Today Six Sigma is delivering business excellence, higher customer satisfaction,

and superior profits by dramatically improving every process in an enterprise,
whether financial, operational or production. Six Sigma has become important
in wide spectrum of industries, from health care to insurance to
telecommunications to software.
DEFINITION OF SIX SIGMA
Six Sigma is defined as a disciplined, data driven approach of continually

improving process quality and productivity to result in bottom line profitability.
It does this primarily through reducing the amount of variation in a process,
leading to consistent and predictable output. Let us decompose this definition
to gain a greater understanding of this powerful approach:
DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS AND O.R., AMU, ALIGARH Page 1

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• Disciplined. Six Sigma uses a standardized step-by-step process with specific
tools for conducting projects. This is called DMAIC, which stands for Define,
Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.
• Data driven. The emphasis is on using data supported by statistical measures

and analysis to make decisions leading toward logical improvements. This is in
contrast to making decisions based on opinions, or worse, on fear in a
hierarchical command-and-control environment.
• Approach. Six Sigma is an approach — a systematic, consistent advancement

toward achieving near-perfect quality.
• Continually improving. Never-ending improvement.
• Process. Repeatable, measurable series of tasks that translate inputs into

outputs.
• Quality. The capability of a process to meet or exceed expectations.
• Productivity. The capability of a process to transform inputs into outputs in

an effective and efficient manner.
• To result in bottom line profitability. To earn profit like Motorola and GE

has made.
OBJECTIVES OF SIX SIGMA
We must strive hard to delight our customers and relentlessly seek for new
ways to exceed their expectations by defect free processes. This is possible
through six – sigma approach to quality.
The objectives of six – sigma initiative are as follows:
 To have all measurable outcomes of the processes operate at six – sigma

level.
 To have all attribute outcomes of the processes operate at zero level.
 Six – Sigma is a rigorous, data-driven, decision-making approach to

analyzing the root causes of Problem and improving process capability.

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Sigma Quality level
Earlier quality has been evaluated and specified in terms of percent defective.
With the increase in technology as well as skill level of the workforce, better
and better quality products can be produced. Industry is continuously striving
to meet high quality standards so that it can compete globally and also use
quality as competitive advantage. Thus, at present, the quality level is specified
in terms of parts per million (ppm). Based on ppm quality achieved, companies
can be rated in terms of sigma quality level.
For understanding- σ is standard deviation (used as a measure of variation).

Variation is inherent in process, we cant eliminate it we can just minimize it).
The central philosophy for 6 sigma is that we minimize process variations (i.e.
σ)
We have studied in second unit that the process operates between ±3 sigma
limits but we noted that when the process operates between ±3 sigma limits,
there are 0.27% ( or 2700 defects per million) of defective items(outside ±3
sigma limits), but when we change the limits between upper specification
limits and lower specification limits from ±3 sigma to ±6 sigma (i.e. we have
minimized our process variations and now our process is operating between
±6 sigma limits)

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From the above figure, we can make out, when we are operating between ±3
sigma limits the defects per million is 2700, then when we are operating
between ±4 sigma limits the defects per million is 63, then when we are
operating between ±5 sigma limits the defects per million is 0.6, then when
we are operating between ±6 sigma limits the defects per million is 0.2.
But Motorola also believe that after some time the process can shift about 1.5
σ which can result in the following table, which shows that when the process is
centred (then operating outside ±6 sigma) can result into 0.002 defects per
million but if the process is shifted 1.5 σ, then also the defects per million will
be just 3.4.

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Benifits of Six Sigma
Six Sigma offers six major benefits that attract companies:
1. Generates sustained success.

2. Sets a performance goal for everyone.
3. Enhances value to customers.
4. Accelerates the rate of improvement.
5. Promotes learning and cross-pollination.
6. Executes strategic change.
Lean Manufacturing
For understanding-Lean person is a one who is not fat i.e. as fat is

unwanted, so a person free from fat is called lean. So fat can be non-value
added activities while muscles are value added activities.
WHAT IS LEAN MANUFACTURING? Lean Manufacturing, sometimes called

Lean Production, is a business philosophy that was originally developed at
the Toyota Motor Company, where it was called TPS, for the Toyota
Production System. The objective is to eliminate all forms of waste in the
production process. The Japanese term for waste is muda. Forms of 8 waste
include the following:
1. Overproduction —the waste generated by overproducing the items

than required by customers.

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2. Waiting for machines or operators — operators may wait for
available machines or machines may wait until an operator is
available.
3. Motion — unnecessary movement of parts or people around the
production facility.
4. Defects-Waste from products or services failing to meet customer’s
expectation.
5. Unused Talent-Wastes due to underutilization of people talents, skills
and knowledge.
6. Transportation –wasted time resources and costs when moving
unnecessarily products and materials.
7. Inventory –wastes resulting from excess products and materials that
are not processed.
8. Extra-processing-wastes related to more work or higher quality than
required.
When we eliminate all waste, the order production cycle time (time
from receipt of order to receipt of payment) is compressed. The result is
short cycle and delivery times, higher quality, and lower costs.
Lean Manufacturing produces high-quality products built to customers’

requirements at lower costs than traditional manufacturing.
1. Small-batch or single-piece continuous-flow process. To reduce

cycle time and minimize inventory and rework, small batches of
work are produced. Single-piece continuous-flow production,
where one product is made at a time.
2. Just-in-Time (JIT) inventory system. For small-batch continuous
flow to work, a JIT inventory system is necessary. This means that
the manufacturer must work in partnership with their suppliers to
schedule frequent deliveries of small lots.
3. Pull scheduling:-here orders are built to customer request in
comparison to push scheduling, where orders are pushed through
the system and then pushed upon customers through aggressive
sales techniques.
4. Reliable process through Total Productive Maintenance(TPM)

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5. Capable processes. Lean Production depends on processes that
are capable of meeting requirements without rework — doing it
right the first time.
Integrating the tools and techniques of Six Sigma with lean
manufacturing one can make and deliver high-quality, low-cost,
customer-specified products on a sustained, continuously
improving basis.
Other tools of lean are kaizen, visual control, the 5S’s, Single-
Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED), and mistake-proofing etc.
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT(TQM)
A core definition of total quality management (TQM) describes

a management approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction.
In a TQM effort, all members of an organization participate in improving
processes, products, services, and the culture in which they work.
TQM has its roots in Japan’s Total 10 Quality Control, which originated as
Company-Wide Quality Control in the 1950s. Following the lead of Dr. W.
Edwards Deming, Japan was handily winning the quality wars when TQM
emerged in the 1980s. Deming’s focus on process and a structured approach
toward improvement through the Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) circle of
improvement are key elements of TQM.
PRINCIPLES OF TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Following are the principles for quality management:  Top management

commitment.  Customers focused organization.
1. Customer satisfaction.
2. Quality assurance.
3. Effective involvement and utilisation of the entire work-force.
4. Continuous improvement.
5. Treating suppliers as partners.
6. Establishing performance measures for the processes.
7. Process approach.
8. Involvement of people.
9. System approach to management.

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OBJECTIVES OF TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Following are the main objectives of TQM:
1. Customer’s satisfaction.
2. Improvement of quality at every level.
3. Participative and integrative approach to work.
4. Change in organizational culture.
5. Cost reduction/maximization of profit.
6. Integration of various systems of the organization.
BENEFITS OF TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Following are the benefits of TQM:
1. Improved product and service quality.

2. Improved product design and production flow.
3. Increased employee morale and job satisfaction.
4. Increased market share and profit earning capacity.
5. Reduction in operating costs and operating losses.
6. Reduction in warranty and service costs.
HOW TQM IS DIFFERENT FROM SIX SIGMA?(This was the result of its
downfall)
1. TQM sets vague goals of customer satisfaction and highest quality at the
lowest price, whereas Six Sigma sets a specific goal of 3.4 defects per
million opportunities.
2. Six Sigma also focuses on bottom line expense reductions with
measurable, documented results. Thus, unlike TQM, project selection is
of prime importance in Six Sigma.
3. For execution of the strategy, TQM is owned by the quality department,
making it difficult to integrate throughout the business. Six Sigma is a
business strategy supported by a quality improvement strategy. Further,
the infrastructure of Six Sigma is designed to be owned by the business
units and supported by the quality department.
TQM enjoyed widespread attention during the late 1980s and early 1990s
before being overshadowed by ISO 9000, Lean manufacturing, and Six Sigma.

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Organizational Structure and Six Sigma training plans- Selection Criteria for
Six-Sigma roles and training plans.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Migrating to a culture that supports Six Sigma

requires structural and transformational change. The foundation for the
change is established through an organization’s identification of the Six Sigma
business strategy. The initial changes include forming a small group to lead the
change effort. This is followed by training to teach employees new skills for
implementing Six Sigma.
Leading the Effort
When launching Six Sigma, the CEO should appoint a small group of senior
executives, representing various functions and business units, to provide
leadership and oversight to the Six Sigma implementation. This group acts as
an extension of the CEO’s leadership, removing operational and organizational
barriers to success while providing leadership to the Six Sigma teams.
Other roles and responsibilities of this group include:
1. Building commitment to the Six Sigma implementation among all

employees.
2. Assisting managers in implementing required changes from the Six
Sigma teams and stopping anything which is acting as resistance.
3. Working with the Six Sigma teams to establish processes for planning
and executing Six Sigma projects by setting internal standards for
project implementation.
4. Providing direction by formalizing and conducting management
communication meetings regarding Six Sigma implementation and
progress.
Finally, they need to be the consummate champions of Six Sigma in their

communications and contact with fellow colleagues and staff.
SIX SIGMA TRAINING PLANS
Training and development are very important for Six Sigma implementation. As
employees are expected to learn and demonstrate new skills, some level of
training for all levels of the organization is recommended. The following are

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the different plans of six sigma training. One can select the level which is most
appropriate to his/her career objectives.
MASTER BLACK BELT TRAINING The majority of candidates for Master Black
Belt have previously completed the Black Belt training and have many years of
experience in applying statistical tools to improve quality and the productivity
of an organization. Demonstrated leadership and mentoring skills are also a
prerequisite of this role. A Master Black Belt is certified to teach Champions,
Black Belts, and Green Belts on Six Sigma methodology, tools, and applications.
BLACK BELT TRAINING
This training prepares a managerial or mid-level professional to lead Six Sigma

projects. This 4-week training is usually delivered over a period of 3 to 4
months. It covers DMAIC methodology. Six Sigma statistical tools and
techniques, along with problem-solving approaches are included within this
curriculum. The Black Belts provide expertise, direction, and ongoing coaching
to the Green Belts and their respective Six Sigma teams. (Some companies use
the model of the Master Black Belt advising the Black Belt, who, in turn,
supports the Green Belts in conducting projects. Other companies do not use
Green Belts, using only Black Belts to lead the Six Sigma projects). They are the
designated project managers for the Six Sigma projects.
GREEN BELT TRAINING This training typically is an 8- to 10-day course

delivered in two sessions over the course of a month. The training focuses on
learning a combination of the DMAIC approach and other less technical
statistical and problem-solving tools included in the Black Belt training. Green
Belts also receive training on effectively managing the project and the overall
process. Green Belts act as project leaders under the supervision of a Black
Belt.
TEAM TRAINING These individuals, are the one who do not attend specialized
Black Belt or Green Belt training. They can be process owners to subject matter
experts, providing valuable insight into specific job functions or work processes
that are the focus of a Six Sigma project. In selecting the team, it is important
to include employees, having knowledge of both, the customer’s behaviour or
requirements as well as critical aspects of a process

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They are taught the following skills
1. Team effectiveness.
2. Problem solving and decision making.
3. Effective communication
In addition to the above soft-skills training, team members need
1. Technical training that provides an overview of Six Sigma and the basic
DMAIC methodology.
2. Training team members also lays the foundation for eventual
integration of the Six Sigma approach into all of the organization’s key
processes.
CHAMPION TRAINING This training is geared for middle managers to the top
leaders of an organization. At a high level, the training accomplishes three
main objectives:
1. It provides an overview of Six Sigma.

2. It reinforces Six Sigma as a top-down business strategy.
3. It clarifies the roles and responsibilities of Champions to support the Six
Sigma process.
The Champion training uses an interactive process to implement Six Sigma

from both a business and cultural perspective. From business perspective,the
participants find the issues with respect to quality, work processes, and
meeting customers’ needs and try to implement six sigma on it. From a
cultural perspective, the participants evaluate the current organizational
culture that may hinder a successful Six Sigma implementation and take action
to remove them. Participants leave the Champion training with a strong
understanding of not only what Six Sigma is and how it can improve the
organization, but also what they as leaders can do to accelerate acceptance
and increase the probability of success.
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR SIX SIGMA ROLES AND TRAINING PLANS
The selection criteria for key roles need to be part of the early implementation
planning efforts. Developing clear criteria for Master Black Belts, Black Belts,
and Green Belts is critical. Organizations should use the same level of scrutiny

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in selecting individuals for Six Sigma roles as they do in hiring new employees.
Several criteria apply to each of the Six Sigma belt levels. The higher the belt
level, the greater degree of ability and experience required. The recommended
selection criteria, in order of priority, are listed below:
1. Intrinsic enthusiasm. Individuals with natural motivation will be able to

serve as informal role models and cheerleaders for the Six Sigma
initiative.
2. Organizational credibility. One must be respected by management
within the organization and demonstrate professionalism and integrity.
3. Technical competence. Superior analytical skills are necessary for the
role of Black Belt and to a lesser degree for Green Belts. The role of
Master Black Belt requires many years of experience in applying
statistical concepts to business operations.
4. Process orientation. Individuals must have an understanding of how a
set of tasks comprise a process and that effective processes contribute
to work efficiency. These individuals must also be able to establish,
maintain, and improve internal processes.
5. Goal orientation. One must have a demonstrated track record of setting
and achieving organizational goals.
6. Effective communication skills. The employee must be able to write
clearly and concisely, conduct management presentations, and facilitate
group meetings, as well as work effectively with colleagues at all
organizational levels.
7. Natural or emerging leadership skills. The individual must have
demonstrated an ability to gain the respect of others and to motivate
others to take action.
8. Project management and organizational skills. One must demonstrate
an ability to plan, execute, and manage projects utilizing project
management practices.
Voice of customers (VOC): Importance and VOC data collection.
IMPORTANCE OF VOC A customer-focused organization is not only a business

imperative for success in the 21st century, it is also an integral part of the Six
Sigma implementation. Management guru Peter Drucker writes in his recent
book, Management Challenges for 21st Century, that organizations need to
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place a higher emphasis on what customers value than simply the product or
service that the organization has to offer.
Definition of VOC
The process of gathering, analyzing, and integrating customer input back into
the organization’s operations is called the “voice of the customer” (VOC) and is
one of the most critical components of Six Sigma.
What is the importance to an organization for being customer

focused?(IMPORTANCE OF VOC)
 To Compete in the market:-The marketplace competition forces

companies to continuously refine how their product or service differs
from its competitors. In the absence of such differentiation, customers
are likely to view the product or service options available as
commodities and, thus, choose the one that fits their budget.
 To survive in the market:- Gaining or sustaining a market leader position
requires structured and intelligent systems that continuously gather
requirements from current, lost, and potential customers. The market
intelligence is then used in the nervous system of the company,
including product development , marketing and sales, operations, and
distribution.
 The best way to improve the customer experience at your organization
is to listen and act on what your customers are telling you, i.e, the
customer voice. Companies that make customer voice a priority are
more likely to surpass those that don’t.(as they can continue to be the
customer of that brand and can also convince their friends and
relatives).
Other benefits can be
 Satisfied customers are more likely to upgrade or add services and are
less likely to cancel.
 Less money is spent on advertisement as customers are more
influenced with their positive experiences with the brands than
advertisements.
 Making VoC a priority leads to higher retention rates, an increase in
revenue, and reduced churn.

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 A VoC program reveals what your company is doing well and where
you’re lagging behind. It can also act as a compass that guides you on
the right track.
Many companies claim they are customer focused, yet show little concrete
evidence to substantiate it. An organization that is truly committed to a
customer- focused strategy has multiple customer feedback channels and a
structured methodology for integrating the data into its product development
and customer service delivery processes.
VOC data collection
The methods for capturing VOC range from monitoring inbound phone calls to
formal surveys and focus groups. The company should have ongoing processes
for continuously gathering customer data.
1. Surveys
Surveys are done to evaluate the customer’s perception of the process or

product that is under consideration in the Six Sigma project and the impact of
the project on customer satisfaction. Two common types of VOC surveys are
relationship and transactional surveys. Relationship surveys ask questions
relating to the entire relationship with the company whereas transactional
surveys ask questions relating to a specific transaction, such as a billing
statement or a recent call into customer service.
Regardless of the type, the survey has following benifits:-
Structured and consistent data collection method.
1. Ability to gather specific information on customers’ wants and needs.

2. Ability to target surveys to specific customer groups.
3. Ability to segment and prioritize customer groups.
4. Relatively efficient and cost effective.
The drawbacks of surveys include low response rates and limited ability to
obtain open-ended responses and biased response of the customers.
(For details see page 45-46 of Betsi Harris Ehrlich-Transactional Six Sigma and
Lean Servicing)

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2. INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS GROUPS Interviews conducted on a one-on-
one basis via phone or in person offer obvious advantages over a paper-
and-pencil survey instrument. The opportunity for the interviewer to ask
open-ended questions to understand the customer’s perspective and
the ability to understand more deeply the customer’s responses are two
of those advantages.
Focus groups generally consist of a meeting with approximately 6 to 8
people plus a group facilitator. In this format, the facilitator can uncover
feelings, attitudes, and biases that either motivate a customer to utilize
the product or service or discourage him from doing so. The discussion
format encourages open exchange of ideas and issues that are may not
occur in one-on-one surveys and interviews.
Benefits of interviews and focus groups include the following:
a. Ability to probe for in-depth understanding of customer’s responses and

requirements.
b. Effective for targeting specific needs or the needs of specific customer
segments.
c. Potential to increase good will with targeted customer groups by
showing an interest in understanding their particular wants and needs.
The drawbacks of these methods include the following:
a. Time-consuming to conduct.
b. Difficult to consolidate and codify qualitative responses.
c. Variability of data quality and volume with multiple interviewers and
focus group facilitators.
d. Small size of focus group and one-on-one interviews limits the number
of customers that an organization can effectively reach.
e. More costly than surveys.
3. DIRECT CUSTOMER OBSERVATION Visiting a customer’s site to observe,

analyze, and understand how the customer uses the company’s product
or services is one method of in-depth VOC analysis. This type of meeting
is most effective when it is an exploratory visit to identify customer
behavior, issues, and concerns relative to the product or service rather

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than an opportunity for a disguised sales call. The added benefit for the
provider organization is to build good will in the customer–provider
relationship by taking a special interest in the customer.
4. ACT AS CUSTOMER FOR THE DAY Many organizations have no idea what
their customers experience until members of the company take
themselves through the same processes their customers would in using
their product or service. (For example, take a simple transaction like
phoning your customer service hotline: How long is it before the call is
answered? How does the recording or person answering the phone
sound? Are you put on hold? If so, for how long? What is the response
time before getting directly to someone who can help you? Do you feel
that the representative treated you as a valued customer? Acting as
customer for the day is usually an eye opener, unless the company has a
well-indoctrinated and near-perfect customer service culture.
5. CUSTOMER COMPLAINT PROCESSES A low-cost and effective method of
capturing VOC is to analyze the disputes and complaints received
through the company’s customer service departments. Customer e-mails
and quality assurance monitors can provide a wealth of data on this
subject. Properly organized, the data are a rich source of analysis to
understand systemic issues in the service processes and policies of the
company.
CRITICAL-TO-QUALITY (CTQ) The goal of VOC is to understand specific

customer requirements and acceptable ranges of performance as defined
by the customer.
Table 1

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VOC data is necessary to determine the gap between the customer’s CTQ
requirements and the current levels of the process. Once the size of the gap
is identified and quantified, the Six Sigma team can begin to focus on
analysis and improvement of the process.
Therefore CTQs are Customer requirements, which are actually a handful

of elements , considered critical to the executive team in determining the
success of the project/product/process.
For this a CTQ tree can be helpful:- A CTQ tree translates initial customer
requirements to numerical or quantified requirements for the product or
service.
CTQ trees are very helpful in this regards as they define quality from
customer’s point of view. Most excellent approach is to design a CTQ tree
for every singular need, as it results in a thorough and complete list of
demands and requirements that are required to provide a superior quality
product for customer’s satisfaction.
Components of CTQ Tree
CTQ tree is build up with following three main components.
Need
It highlights the customer requirements and it is the origin of a CTQ tree.

For example, for a fast food restaurant, customer’s need is fast food.
Driver
Drivers are the parameters on which a customer judges the quality of

product.
Requirements
These are the calculable performance specifications that have to be met by

drivers to satisfy clients. It helps the quality teams to measure quality of a
product and service and make sure it meets client’s demands.

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In order to make an effective and efficient CTQ tree, it is necessary to
identify all the above components perfectly. A simple example is given
below.
For example the requirement of customer is to get good coffee, the

parameters for good coffee are taste, temperature and cost. Now, the
requirements for taste can be sweet or not acidic or rich. Similarly, for
temperature, the requirements can be >60 degree C and <80 degree C.
Therefore, the purpose of restaurant is to fulfil these CTQs given on right
side to fulfil the customer requirement of a good coffee.
Introduction to DMAIC :Define Phase, Measure Phase, Analyse Phase,

Improve Phase and Control Phase.
The systematic approach used in six – sigma project is generally referred as six
– sigma methodology. This consists of two six – sigma sub methodologies
called DMAIC (define, measure, analyse, improve and control), and DMADV
(define, measure, analyse, design and verify). The former DMAIC is used for
improving the quality of existing process/products and the DMADV for the
design and development of new processes/products. Here, we will just discuss
the DMAIC methodology.
The different phases of DMAIC methodology is as follows:-
1. Define Phase:- In this phase, goals and scope of the project are defined.
This includes the product or process that will be improved or the needs

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that will be met and the scope of the project, with a schedule, recourses
and deliverables, much like a project management plan. It includes a
change plan, to identify and document who or what components of the
organization will be impacted by the change, to what extent and how
receptive or resistant they may be to the change. It also includes a risk
management plan, identifying the known and foreseeable risks in the
project such as design complexity, human factors and increase in costs.
Once the risks are identified, an analysis is done of the degree of
seriousness of each risk and the means to address or minimize each risk.
2. Measure Phase:- In this phase, we collect relevant data, measure the
current process performance in terms of rejection rate and sigma level
and assess the process capability. Also, we identify the suspected
sources of variation (SSV’s) related to the input material and process
affecting problem. The project defects are precisely defined and all
possible potential causes for such problems are identified.
3. Analyse Phase:-The data collected in the measure phase is analysed to
investigate and verify the cause and effect relationships using
appropriate statistical tools. Determine what the relationships are and
attempt to ensure that all the factors have been considered. The analysis
must lead to the determination of the root cause(s) of the problem.
4. Improve Phase:-In this phase, the process has to be improved to
eliminate the variation and creative alternatives are developed and
implemented to achieve the objectives. This is the phase where the work
done so far in the project can come together and start to show some
success. All the data mining and analysis that has been done will give us
the right improvements to the processes. The problem which is found in
analyse phase will be corrected in this phase. The extent of
improvement in terms of defect rate and cost of poor quality is
established.
5. Control Phase:-In this phase, the process variation has to be controlled
to meet customer requirements. We develop a strategy to monitor and
control the improved process. This is the phase where you will see if the
improvements that you have implemented are working. This phase
unfortunately is overlooked many times and this overlooking becomes
the main reasons for improvements not showing any sustainability and

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failure of six sigma-sigma leading to improvements that do not last long.
The strategy used to control the improvement processes must sustain in
the long run.
NOTE:-The last topic about DMAIC is taken from APPLIED STATISTICAL
QUALITY CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT BY K. KRISHNAIAH.
Rest of the topics of this unit are made from TRANSACTIONAL SIX
SIGMA AND LEAN SERVICING BY BETSI HARRIS EHRLICH.

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UNIT-4

LECTURE NOTES BY SHEEMA SADIA

OVERVIEW:-Six Sigma (6σ) is a set of techniques and tools (STATISTICALS) for

It was introduced by American engineer Bill Smith while working

Today Six Sigma is delivering business excellence, higher customer satisfaction,

DEFINITION OF SIX SIGMA

Six Sigma is defined as a disciplined, data driven approach of continually

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS AND O.R., AMU, ALIGARH Page 1

• Data driven. The emphasis is on using data supported by statistical measures

• Approach. Six Sigma is an approach — a systematic, consistent advancement

• Continually improving. Never-ending improvement.

• Process. Repeatable, measurable series of tasks that translate inputs into

• Quality. The capability of a process to meet or exceed expectations.

• Productivity. The capability of a process to transform inputs into outputs in

• To result in bottom line profitability. To earn profit like Motorola and GE

OBJECTIVES OF SIX SIGMA

The objectives of six – sigma initiative are as follows:

 To have all measurable outcomes of the processes operate at six – sigma

 To have all attribute outcomes of the processes operate at zero level.

 Six – Sigma is a rigorous, data-driven, decision-making approach to

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS AND O.R., AMU, ALIGARH Page 2

For understanding- σ is standard deviation (used as a measure of variation).

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS AND O.R., AMU, ALIGARH Page 3

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Benifits of Six Sigma

Six Sigma offers six major benefits that attract companies:

1. Generates sustained success.

For understanding-Lean person is a one who is not fat i.e. as fat is

WHAT IS LEAN MANUFACTURING? Lean Manufacturing, sometimes called

1. Overproduction —the waste generated by overproducing the items

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Lean Manufacturing produces high-quality products built to customers’

1. Small-batch or single-piece continuous-ﬂow process. To reduce

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TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT(TQM)

A core definition of total quality management (TQM) describes

PRINCIPLES OF TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Following are the principles for quality management:  Top management

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Following are the main objectives of TQM:

BENEFITS OF TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Following are the benefits of TQM:

1. Improved product and service quality.

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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Migrating to a culture that supports Six Sigma

Leading the Effort

Other roles and responsibilities of this group include:

1. Building commitment to the Six Sigma implementation among all

Finally, they need to be the consummate champions of Six Sigma in their

SIX SIGMA TRAINING PLANS

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BLACK BELT TRAINING

This training prepares a managerial or mid-level professional to lead Six Sigma

GREEN BELT TRAINING This training typically is an 8- to 10-day course

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In addition to the above soft-skills training, team members need

1. It provides an overview of Six Sigma.

The Champion training uses an interactive process to implement Six Sigma

SELECTION CRITERIA FOR SIX SIGMA ROLES AND TRAINING PLANS

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1. Intrinsic enthusiasm. Individuals with natural motivation will be able to

Voice of customers (VOC): Importance and VOC data collection.