LSL USL

Req
Requir ements – “V
ire “Vooice
Data - VOP of th
the Cu
Customer”
10.16
10.11 9.87 10.16
LSL = 9.
9.96
96 USL = 10.
10.44
44
10.05 9.99 10.11
10.33 10.12 10.05
10.44 10.43 10.33
9.86 10.21 10.44
10.07 10.01 9.86
10.29 10.15 10.07
10.36 10.44 10.29
10.03 10.36
10.33
10.15

Defects Defects

Capability Analysis -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6

9.70 9.80 9.90 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6
Percent Com
Compositio
itionn
 Capability Analysis

The X’s The Y’s

(Inputs)
Y = f(X) (Process Function) Variation – “Voice of
(Outputs)
the Process”

Frequency
Op i Verified Op i + 1
? Data for
Y1…Yn
X1
Y1 10.16
10.11
10.16 9.87
X2 Off-Line 10.05
10.11 9.99
10.16
9.87 10.11
Analysis Scrap 10.33
10.05 10.12
9.99 10.05
Correction 10.44
10.33 10.43
10.12 10.33

X3 Y2 9.86
10.44 10.21
10.43 10.44
10.01
10.21 9.86
9.80 9.90 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5
10.07
9.86
10.29
10.07 10.15
10.01 10.07
10.36
10.29 10.44
10.15 10.29
10.03
10.44 10.36
X4 10.36
10.33
10.03
10.15
10.33
Yes No Y3 10.15

X5 Correctable
?

Requirements – “Voice
Critical X(s): Data - VOP of the Customer”
Any variable(s) 10.16
10.11 9.87 10.16
LSL = 9.96 USL = 10.44
10.05 9.99 10.11
which exerts an 10.33
10.44
10.12
10.43
10.21
10.05
10.33
9.86 10.44
undue influence on 10.07
10.29
10.01
10.15
9.86
10.07

the important 10.36 10.44

10.03
10.29
10.36

outputs (CTQ’s) of a
10.33
10.15

Defects
process Defects

Capability Analysis Numerically -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6

9.70 9.80 9.90 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6
Compares the VOP to the VOC Percent Composition

3 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC

 Capability as a Statistical Problem

Our Statistical Problem: What is the probability of our process

producing a defect?

Define a Practical
Problem

Create a
Statistical Problem

Correct the
Statistical Problem

Apply the Correction

to the Practical
Problem

4 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC

 Understanding Process Capability

Process Capability:

• The inherent ability of a process to meet the expectations of the customer without
any additional efforts*.

• Provides insight as to whether the process has a:

– Centering Issue (relative to specification limits)
– Variation Issue
– A combination of Centering and Variation
– Inappropriate specification limits

• Allows for a baseline metric for improvement.

*Efforts: Time, Money, Manpower, Technology and Manipulation

5 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC

 Process Output Categories

Incapable Off target

LSL
Average
USL LSL Average
USL

Target Target

Capable and
on target
Average
LSL USL

Target
6 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC
 Problem Solving Options – Shift the Mean

This involves finding the variables that will shift the process to the
target. This is usually the easiest option.

USL
LSL
Shift

7 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC

 Problem Solving Options – Reduce Variation

Reducing Variation is typically not so easy to accomplish and occurs

often in Six Sigma projects.

LSL USL

8 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC

 Problem Solving Options – Shift Mean & Reduce Variation

This occurs often in Six Sigma projects.

USL
LSL Shift & Reduce

9 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC

 Problem Solving Options

Obviously this implies making them wider, not narrower. Customers

usually do not go for this option but if they do…it is the easiest!

LSL USL USL

Move Spec

10 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC

 Capability Studies

Capability Studies:
• Are intended to be regular, periodic, estimations of a process’s ability to
meet its requirements.
• Can be conducted on both Discrete and Continuous Data.
• Are most meaningful when conducted on stable, predictable processes.
• Are commonly reported as Sigma Level which is optimal (short term)
performance.
• Require a thorough understanding of the following:
– Customer’s or business’s specification limits
– Nature of long-term versus short-term data
– Mean and Standard Deviation of the process
– Assessment of the Normality of the data (Continuous Data only)
– Procedure for determining Sigma level

11 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC

 Steps to Capability

Select Output for

Improvement

#1 Verify Customer
Requirements

#2 Validate
Specification
Limits

#3 Collect Sample
Data

#4 Determine
Data Type
(LT or ST)

#5 Check data
For Normality

#6 Calculate
Z-Score, PPM,
Yield, Capability
Cp, Cpk, Pp, Ppk
#7
12 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC
 Verifying the Specifications

Questions to consider:

• What is the source of the specifications?

– Customer requirements (VOC)
– Business requirements (target, benchmark)
– Compliance requirements (regulations)
– Design requirements (blueprint, system)

• Are they current? Likely to change?

• Are they understood and agreed upon?

– Operational definitions
– Deployed to the work force

13 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC

 Data Collection

Capability Studies should include “all” observations (100% sampling) for a specified period.
Short-term data: Long-term data:
• Collected across a narrow inference • Is collected across a broader inference
space. space.
• Daily, weekly; for one shift, • Monthly, quarterly; across multiple
machine, operator, etc. shifts, machines, operators, etc
• Is potentially free of Special Cause • Subject to both Common and Special
variation. Causes of variation.
• Often reflects the optimal • More representative of process
performance level. performance over a period of time.
• Typically consists of 30 – 50 data • Typically consists of at least 100 – 200 data
points. points.
Lot 1 Lot 5
Fill Quantity

Lot 3

Lot 2

Lot 4
Short-term studies

Long-term study
14 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC
 Baseline Performance

Process Baseline: The average,

long-term performance level of a
process when all input variables are
unconstrained. Long-term
baseline

Short-term
4
Performance

` 3

2
1
LSL TARGET USL
15 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC
 Stability

A Stable Process is consistent over time. Time Series Plots and Control Charts
are the typical graphs used to determine Stability.

Time Series Plot of PC Data

70

60
PC Data

50

Tic toc… tic 40

toc…
30
1 48 96 144 192 240 288 336 384 432 480
Index

16 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC

 Measures of Capability

Hope Cp and Pp
• What is Possible if your process is perfectly
Centered
• The Best your process can be
• Process Potential (Entitlement)

Reality Cpk and Ppk

• The Reality of your process performance
• How the process is actually running
• Process Capability relative to specification limits

17 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC

 Capability Formulas

Six times the sample

Standard Deviation

Sample Mean

LSL – Lower specification limit Three times the sample Standard

Deviation
USL – Upper specification limit
s – long-term Standard Deviation

18 © Open Source Six Sigma, LLC