DEFINE

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Define Phase

Goal: To establish the project's importance, problem/opportunity, goal,

scope and team.

Output Deliverables:
✓ A clear business case, problem and goal statement Project
✓ Selected critical to quality characteristic Charter
✓ High level process map

Understand VOC
Create Project Create SIPOC
(Voice of the
Charter Diagram
Customer)

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Problem Solving
vs
Improvement
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What is a Problem?

▪ Problem Solving
Centers on the fundamental notion of “gap” or “deviation” from standard
(e.g. cost, quality, delivery)

Standard – what should be

happening

Gap = Problem

Current situation – what is actually

happening

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What is an Improvement?

▪ Improvement
Focuses on achieving a new standard or level of performance

New Standard – a new level of

performance that can be set based
on historical performance

Gap = Opportunity

Current Standard – already hitting

the current standard for the longest
time

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Why close the GAP?

Gap = Problem

There are benefits in closing the GAP.

Gap = Opportunity

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How to Choose
the Right
Problem?
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Problem Classification Matrix

Simple Concern Significant

Only one obvious

solution With alternative
Solution (no other alternative solutions
solutions)

Frequency
of Once Recurring
Occurrence

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How to Choose the Right Problem?

▪ Recurring or continuous

▪ Verifiable

▪ Can be analyzed and

solved by team members

▪ Negatively affecting the

work life of team members

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PROJECT CHARTER

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What is a Project Charter?
▪ It is a “contract” between the organization’s leadership and the project
team created at the outset of the project.

▪ It serves as a communication vehicle to establish a common

understanding of the project among all involved.

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Project Charter Elements
▪ Business Case: Importance of doing the project.

▪ Problem Statement: Description of the pain.

▪ Goal Statement: SMART objectives.

▪ Process Scope: Process boundaries, resources.

▪ Project Timeline: Timetable of actions to achieve the goal.

▪ Consequential Metric: Metric that will possible affected negatively.

▪ Team Members: People who will work together to achieve the goal.

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Project Charter Sample - Yield Improvement

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PROBLEM & GOAL
STATEMENTS

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Tips in Writing the Problem Statement
▪ Develop the problem statement in
such a way that the problem is
obvious.

▪ Highlight the deviation from the

standard or the “should” with
the use of the adjectives or words
such as:

✓ High or increasing defect rate

✓ Low or decreasing yield
✓ Frequent machine breakdown
✓ Many complaints
✓ Delay in

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Tips in Writing the Problem Statement
This prevents the team
DO NOT imply the most from analyzing the
“Due to”
likely cause of the problem thoroughly as
“Because of”
problem. they will tend to focus
only on the stated cause.
This provides instant
DO NOT use “lack of” in solution. Usually, these
“Lack of”
stating the problem clauses are the causes
not the problems.
DO NOT state the
It will be difficult to solve
problem in terms that are “System”
a problem without
too broad or too narrow “Communication”
knowing the magnitude.
to be measured
This kind of statement
prompts the group to
DO NOT state the
“How to” formulate solutions
problem as a question.
without even analyzing
causes.

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Problem Statement Elements

What? Where? Current?

Decreasing Process Yield at Assembly is at 98.12%

since

WW41 to WW52 versus factory target of 99.50%

which is a gap of 1.38%.

When? How do you
How much? know?

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Tips in Writing the Goal Statement

▪ Start with an action verb.

▪ Focus on the numbers.

▪ Include the completion

date.

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Tip in Writing the Goal Statement

This violates the problem

solving process because
DO NOT include a “By implementing” the team has already
solution. “Through the application” identified solution even
without the analysis
phases.

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Goal Statement Elements

Action Specific &

Verb Measurable

To increase Process Yield at Assembly from

98.12% to 99.5% which is 1.38% improvement

by the end of October 2017.

Attainable

Realistic &
Time Bound

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SIPOC DIAGRAM

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What is a SIPOC Diagram?
▪ It is a high - level process map that shows process boundaries.

▪ A tool that allows a team to see their process in relation to all needed
inputs, outputs and suppliers.

▪ Identifies relationship between suppliers, inputs and the process.

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SIPOC helps to answer the following questions

▪ What is the start and end points of the work system?

▪ What are the essential steps within the work system?

▪ What are the main inputs and outputs?

▪ Who are the key customers (Internal and External)?

▪ Who are the key suppliers (Internal and External)?

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Guide in Answering the SIPOC Questions

Supplier Input Process Output Customer

Who are the

What are the What are the Who are the
are the What is the
required expected customers of
suppliers of process?
inputs? outputs? the outputs?
the inputs?

Material,
Persons, Product, End user,
data,
machines, Process from yield department,
workforce,
processes, start to end information, customer,
knowledge,
etc. etc. etc.
etc.

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How to Create a SIPOC Diagram?
1. Describe the Process
from start to end.

2. Specify the quality

Output

3. Identify the
Customers of the
Output

4. Identify the needed

Input

5. Identify who the

Supplier is

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SIPOC Diagram Example #1
SIPOC

S I P O C
Supplier Input Process Output Customer
1. Customer arrives or
Patrons A lunch order calls Lunch Order Lunch Patron

2. Take order

3. Deliver order to the

kitchen. Customer Requirements

Accurate: Delivered food matched to ordered food

4. Prepare, make and
cook order. On Time: Delivery in 16 minutes or less or 20 minutes or
less for entrees

Soup:Delivered at 155 - 160 degrees.

5. Package order.
Available: Regular menu items are 100% available.

6. Deliver order (or pick

up).

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SIPOC Diagram Example #2

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