The role of Six Sigma in

software development
https://www.invensislearning.com/blog/role-six-sigma-software-development/
Six Sigma
Quality management methodology.
Motorola first used it in the 1980s.
Data-driven approach that aims to improve product and service quality by
identifying and eliminating defects (reducing variation and achieving near-perfect
performance with a goal of no more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities).
Widely adopted in various industries, including software development.
uses statistical methods and tools to measure and analyze process performance
and identify areas for improvement.
It is based on five basic principles: define, measure, analyze, improve and control
(DMAIC)
Known for its Six Sigma Yellow Belt, Six Sigma Green Belt and Six Sigma Black Belt
certifications, to train and certify professionals in the methodology.
6 Sigma in software development
Teams can use data to identify and eliminate defects in software, reduce variation
in the development process, and improve overall process efficiency and
effectiveness.
Objective: Deliver high-quality software that meets or exceeds customer
expectations while reducing costs and improving efficiency.
Methodologies
DMAICO
One of the most used. (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control). to identify and
eliminate the root cause of errors in the code, reduce the time it takes to complete
a project, and increase the efficiency of the development process.
DMADV
(Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify). To create a new process or product.
Define customer needs, measure key performance indicators, analyze data to
identify root causes of defects, design a new process, and verify that the process
meets customer needs and requirements.
Lean Six Sigma
Design for Six Sigma (DFSS)
Methodologies
DMAICO
(Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control).
DMADV
(Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify).
Lean Six Sigma
It combines the principles of Lean and Six Sigma to help teams improve their
processes and deliver high-quality software more efficiently. Lean focuses on
eliminating waste and inefficiencies, and Six Sigma on reducing defects and
variations in the process.
Design for Six Sigma (DFSS)
In the design phase of software development to ensure that the design meets
customer requirements and reduces the risk of defects. The team can ensure that
the software design is optimized for quality, performance and customer needs.
6 Sigma methodologies in software
development

DMAICO Improve the overall quality of the

DMADV software.
Lean Seis Sigma Faster development times.
Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) Fewer defects.
Greater customer satisfaction.
 Benefits of 6 Sigma in software
development

Improve Increased Enhanced Customer Better Cost

d quality Efficiency Satisfaction Collaboration Reduction
Tools
Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC)
Define the problem, measure current performance, analyze the data to identify the
root cause of the problem, improve the process, and implement controls.
Statistical process control (SPC)
Identify patterns and trends in the data.
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
Identify possible failure modes in a process and evaluate the potential impact of
those failures.
Design of Experiments (DOE)
To understand the relationship between inputs and outputs in a process (How
design choices or testing methods affect software quality).
Flowcharting
To visually represent the steps of a process. Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies
in the software development process and take steps to improve them.
Key phases

Control
Improve
Analyze
Measure 5
Define 4
3
2
1

Optimize
Define
Define the problem or opportunity for improvement.
Identify specific areas of the software development process that need
improvement and determine the goals and objectives of the project.
Identification of specific customer complaints, high software defect rates, or long
lead times for software development.
The project team can focus on specific areas that need improvement.
Measure
Measure the current performance of the software development process.
Collect and analyze data to determine current defects and other quality issues.
This data can be collected through customer complaints, bug reports, test results,
and other metrics relevant to the software development process.
By measuring current performance, the project team can establish a baseline for
the process and determine the scope of the problem.
Analyze
Analyze data to determine the root cause of problems.
Use of statistical tools and techniques such as the fishbone diagram, Pareto
diagram, and root cause analysis to identify patterns and trends in data and the
underlying causes of defects and quality problems.
This step is crucial to understanding why problems occur and what needs to be
done to address them.
Improve

Improve the software development process.

Implement solutions to address the root causes of the problems identified in the
previous step.
They can be changes in processes, tools or training programs.
Objective: eliminate sources of defects and improve software quality.
Control

Ensure sustained improvements are made in the previous step.

Monitor the process and make necessary adjustments to ensure software quality
remains high.
Implementing process control mechanisms such as Statistical Process Control
(SPC) to ensure that the process remains within acceptable limits.
Optimize
Continuous process optimization is done by reviewing and analyzing data again to
ensure that the process is continually improved and problems are minimized.
Ensures that the process is continually improved and that the software
development process remains efficient and effective.
Periodically review process metrics and customer feedback and make adjustments
to the process as necessary to improve efficiency and quality.
Case study. GE Software
Company that successfully implements Six Sigma in its software development
process.
A subsidiary of General Electric, it specializes in the development of software for
industrial automation and control systems.
They faced a big challenge with many defects in their software products, leading to
customer dissatisfaction.
Case study. GE Software
1. They began by defining the problem and setting goals for the project, which included
reducing the number of defects in their software by 50% and improving overall
customer satisfaction. (Define)
2. They measured the current performance of the development process by collecting
data on the number of defects, customer complaints, and other relevant metrics.
(Measure)
3. This data was then analyzed to determine the root causes of the defects. Using
statistical tools and techniques, they were able to identify patterns and trends and
pinpoint the underlying causes of defects. (Analyze)
4. Once root causes were identified, solutions were implemented to address the
problems. Ex: changes to your processes, tools and training programs to eliminate
sources of defects and improve software quality. (Improve)
5. They implemented process control mechanisms such as Statistical Process Control
(SPC) to ensure the process remained within acceptable limits. (Control)
Case study. GE Software
Finally, they continually optimized the process by periodically reviewing process
metrics and customer feedback and making adjustments to the process as necessary
to improve efficiency and quality. (Optimize)

GE Software successfully reduced the number of

defects in its software by 50% and improved
overall customer satisfaction.
It helped them retain existing customers,
Helped get new clients.
Helped improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Conclusions
Six Sigma is a powerful methodology that can be used to improve the quality and
efficiency of the software development process.
By using Six Sigma tools such as DMAIC, SPC, FMEA, DOE, and flowcharting,
organizations can identify and eliminate sources of variability and defects, leading to
faster development times, fewer defects, and greater customer satisfaction.
It can help organizations achieve their goals of delivering high-quality software on
time and on budget.
It can be a great addition to any software development process, helping to ensure that
the final product is reliable, efficient, and meets customer needs.
Certification is mandatory. A Six Sigma certification is accepted globally, allowing you
to obtain global opportunities.
Thanks