Todays Manager

You want to increase quality and profitability by reducing error and waste ? Are your current processes failing to achieve the desired goals? Are You ready to start improving your processes and existing systems ? Well where do you start ?

DMAIC could be the answer... The DMAIC process follows a systematic methodology to clarify process performance and make improvements. The DMAIC method has five steps involved namely Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control.

Lets try to understand each of these steps briefly.

Define: Define is the first step in the process. A problem well stated is a problem half solved. You and your project team should clearly define what the problem is, how it impacts the business, and agree upon goals you expect the project to achieve. Here you are laying down a road map for accomplishment of the desired results.

Measure: This phase refers to the analysis of the existing system with various measurement techniques for the defects and levels of perfection that exist. Collecting the right data will enable you to base decisions on facts and reality. Also establish valid and reliable metrics to help monitor progress towards the goal. This could be the most time-consuming part of the DMAIC methodology.

Analyze: Scan the system to identify ways to eliminate the gap between the current performance of the system or process and the desired goal. The goal of the DMAIC Analyze phase is to identify potential root causes for the process problem. Apply statistical tools to guide you through the analysis. Various statistical tools are available to undertake such an analysis. I have described some of these tools on the blog aswell. The understanding of the relationship between cause and effect ican come handly to bring about any points on the table. Other tools could be 5 Whys - Root cause analysis.

Improve: The goal of the DMAIC Improve phase is to identify a solution to the problem that the project aims to address. Be creative in finding new ways to do things better, cheaper, or faster. This part involves brainstorming, selection solutions to test and evaluating the results of the implemented solutions. Use statistical methods to validate the improvement. Ultimately, the team chooses the best solutions for implementation.

Control : The objective in this phase is to ensure that the gains obtained during Improve are maintained long after the project has ended. Control planning involves collecting quality control data and verifying measurements according to a regular schedule. This ensures that processes continue to run efficiently and deliver peak performance.

This completes the whole DMAIC cycle. Although the approach is simple, it is by no means easy. However, remember the results justify the effort put in.

Below i am sharing a video explaing the whole of DMAIC process, starting with the Define phase.