Six Sigma

Six Sigma Process Improvement

Business Managers' need to hunt for a tool, which could be effective in measuring and analyzing process variations and process metrics, ended with Six Sigma Process Improvement. Six Sigma process improvement implements measurement based strategy which solely focuses on process improvement to realign processes with company objectives.

How does one accomplish Six Sigma Process Improvement?

As the saying goes, you can only improve some thing if the thing exists. Six Sigma Process Improvement solely targets existing business processes and their end measurable which could impact the business highly. For example, Six Sigma Process Improvement looks at increasing goal identifier A of Objective B to goal identifier C where the level of C is higher than A. Six Sigma process improvement is achieved the DMAIC model which is the most popular tool to do Process improvements fir existing business processes. Here is an explanation of the DMAIC model:

• D - Define - This is where the objective of the process improvement is defined. Along with that, the project team members, management members are listed who will share the responsibility of designing and execution of the project.
  
  
• M - Measure - This is where all historical data of the existing process are measured. When you measure data on a historical basis spanning over 45-60 days, you would get a good amount of data for you to analyze and find causes of process variation.
  
  
• A - Analyze - Possibly, the most critical stage of any Six Sigma process improvement mechanism. Here is where all the data collected in the measure phase to understand reasons for variations.
  
  
• I - Improve - All reasons which one has come up during the analyze phase are worked upon by suggesting improvement plans. This is where a lot of process improvement measures are suggested, which if improved the business process could give good results.
  
  
• C - Control - After all the process improvement measures are implemented, data is measured for a period of 45-60 days to check the effectiveness of the improvement measures.

The DMAIC model has found unparalleled success in almost all the industries where process flows are in vogue. With plenty of business realizing the need of realigning their quality objectives to company productivity, business managers are looking to transition their existing business processes with Six Sigma Process Improvement.

Last but not the least, let us understand that most effective strategies fail because there is not enough co-operation from the team members. Successfully transitioned and implemented Six Sigma processes are never implemented alone. The entire workforce of the company, at least the product development team is involved in the execution of a Six Sigma process.