defects.

You will learn the Six Sigma steps for process improvement, also referred to as DMAIC:

1. Define the problem. Create a problem statement, goal statement, project statement, customer requirement, and process map.
2. Measure the current process. Collect data on current performance and issues. Verify the data is reliable, and update the project statement as needed.
3. Analyze the cause of issues. Examine the process and data collected, display the data, investigate and confirm what’s causing the issues, and continue updating the project statement as needed.
4. Improve the process. Decide on solutions to fix issues and create process maps for those new solutions. Take steps to implement the new fixes and continue to measure improvement.
5. Control. If possible, refine the new process, continue monitoring, and use findings elsewhere in the business.

Six Sigma has recently evolved into a more general business-management philosophy focused on meeting customer requirements, improving customer retention, and improving and sustaining business products and services. Six Sigma applies to all industries.

Six Sigma has taken the corporate world by storm and represents the thrust of numerous efforts in manufacturing and service organizations to improve products, services, and processes. Although Six Sigma brings a new direction to quality and productivity improvement, its underlying tools and philosophy are grounded in the fundamental principles of total quality and continuous improvement that have been used for many decades. Nevertheless, Six Sigma has renewed interest in quality and improvement and has kept alive the principles of total quality developed in the latter part of the 20th Century. 

This four-day class shows students the essence and basics of Six Sigma and how Six Sigma has brought a renewed interest in the principles of total quality to cutting-edge businesses. 

Module One: Getting Acquainted With Six Sigma Basics

Module One is an overview of the Six Sigma methodology, deployment system, roles, and responsibilities. In this Module, you will learn the key principles underly­ing the science of Six Sigma and its applications. Part One is a comprehensive overview of Six Sigma. Part Two connects quality improvement to business performance. Part Three introduces the key principles, and Part Four discusses roles and phases in implementing a Six Sigma deployment.

Module Two: DMAIC: Defining and Measuring

Module Two is where you will learn the details of practicing Six Sigma’s DMAIC problem-solving roadmap. The first two phases, Define and Measure, enable you to properly scope and launch a project and objectively identify all possible causes of problems.

Module Three: DMAIC: Analyzing

In this module, you will learn the Analyze phase of Six Sigma’s DMAIC problem-solving roadmap. In this phase, you objectively eliminate trivial and non-important factors, zeroing in on the true root cause. Part One shows how to use basic charts and graphs in this effort. Part Two discusses value analysis, while Parts Three and Four covers normal variation and analyz­ing for capability. In Part Five, you discover the important topic of analyzing your measurements, and Part Six discusses how to glean insight from watching a process in operation. Part Seven concludes this part by show­ing you how to measure the risk and confidence in your analysis decisions.

Module Four: DMAIC: Improving and Controlling

Module Four wraps up the methods and tools used in the DMAIC problem-solving roadmap. The Improve and Control phases intend to synthesize an improvement and lock in the gains you’ve achieved. Part One introduces the science of predicting future performance, and Part Two gives you the lowdown on how to design, conduct, and ana­lyze powerful experiments. In Part Three, you will learn ways to make newly achieved improvements permanent. Part Four covers the important topic of statistical process control.

Module Five: Looking at the Six Sigma Technology Toot Landscape

This module comprehensively lists the technology tools and information systems Six Sigma practitioners use. Part TwoOne covers process characterization tools, Part TwoTwo deals with analysis tools, and Part TwoThree discusses the important technology tools needed to manage local or enter­prise-wide improvement.

Module Six: The Part of Tens

This part is a compilation of key reference points. Part One discusses the ten top dos and don’ts for success. Part Two addresses how to improve on improvement by integrating Lean with Six Sigma. In Part Three, you will learn about additional places you can go for help.