Six Sigma
Six Sigma provides a comprehensive well documented, highly regarded guideline. The basic methodology consists of the following five steps:
The basic methodology consists of the following five steps:
- Define the process improvement goals that are consistent with customer demands and enterprise strategy.
- Measure the current process and collect relevant data for future comparison. Measure and identify CTQs (critical to qualities), product capabilities, production process capability, and risk assessments.
- Analyze to verify relationship and causality of factors. Determine what the relationship is, and attempt to ensure that all factors have been considered. Analyze to develop and design alternatives, create high-level design and evaluate design capability to select the best design.
- Improve or optimize the process based upon the analysis using techniques like Design of Experiments. Design details, optimize the design, and plan for design verification. This phase may require simulations.
- Verify the design and control to ensure that any variances are corrected before they result in defects. Set up pilot runs to establish process capability, transition to production and thereafter continuously measure the process and institute control mechanisms.
