For an organisation to achieve Six Sigma, this is a significant achievement. It requires time, resources and a standardised approach to deliver process improvements. To this end, Six Sigma utilises a methodology described by the acronym DMAIC to achieve six sigma . DMAIC is the first letter of each phase of the methodology which is Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control. For each phase, a number of qualitative and quantitative tools are available and these are described in the Six Sigma Tools section.
Each phase can be described as follows...
- Define – Define the problem and map out the current process.
- Measure – Measure current performance and ensure appropriate gauging.
- Analyse – Analyse reasons why problem is be occurring and identify root cause.
- Improve – Select solutions to eliminate root cause identified.
- Control – Sustain the gains made from the Improve Phase