Preparing a Six Sigma Project Checklist 1

Running Head: PREPARIN A SI! SI"A PR#$EC% CHEC&'IS%

Preparing a Six Sigma Project Checklist: Approach o( the )"AIC c*cle and the steps associated
+ith each o( the phases
Preparing a Six Sigma Project Checklist ,
PREPARIN A SI! SI"A PR#$EC% CHEC&'IS%
)"AIC is a (i-e phase tool that is used (or Six Sigma projects. %he expansion o( the
acron*m is )e(ine/ "easure/ Anal*0e/ Impro-e and Control. Some organi0ations add another
step called S*nergi0e 1P*0dek/ ,2234. Important points to kno+ 5e(ore starting a )"AIC project
are:
%he project should ha-e a de(inite goal and target such as 6reducing rejection 5* 789 or
6impro-ing turn around time 5* 1: minutes9/ etc. %he goal should not 5e -ague such as
;impro-ing e((icienc* o( organi0ation;
A six sigma team +ould ha-e cross (unctional made o( a: "aster <lack <elt/ a <lack <elt/
Se-eral reen <elts and 5usiness process o+ners.
%he (i-e steps are explained as 5elo+:
Define
%his is the (irst stage and the project has to 5e selected and critical to =ualit*
characteristics that ha-e a pro5lem and need to 5e impro-ed/ ha-e to 5e de(ined. %he
characteristics identi(ied should 5e =uantitati-e and measured in terms o( num5ers/ +eight/
-olume/ time and other units. #nce these (eatures are identi(ied/ the team +ould ha-e the project
and characteristics on +hich six sigma +ould 5e applied. At this stage/ tools such as process
map/ preliminar* >E"A/ Cause and E((ect "atrix/ In the anal*0e phase/ tools such as cause and
e((ect/ SPC charts/ trend diagrams/ Project Charter/ Process >lo+chart/ SIP#C )iagram/
Stakeholder Anal*sis/ )"AIC ?ork <reakdo+n Structure/ C%@ )e(initions and e-en Aoice o(
the Customer athering and others can 5e used to isolate the critical characteristics 1<re*(ogle/
,22B4.
Preparing a Six Sigma Project Checklist 7
Measure
?ith the critical to =ualit* characteristics de(ined/ the next step is to carr* out a detailed
measurement o( the process and critical characteristics. "etrics (or measurement should 5e
gathered and this can 5e 5ased on pre-ious records and i( the old records are not relia5le/ then a
(resh set o( readings ha-e to 5e taken and appro-ed 5* the process o+ner. At then end o( this
phase/ the team should kno+ clearl* the existing state o( the characteristics as speci(ied 5* the
metrics. >or example/ one +ould kno+ that 122 units o( items are 5eing produced +ith a
rejection (igure o( 1: per 122. %ools used are: Histogram/ Pareto Chart/ %ime Series and Run
Chart/ Scatter Plot/ Regression Anal*sis/ Cause and E((ect and >ish5one )iagram/ : ?h*s/
Process "ap Re-ie+ and Anal*sis/ Statistical Anal*sis/ H*pothesis %esting and NonCNormal
)ata Anal*sis 1&eller/ ,2214.
Analyze
In this phase/ the root causes o( the pro5lems (or the critical characteristics are identi(ied.
%he phase helps to understand +h* pro5lems are created/ +hat one set o( pro5lem leads to and
there could 5e multiple root causes. %ools used are: <rainstorming/ "istake Proo(ing/ )esign o(
Experiments/ Pugh "atrix/ House o( @ualit*/ >ailure "odes and E((ects Anal*sis C >"EA and
Simulation So(t+are 1<re*(ogle/ ,22B4.
Improve
In this phase/ 5ased on the anal*0e phase/ solutions are (ramed to address the pro5lems
identi(ied. A cost 5ene(it anal*sis is re=uired to judge the e((ecti-eness o( the proposed solution.
Preparing a Six Sigma Project Checklist D
A(ter considering the organi0ation goals an implementation plan is (ormed to address the
pro5lems. %ools used are: Process Sigma Calculation/ Control Charts/ Cost Sa-ings Calculations
and Control Plan 1&eller/ ,2214.
Control
%he implementation plan +ould 5e in (orce and conditions should 5e allo+ed to sta5ili0e.
Plans should 5e in place to ensure that the ne+ process is running as per the plan and desired
results are 5eing o5tained. %he process should 5e documented and sets o( results o5tained and
compared to the metrics that +ere o5tained in the de(ine stage. %his +ould tell us 5* ho+ much
the process has impro-ed or regressed 1&eller/ ,2214.
%here has to 5e a tight integration 5et+een all the stages and the end result should 5e
properl* documented in the project templates sho+ing the 5ene(its o5tained/ cost sa-ings
achie-ed and the impro-ements sho+n in the ne+ metrics 1P*0dek/ ,2234.
Preparing a Six Sigma Project Checklist :
RE>ERENCES
<re*(ogle/ >orrest ?. 1,22B4. Implementing Six Sigma: Smarter Solutions Using Statistical
Methods. Ne+ Eork/ NE: $ohn ?ile* F Sons
&eller/ Paul A. 1,22B4. Six Sigma Deployment: A Guide for Implementing Six Sigma in Your
Organization. %ucson/ AG: @ualit* Pu5lishing
P*0dek 1,2234. he Six Sigma !and"oo#: A $omplete Guide for Green %elts& %lac# %elts and
Managers at All 'e(els. Ne+ Eork/ NE: "cra+CHill Pro(essional.