Application of the 7 Basic Quality tools on the Six Sigma DMAIC methodology

There are seven basic quality tools used in organizations for quality management as per the Project
Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK),6th Edition.The same tools are applicable to the Six Sigma
Define,Measure,Analyse,Improve and Control processes commonly referred to as DMAIC.Below is a
description of each of the seven basic quality tools and how they will be applicable to the DMAIC
methodology.

Source:Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).6th Edition

Cause and Effect Diagram

Also commonly referred to as the Ishikawa or Fishborne diagram,the tool is used to help identify
possible causes of a specific problem and can also be used hand in hand with brainstorming.It shows
the relationship between the problems and the factors that influence henceit is essential for root
cause analysis.
Analyse-The Ishikawa diagram can be used during the Analyse phase to organize root causes in a
way that makes it easier to prioritize and assess them
Flow Chart
A flow chart give a view of how the work flows through the company and can be used to initiate
process improvement activities . A flow chartis created using standard symbols and show the
sequence of tasks performed and their relationship in a graphical format.

Define-Can be used to understand the process and have insight into the causes of inefficiency and
frustration so that improvements can be made.

Measure- flow charts created during the Define phase are reviewed and additional information can
be added to make them more comprehensive.

Analyse-analysis of the process map may reveal some fairly obvious sources of inefficiency and
delay in the process.

Improve- A flowchart can be created for the new process that will be followed as a result of the
improvements being implemented.

Control- The process map that was created during Improve should be reviewed and updated as
necessary to reflect any modifications that may have occurred during roll out

Pareto Chart
A Pareto Chart is based on the Pareto principle or the 80-20 rule or rule of vital few which states that
a small number of causes (20%) is responsible for a large percentage (80%) of the effect. The
graphical display in a Pareto Chart is used to display the types of problems that affect a process and
their relative significance

Define-Can be used to decide which problems can be addresses first as part of a six sigma project

Improve- Can be used to identify where the team should focus their continuous improvement efforts

Histogram
A Histogram is a bar graph that shows data by columns which vary in height depending on the
frequency of occcurence of data values.It can be used for visual representation of data collected
from other tools such as check sheets hence making it easier to interpret where the problems are
coming from.
Analyse-Can be used to identify variance in the process parameters as well as predicting future
process performance

Check Sheet
A check sheet is a simple tool that can be used to record information in real time at a particular
location over a period of time.Frequency of problems and defects associated with a particular
system can be recorded in a check sheet and can be used to create cause and effect diagrams,pareto
diagrams,scatter diagrams.etc

Measure-Collect the frequency of data for the items being measured to perform further analysis

Scatter Diagram
A scatter diagram is used to display values of two variables of for a set of data and make predictions
based on the data.It consists of a horozotanal axis (X axis) and a vertical axis (Y axis) and a series of
dots representing the individual X and Y axis values.A scatter diagram allows the identification of
possible relationships between two different sets of variables hence it can be used to display the
correlation.

Analyse- Can be used during the Analyse phase to organize root causes in a way that makes it easier
to prioritize and assess them

Control Chart
A control chart is a statistical tool used to distinguish between variation in a process resulting from
common causes, and variation resulting from special causes through a graphical display.In a control
chart,control limits can be used to monitor process variation so as to come up with the necessary
corrective action.
Measure- Determination of which components of variation are inherent in the process (common
cause) and which are due to external or specific factors (special cause).
Control- Continuously updated so that the process owner can watch for process shifts or other signs
that there may be a problem with process performance
Improve- Often employed to show the reduction in variation and improvement in performance