System and Process Improvement Methodologies

---

Every change requires a tried and true methodology, most importantly, these are used for Lean Six Sigma

DMAIC for process improvement and DMADOV for a new process/product/service

DMAIC – Process Improvement

Define -The start of process improvement is certainly the planning and selection process.

Overarching Principles

• Firstly, Start a Project Charter – perform preliminary work to the best of your capability
• Flesh out communications plan and structure

Operational Activities

• Select team members
• Select expertise not on team
• Determine schedule (first pass)
• Above all Build Value Stream Map or Departmental Value Stream Map
• Attain executive sponsor
• Build executive team
• Document alignment to strategic plan Tools
• Strategic Plan

Accounting

• Tollgate check-off
• Update management

Measure -Verify that actions taken are only on quantitative data.

Overarching Principles

• Continue Project Charter work
• Communicate Operational Activities
• Certainly, document Suppliers-Inputs-Process-Outputs-Customer (SIPOC) for each process
• Devise data collection plan
• Target processes and verify Value Stream Map data blocks
• Determine measurement errors
• Collect data
• Document baseline Tools

Accounting

• Tollgate check-off
• Update management

Analyze -The process improvement journey from data to information to knowledge to wisdom.

Overarching Principles

• Continue Project Charter work
• Communicate Operational Activities
• Above all, analyze data
• Dig down into target processes
• Analyze SIPOC
• Determine Value Added and Non-value Added Activities
• Re-evaluate scope
• Define waste
• Look for waste
• Update project charter

Accounting

• Tollgate check-off
• Update management

Improve -Take analysis results and devise solutions, document and promote.

Overarching Principles

• Continue Project Charter work
• Communicate

Operational Activities

• Likewise devise solutions
• Select solutions
• Implement solutions
• Pilot solutions
• Build to-be Value Stream Map
• Measure and quantitative solution(s)
• Document
• Develop implementation plan
• Socialized implementation plan
• Execute implementation plan Tools

Accounting

• Tollgate check-off
• Update management

Control -Process Improvement controls needed to make the value added design stick.

Overarching Principles

• Communicate

Operational Activities

• Similarly devise control metrics
• Mistake proof where possible
• Devise training plan
• Training
• Identify and document lessons learned
• Determine control metric reporting plan:
  • frequency
  • metric
  • control value
  • measured value
  • report recipients
• Devise “Out of Control” remediation plan

Accounting

• Final presentation delivered
• Final report delivered

---

DMADOV – Build a New Process/Product/Service

Define – Characterize the breath of the process improvement accomplishment

• Define customer (internal and external)
• Acquire customer requirements
• Gather needs
• Identify the business case for the project
• Create project charter
• Above all Build Success metrics
  • Product/process/service
  • DMADV process
  • Project Management
• Develop project plan
• Form the team
• Translate customer requirements to Critical to Satisfaction (CTS)
• Assess risk

Measure – Today’s and tomorrow’s process/service limitations

• Certainly translate customer requirements into engineering requirements
• Translate functional requirements to design parameters
• Develop/evaluate design alternatives
• Resolve design conflicts
• Flow down system designed to subsystems
• Assess risk

Analyze – What can we change and to what extent for process improvement

• Develop transfer functions
• Develop system capabilities
• Subsequently generate concepts
• Evaluate concepts
• Analyze trade offs
• Assess design gaps
• Select concept
• Most importantly, test concept to Voice of the Customer (VOC)
• Assess risk

Design & Optimize – Generate solution and iterate to improve

• Compare product/process/service capability vs. VOC
• Moreover design solution
• Optimize the product/process/service design for:
  • Robustness
  • Manufacturability
  • Assemblability
  • Serviceability
  • Reliability
  • Testability
  • Environment
• Optimize tolerances
• Certainly design process control plan
• Mistake proof design
• Assess risk

Verify – Finalize and control

• Verify product/process/service performance
• Monitor system capability
• Implement design and process control plans
• Develop transition plans

In Conclusion

Use these tools to transition process states to ones of significant improvement. If you really want to become great, press the button to go to a website that guides you to greatness by adopting the tools of the Toyota Production System: