Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt – Methodologies used in Lean and Six Sigma

1. DMAIC

Welcome to this overview of the Domaic methodology. We’re glad you could make it. In both Lean and Six Sigma, many different methodologies are utilized to help us structure our thoughts and drive repeatable improvement results. While the methodology will not give us answers or solve problems for us, methodology LGs provide us with a system in order to perform various methods and make educated decisions, thereby helping to ensure that we are on the right path. The Domic method is a problem solving approach used in both Lean and Six Sigma initiatives. However, it is best known for its use in Six Sigma. The Domaic method is unique in the sense that it uses a data driven approach and can be applied on both strategic activities and tactical projects. One important thing to note regarding the Domaic method is that it is designed to be applied to processes that already exist. Now, you’re probably wondering, what does Domaic refer to? Well, the Domaic method refers to an acronym which lays out the five stages of the methodology.

The five stages are define, measure, analyze, improve and control These five steps lay out the foundation of the formal method. It is important to note that at this point in your journey, understanding these five steps will be a very critical building block for later understanding of Six Sigma. Once you have these five steps memorized, we will be able to build more detail into each stage of your journey. While we won’t go deep into the domainic method just yet, let’s look into each stage of this powerful methodology so that you are able to understand how Domaic projects are structured. Before we get started, let’s just note that the focus of the Domaic method is to improve quality, efficiency, and the overall effectiveness of business processes, leaving you with a more stable and effective processor system. Well, now that we understand that, let’s get a good understanding of each stage of the Domaic methodology. Starting with the first stage.

Define as we noted, the first stage of the Domeic methodology is to define your goals, problems or improvement initiatives. Of course, it goes without saying, but the most important definition you will gather in this stage are the customer requirements. After you have defined objectives, problems and a formal plan for your initiative, you are ready to move on to the measure stage. The most important activity that will happen in this stage of the Domic method is documenting and gathering the baseline data or the processes current state performance measurements.

This will help you to narrow your project’s focus and better clarify the gap between what should be happening and what is actually happening. You’ll want to equip yourself with some measuring tools in order to gather accurate measurements and data. Once you have gathered measurements and data, you’re ready to begin analyzing your data. This stage gains its power from a series of tools that will help you to reveal root causes in the processes or systems some of the tools you might use.

Remember, the objective here is to move beyond the issue and find out what is actually happening. You may want to review the seven basic quality tools before starting. They will be rather useful at this stage of the Domaic method. Now, before we move on, let’s just note the following. At each stage of the Domaic method, you should be thinking about how your actions in terms of measurement, analyzation, and even how you define your objective will affect the next stage. Like a staircase. The steps must be clear and team members must agree before moving on to the next step. Well, now we are ready to start coordinating the best possible solutions in terms of our project objectives. That’s right. The improve stage. One important concept that will come into play here is our breakthrough formula. Remember the one that tells us that every outcome is the result of a processor function being applied to it. Do you remember the formula that’s the one y equals FX plus epsilon to account for any degree of error or variance in the process? Generating possible improvements are found by using tools like the solution matrix and the Pareto priority index. These will come in very handy. There should be a copy of each one in the attachments. Oftentimes, solutions such as replenishment systems like Kanban Error Proofing and establishing standards within the process work well.

Another great solution that is often used is five S, which establishes organization and makes abnormalities visible. It is here that you should test solutions in a controlled environment to ensure that when the process is released into work, it is stable and improved. Be sure that when the process is released that a clearly laid out plan for who will execute your solutions is set up. It is here that you will understand the need for black and green belts in the Domaic method. Just keep in mind that all throughout the Domaic journey, there will be a need for mutual collaboration with management and black belts all along the way.

Now, the final stage of the Domic method is the control stage. Here the responsibility for sustainment is transferred back to the business population. Process owners should assume control of the newly improved process and ensure that it continues to improve. Some important things to note when transferring back to process owners is that things like audits, coaching and guidance will be key in the project area’s success as well as accepting accountability and responsibility for the process maintenance. So don’t force anything on anyone. You can use tools like control charts, reaction plans and run charts to help monitor the initiative. Well, that wraps up this overview of the Domaic method. Remember, define, measure, analyze, improve, improve and control. So until next time, keep on improving and we will keep on giving you solutions that ignite your power. See you in the next lecture.

2. DMADV

Hi there and welcome back. We are so lucky that everything in a business is clearly defined in a process, aren’t we? Wait a second, that’s not true. Everything in business is not always clearly defined and documented. On some occasions new products come into play and other times we use tacit knowledge or experience or the best advice to figure out how to do certain things. So what kind of methodology do we use in these situations? Well, really, any methodology can probably be applied. But in this lecture we are going to discuss DMADV which is also known as Design for Six Sigma. As you probably already noticed, DMADV is very similar to the acronym Demaic.

The only difference between the two problem solving methodologies is the last two stages where as you can tell, we switch, improve and control for design and verify. Although these last two steps are a bit different, there are some similarities between the Demaic and DMADV methods other than the acronym. The first similarity is that both methodologies strive to reach no more than 3. 4 defects per million opportunities. They both use data driven methods and both will drive direct impacts to a business’s bottom line. So how do we know when to use DMADV instead of Domaic? Well, as we hinted earlier, the DMADV or Design for Six Sigma method is used when the process or product is not in existence at the organization, but it is required.

The other situation you may choose to use the DMADV method in is when Domaic method has been used to improve an existing process. But after the improvements are complete, it still does not meet your customers expectations. Both of these situations would require design of a new process using DMADV. Now let’s get a little more familiar with the five stages of DMADV. As a reminder, the first stage is still define. This is where we define project goals and customer desires or needs. The second stage remains measure.

And as you may recall from the Demaic lecture, our goal here is to gather the appropriate data in order to determine the current state performance of the process. Here is where things begin to change a little bit. In the analyzing stage, we are not seeking out root causes or defects because the process does not exist or has failed completely. However, what we will do is compare the various process options in order to bring them into alignment with the customer requirements. This is where understanding such methods as quality, function, deployment and design for manufacturability could be very helpful. After the team has agreed on a few different process options, we then will begin our design of the new process. In design, it is very likely that we have nothing to improve upon or we may have a process that is unable to be improved given those little bits of information.

We often must use practices such as pilot runs, simulations or predictive models in order to design and validate the effectiveness of our process. Remember, we don’t want to release something that does not work back into the business population. Once you have validated your new process, we are ready to verify the process in the real world. Now we will remove the process from its controlled environment and give it to the appropriate people for them to use.

You may want to continue coaching, and you will certainly want to track the processes effectiveness for a bit of time. Well, that’s it for the DMADV methodology, which is also known as Design for Six Sigma or DFSS. Just remember, define, measure, analyze, design and verify. Well, that wraps up our overview of the DMADV method. Be aware that in more advanced courses, we may or may not ask you to walk through the methodology with us as we bake some delicious food. Okay, we will. But until then, my friend, trends keep on improving, and we will keep on giving you solutions that ignite your power.

3. PDCA

Treat One two three methodology is a problem solving method developed by Lean Strategies International some time ago. It’s very effective when applied to issues and problems within an organization. The name was developed out of the methodology’s unique method of curing sick processes within an organization. We will give you a high level view of the method in the Yellow Belt core course so that you have a clear understanding of each stage in the Treat one two three method. I am confident that after you learn about the Treat one two three methodology, it will become your favorite method of mapping any value stream and solving all of your issues. There are five main steps in the Treat one two three problem solving methodology.

Those five steps are first, tear down the problem you are trying to solve. Next, review it, then examine, then advance, and finally, we will standardize or normalize the solutions we’ve come up with. In the first stage of tearing down your problem, you’ll first go to the Gemba in order to understand and see the actual problem. You can follow the Gemba methodology that is shared in our Gemba and Genti. Jinbu Two lecture. After that, you will want to clarify the objectives and goals of the problem you are trying to solve. Place those objectives on a project charter once you have visited the Gamba and clarified your objectives. Next, you’ll want to begin mapping the current state value stream. Next, we are ready to begin our review of the current state value stream map. Here, it is important that we keep all people from the Gamba involved for their subject matter expertise. Additionally, you will want to categorize each step in the value stream as either value added, nonvalue added, or business necessary. Finally, total up and average any data that you might have collected in this stage of the Treat one two three methodology. To close it out, you will want to identify the three major bottlenecks in your current state value stream map.

Having successfully reviewed the current state value stream, it’s time to begin our examination of each of those issues we discovered in the current state. Using a Pareto analysis, you will find the 20% of issues that are causing 80% of your problems. Once you have done that, place each issue in a Fishbone diagram and drill down to the root cause using a five y analysis. Finally, use our Cure methodology to devise the best solutions for each of the root causes that were discovered. Okay, well now we’re ready to advance toward the future state value stream map. Then, we want to update our solutions on the charter and begin implementation of any zero to 30 day solutions and 31 to 60 day solutions. Finally, we are ready to make our future state map. Assuming that all the solutions are in place, this map should be greatly improved of the solutions that were discovered earlier on.

To end everything off, you will want to standardize and put necessary policies and procedures in place to ensure that the results are maintained. Remember, this is just a brief overview for you to understand. The problem solving method known as the treat one two three methodology. One of the most common questions asked about the treat one two three methodology is what does the one two three actually mean? The purpose of the one two three of the methodology is to imply the mapping of the current, future and ideal states.

By repeating the treat one two three methodology three times, you can ensure that all sicknesses within the process have been wiped out and you will produce the best results possible. Here is a little bit deeper look at the overall steps of the treat one two three problem solving methodology. Again, those five steps are tear down, review, exist, examine, advance, then standardize. Feel free to review this page as you’re going through the problem solving methodology yourself. But remember, in the green belt course we’ll walk you through every detail of the treat one two three methodology.

4. TREAT 1,2,3

Welcome to this introduction lecture on the PDCA cycle. Chances are you might be familiar with PDCA already, or maybe you’ve heard of PDCA described as PDSA, the Deming Cycle or the Schuhart Cycle. You see, in 1939, Walter Schuhart discussed a very similar a concept to PDCA in his book Statistical Method from the Viewpoint of Quality Control. Shortly after this, a quality guru by the name of W. Edwards Demming worked with Mr. Schuhard at Bell Laboratories. Dr. Demming learned from his mentor about this powerful method he used. Later, Dr. Demming adapted the cycle into what we know today as PDCA, which he also often referred to as PDSA. So what do the letters PDCA refer to? Well, the four letters PDCA refer to plan, do, check and act. These four steps lay out a method for driving change and improvements at all levels of an organization.

The PDCA cycle is often compared to a circle having no end in sight, but continually striving for perfection. As noted earlier, the PDCA model has many different applications that can be used on. Here are a few different applications that will help you understand when to use the PDCA method. The first and most obvious is as a strategic model outlining implementation of an organization’s strategic initiatives. The method is also used on a tactical improvement level for projects and often is associated with design and development of new processes. While we don’t intend on going into the details of each stage here, it is very important that you have a clear understanding of how the PDCA cycle works, as it will provide a basis for many different applications later on. So let’s look at each phase. As noted, PDCA begins with the Plan stage. In this first stage, you will establish and define your objectives. Once the objectives are clearly defined, you will also drill down into the goals or problems you’re trying to solve. With the hopes of reaching a root cause, you will want to keep issues and problems organized for the next step of doing. In the do stage, team members will start to develop possible solutions that may solve their problem. After a few solutions have been gathered, the highest priority and best possible solutions will be tested on a dry run or a pilot run.

One very important thing to remember about the do stage is that even though the stage is titled do, it is often more appropriately referred to as Test or Try. Once the do stage is complete, we move on to checking what we did. It is very important that measurements and data are collected during the due stage so that you can diagnose any changes that may be necessary in the Check stage. You may discover some opportunities during checking and that is okay. The do and Check often go back and forth many times until the benefits no longer outweigh the costs. When that happens, it is time to move forward with acting in the act portion of PDCA, we implement solutions completely. Even though this marks the last of our four letters. Remember, PDCA is cyclical in nature, and much like continuous improvement, continues to go around and around and around, always pursuing perfection.

The Plan do, Check Act or PDCA cycle provides a simple but effective approach for problem solving and managing change, ensuring that ideas are appropriately tested before committing to full implementation. It can be used in all sorts of environments, from new product development, through marketing, or even politics. It begins with a planning phase in which the problem is clearly identified and understood. Potential solutions are then generated and tested on a small scale in the due phase, and the outcome of this testing is evaluated during the check phase. Due and check phases can be iterated as many times as necessary. As noted earlier, polished solutions are implemented in the act phase. So whether it is a Plan Do check act or a Plan do study act or the shoehart cycle you’re using, the method works when performed correctly. Well, that wraps up your introduction to the PD or PDSA or the Deming cycle. Well, you know what that means. That wraps up everything. So until next time, my friends, keep on improving and we will keep on giving you solutions that ignite your power.