Course Content
Define
Identify the problem or process that needs improvement, set project goals, and outline the scope.
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Six Sigma Management at Corporate Level
Six Sigma Project Team Structure
Create team roles and responsibilities
Create a Problem Statement
Create the SIPOC process map
What is CTQ (Critical to Quality)
Create CTQ Tree
Creating a Project Charter
Stakeholder Analysis
Outcome expected after the Define Stage
Measure
Collect data to establish baselines, understand current performance, and quantify the problem. For example, measuring the average turnaround time for policy renewals.
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FMEA (Failure Modes and Effect Analysis) concept
Data collection methods
Introduction to data sampling
Use of Run chart for analysis
Analyze
Examine the data to identify root causes of inefficiencies or risks. This might involve analyzing claims data to uncover bottlenecks or sources of errors.
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5 Whys
Root cause analysis with Fishbone Diagram
Lean 7 Wastes concept
Value chain mapping with Value Stream map
What is a process
Components of process
Process Mapping with Swimlane diagram
Process redesign principles
80/20 analysis with Pareto Diagram
Statistical analysis with Box Plot
Hypothesis Testing
Correlation and Regression Analysis
Improve
Develop and implement solutions to address root causes. For example, streamlining workflows or introducing new digital tools to reduce manual errors.
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Solution Selection Matrix
Cost Benefit Analysis
Risk Assessment
Implementation Planning
Control
Put controls in place to sustain improvements, such as regular monitoring, updated procedures, or dashboards for ongoing performance tracking.
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Create Control Plan
Create Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
Prepare the Process and User Guides
Handover to Process Owner
Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control)

Difference of Six Sigma quality approach

Conventional method of improving the quality is to spend money on additional quality control steps, audit processes and extensive testing processes to improve on the quality. For Six Sigma, it is about do it right the first time where quality are built in the process.

In Six Sigma context, the goal is to target for zero costs of failure (internal or external), and minimal preventative and appraisal costs. Six Sigma processes should be self-regulating as preventative measures should be built into the processes.

The benefit of building failure stop-points into a process include:

  • Earlier detection when errors do occur, which keeps hidden costs down.
  • When quality is something employees have ownership of, they are more likely to work hard to create the best possible output.
  • In-process quality assurance is actually more effective than post-process or over-process prevention and appraisal methods.

 

How to prevent unnecessary quality steps in the process

When designing a Six Sigma processes, the way to identify unnecessary form of prevention or appraisal is to ask the following questions:

  • Does the activity itself add any value to the output?
  • If the activity is designed to prevent defects within the process, can the activity be made more efficient?
  • If the activity is designed to prevent defects, can the activity be made less expensive?
  • If an activity is designed to capture quality data about the process for reporting purposes, are those reports necessary?
  • If quality reports are necessary- either because of obligatory requirements such as compliance or because the reports provide value in another process – can the reports be automated to reduce associated expense?

 

Critical to Quality (CTQ)

CTQs are the factors or parameters that are the major drivers of quality within an organization or process. They are characteristics that can be measured about whether or not the customer is going to be satisfied.

CTQs are closely related to CTCs (critical to customer), but they are not the same thing. Something can be critical to quality without being critical to the customer directly.

For example

If a business wants to launch a mobile app for its customers, then an obvious customer-centric need is that the app works on the customer’s phone. The customer doesn’t care about the process the business needs to go through to launch the app on the platform in question, but the business must meet the criteria for Apple, Android, Windows, or other mobile operating systems. Those requirements become some of the CTQs for the mobile app development, even though certain requirements from the platforms might not appear to be at all related to statements from customers about desires or needs.

 

Why identify CTQs?

In a process improvement environment, CTQs are critical to narrowing work scope and understanding how to enact change. Consider the 80/20 rule, often CTQs are the factors, characteristics, or outputs that drive 80 percent of customer satisfaction. By improving these few critical factors, teams can substantially impact customer satisfaction and the performance of the overall process. Identifying CTQs lets teams create the most improvement possible with the time, money, and people resources available.
 
 
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