The Six Sigma Project Planner

The Six Sigma Project Planner is designed to implement the Project Planning and
DMAIC phases of the process shown in Figure 1. It also addresses some issues
encountered in the post-project phase. The assumption is that the enterprise has
completed the project selection phase and that Six Sigma Green Belts and Black Belts
are choosing their projects from a portfolio of project candidates approved by Senior

Leadership.1 The Planner is not a textbook on Six Sigma tools and techniques. It is

assumed that the user of the Planner has been through the appropriate training class
for his or her role in the project. For example, the project Black Belt will have
received training as a Black Belt and knows what is meant when the Planner tells him
or her to perform a gauge R&R study. For the trained individual, the Planner
provides direction on when a particular Six Sigma tool or technique should be
employed, assuming that the project team includes personnel who understand the
tools. It also provides numerous worksheets and summary pages to implement the

tools effectively.

 

The Planner is designed to guide the project along a path that will lead to meeting the
project’s goals with minimum expenditure of effort and resources. There are several
checkpoints built into the Planner where the project may be terminated successfully
without completing the entire Planner or DMAIC cycle. The logical process flow is as
follows:
1. Define the project’s goals and deliverables.
a. If these are not related to the organization’s strategic goals and objectives,
stop. The project is not a Six Sigma project. This does not necessarily mean
that it isn’t a “good” project or that the project shouldn’t be done. There are
many worthwhile and important projects that are not Six Sigma projects.
2. Define the current process.
3. Analyze the measurement systems.
4. Measure the current process and analyze the data using exploratory and
descriptive statistical methods.
a. If the current process meets the goals of the project, establish control
systems and stop, else …

5. Audit the current process and correct any deficiencies found.
a. If the corrected process meets the goals of the project, establish control
systems and stop, else …
6. Perform a process capability study using SPC.
a. Identify and correct special causes of variation.
b. If the controlled process meets the goals of the project, establish control
systems and stop, else …
7. Optimize the current process by applying statistically designed experiments.
a. If the optimized process meets the goals of the project, establish control
systems and stop, else …
8. Employ breakthrough strategy to develop and implement an entirely new
process that meets the project’s goals.
9. Establish control and continuous improvement systems and stop.
This project flow is illustrated in Figure 2, which also shows the relationship between
DMAIC and the Define-Measure-Analyze-Design-Verify (DMADV) approach used
in Design for Six Sigma (DFSS).

 

It will often happen that there are unresolved issues relating to one or more items in
a particular worksheet. At the bottom of many worksheets you will find a box where
you can assign a number for the issue. The Appendix provides an Issues List (p. 200)
where you can describe issues in greater detail, as well as provide information on the
issue resolution plan.

Some projects don’t require all of the detail in the Planner. The documentation
required for all projects is called the official project plan. Those sections of the Planner
that are part of the official project plan are identified with a superscript asterisk (*)
and a footnote. These materials, at a minimum, should be included for all projects.
The Planner is designed to provide complete documentation for any Six Sigma
project. The worksheets in the Planner can be photocopied and placed in a three-ring
binder after completion. The completed project document provides a ready reference
for others pursuing similar projects. A library of such documents provides a wealth
of information about how to conduct successful projects in the organization. 

 

 

Download fo the Handbook  The Six Sigma Project Planner