Define, measure, analyze, improve, and control

The Six Sigma approach is composed by five steps, i.e. the DMAIC algorithm (Fig. 1) Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. 

DMIAC Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. A process for implementing supply chain changes associated with the Six Sigma improvement process. (A foundation for operational excellence, Supply Chain Management Review, March/April 2003)... 

DMAIC Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control... 

Six sigma Six sigma is one of the more recent popular approaches to QA that is based on a tight statistical approach to the production of a product. The name arises from a desire to limit the tolerance of a product to plus or minus six standard deviations and thus have only 3.4 defects per million. (This is the fraction outside - - 4.5 standard deviations from the mean the method allows for some measurement uncertainty.) In order for the statistics to hold, the system must be in statistical control and the defects must be random and normally distributed. There is a heavy reliance on control charts and the system is built around what to do if there is evidence for nonconformity. For a nonconforming product six sigma institutes an approach with the acronym DMAIC — define, measure, analyze, improve, control. This has been implemented in some organizations, such as pharmaceutical companies, which produce large volumes of chemicals. However, strict statistical control of chemical products is not always easy, and considerations of the measurement process also needs to be taken into account. 

Some of the Six Sigma models are DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control), which is used to improve the existing process, and DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify), which is used to employ the new products. 

A quality management system s process should follow a standard Six Sigma process improvement life cycle that includes the following steps define (process and metrics), measure and control (identify problems and issues), analyze (analyze problems and issues), and improve (implement) circling back to measure and control [11]. An example of a process improvement life cycle can be seen in Figure 9. 

As described in detail by Rath and Strong (2000), an iterative five-step procedure is followed to progressively improve product quality. The five steps are (a) Define, (b) Measure, (c) Analyze, (d) Improve, and (e) Control, referred to by the acronym, DMAIC ... 

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