At what step in the Lean Six Sigma improvement process is a process map of the process first created?

Process mapping is the graphic display of steps, events and operations that constitute a process. It’s a pictorial illustration which identifies the steps, inputs and outputs, and other related details of a process by providing a step-by-step picture of the process “as-is”. It’s a graphics technique for dissecting a process by capturing and integrating the combined knowledge of all persons associated with the process. It’s is a team effort and is documented by everyone who contributes to the process and/or is a part of the process.

Process maps help characterize the functional relationships between various inputs and outputs. Three commonly used process mapping tools to create detailed process maps are:

• Process Flowchart
• Deployment Flowchart
• Alternate Path Flowchart

Deployment Flowchart:

Alternate Path Flowchart:

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Lean Six Sigma is simply a process for solving a problem. It consists of five phases: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, & Control. This process is also known as DMAIC (“duh-may-ik”), its acronym. DMAIC is a five-step method for improving existing process problems with unknown causes.

Phase 1: Define

Define the problem. What problem would you like to fix? The Define Phase is the first phase of the Lean Six Sigma improvement process. In this phase the project team creates a Project Charter, a high-level map of the process and begins to understand the needs of the customers of the process. This is a critical phase in which the team outlines the project focus for themselves and the leadership of the organization.

1. Define the Problem by Developing a “Problem Statement”
2. Define the Goal by Developing a “Goal Statement”
3. Define the Process by Developing Process Maps
4. Define the Customer and Their Requirements
5. Inform Others of Project Progress

Phase 2: Measure

Quantify the problem. How does the process currently perform? Or in other words, what is the magnitude of the problem? Measurement is critical throughout the life of the project. As the team starts collecting data they focus on both the process as well as measuring what customers care about. That means initially there are two focuses: reducing lead time or improving quality. In the Measure Phase, the team refines the measurement definitions and determines the current performance or the baseline of the process.

1. Determine How the Process Currently Performs
2. Create a Plan to Collect the Data
3. Ensure the Data is Reliable
4. Gather the Baseline Data
5. Update Your Project Charter

Phase 3: Analyze

Identify the cause of the problem. What is causing the problem? The Analyze Phase is often not given enough attention and, without analysis, teams jump to solutions before knowing the true root causes of the issues. The result is teams who implement solutions but don’t resolve the problem! These efforts waste time, consume resources, create more variation and, often cause new problems. The ideal is for teams to brainstorm potential root causes (not solutions), develop hypotheses as to why problems exist and then work to prove or disprove their hypotheses. Verification includes both process analysis and data analysis and has to be completed before implementing solutions. This is the crux of the Analyze Phase!

1. Closely Examine the Process
2. Graphically Display the Data
3. Look for What Might be Causing the Problem
4. Verify the Cause(s) of the Problem
5. Update Your Project Charter

Phase 4: Improve

Implement and verify the solution. How will the team mitigate the root causes of the problem? Once the project teams have determined the root causes it’s time to develop solutions. The Improve Phase is where the team brainstorms solutions, pilots process changes, implements solutions and lastly, collects data to confirm there is measurable improvement. A structured improvement effort can lead to innovative and elegant solutions that improve the baseline measure and, ultimately, the customer experience.

1. Brainstorm Solutions That Might Fix the Problem
2. Select the Practical Solutions
3. Develop Maps of Processes Based on Different Solutions
4. Select the Best Solution(s)
5. Implement the Solution(s)
6. Measure to Ensure Improvement

Phase 5: Control

Maintain the solution. How do you sustain the improvement? Now that the process problem is fixed and improvements are in place, the team must ensure that the process maintains the gains. In the Control Phase the team is focused on creating a Monitoring Plan to continue measuring the success of the updated process and developing a Response Plan in case there is a dip in performance. Once in place, the team hands these plans off to the Process Owner for ongoing maintenance.

1. Ensure the Process Is Properly Managed and Monitored
2. Document the Improved Process
3. Apply Improvements to Other Areas
4. Share and Celebrate Your Success
5. Continuously Improve the Process Using Lean Principles

What’s next?

DMAIC is the problem-solving approach that drives Lean Six Sigma. It’s a five-phase method—Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control—for improving existing process problems with unknown causes. DMAIC is based on the Scientific Method and it’s pronounced “duh-may-ik.”

To build your understanding of the method, and help you apply it to solve process problems, we’ve broken down the DMAIC Phases for you.

Before Starting DMAIC: Select a Good Project

The focus of any process improvement effort is selecting the right project. Good candidates for improvement will set you up for success with DMAIC. Here are 4 key guidelines:

• Choose an obvious problem within an existing process
• Choose something that would make a difference but would not be overly complex to address—Meaningful but Manageable
• Make sure there is potential to reduce lead time or defects while resulting in cost savings or improved productivity
• Check if you can collect data about the selected process—you want to achieve Measurable improvement

Once you’ve selected a good project, you and your improvement team can apply DMAIC to dig into process issues and deliver quantifiable, sustainable results.

Now, on to the DMAIC process!

Define

What problem would you like to fix? Define is the first phase of the Lean Six Sigma improvement process. During this phase the project team drafts a Project Charter, plots a high-level map of the process and clarifies the needs of the process customers. By conducting Process Walks and talking to process participants they begin their journey of building their process knowledge. Before moving on to the Measure Phase, the team refines their project focus and ensures they’re aligned with the goals of organizational leadership.

Measure

Analyze

Improve

How will the team fix the root causes of the problem? Once they have determined what’s causing the problem, it’s time for the team to implement plans to resolve the root cause(s). The Improve Phase is where the team refines their countermeasure ideas, pilots process changes, implements solutions and lastly, collects data to confirm there is measurable improvement. A structured improvement effort can lead to innovative and elegant changes that improve the baseline measure and, ultimately, the customer experience.

Control

How do you sustain the improvement? With improvements in place and the process problem fixed, the team must work to maintain the gains and make it easy to update best practices. In the Control Phase, the team develops a Monitoring Plan to track the success of the updated process and crafts a Response Plan in case there is a dip in performance. Once in place, the Process Owner monitors and continually updates the current best method.

Lean Six Sigma: DMAIC In-Depth

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