Some Six Sigma Tools

SIX SIGMA TOOLS

ACTIVITY ANALYSIS

When to use this tool:To discover where waste ispresent by analyzing what a part is doing, what a person is doing and what a machine is doing.These are the results you can expect:

•Identification and elimination of waste in the process (from the perspective of the product, person and the machine)

•“Activity of”data will be the input forbalancing workflow and the creationof Standardized WorkHere’s how you use it:

1.Observe the process (“stapleyourself to an order”)

2.Document the process from the perspective of the “product”of the process

3.Categorize the product’s activity

4.Identify waste to be removed from theproduct’s activity5.Repeat the above steps for the people and the equipment in the process, if this need is identified by Activity of the Product analysis.

Next Steps:1.Calculate Takttime

2.Plot the activity of the people and equipment individually vs. Takttime

3.Remove waste and balance the activity to meet Takttime

4.Create Standardized Work to controlthe processActivity

Capability Analysis

When to Use This ToolIn order to:

•Determine the ability of a process to meet the customer requirements for both the short term and long term

•Compare the actual variation in the process to the allowed variation limits

These are the results You Can Expect

•A numerical value representing the ability of the process to meet customer requirements (Cp or Cpk).

•An indication of whether the process requires improvement in order to meet customer requirements or not.

Here is How to Use it

1.Ensure the Measurement System is adequate

2.Ensure the process is in control3.Identify the specification limits

4.Calculate Cp or Cpk(process capability)

5.Adjust to long term capability if required

Next Steps:1.Develop an action plan to identify the sources of variation (if necessary) to improve the capability of the process and meet customer requirements.

Cause and Effect Matrix

When to Use This ToolToprioritize process inputs by determining which ones have the greatest impact on customer CTQs

These are the results You Can Expect

•A prioritized list of inputs with the greatest impact on customer CTQs

•Identification of the focus for improvements efforts

•A shortened list of process steps and inputs to input to the FMEA

Here is How to Use it

1.List the Customer CTQ Requirements from the SIPOC

2.Rank the Customer CTQsusing a 1,3,5,7,9 or similar scale

3.List the first process step

4.List the process step inputs

5.Repeat steps 3-4 for all process steps

6.Rate importance of inputs to customer CTQs

7.Cross multiply input ratings with CTQ ratings

8.Add sub-totals across to get ratings9.Pareto the ratings of the process steps

Next Steps:1.Use the prioritized list for improvement efforts or feed the top process steps and inputs into an FMEAThese

Control Charts

When to Use This ToolIn order to:

•Determine if a process is in control or out of control

•Determine common cause vs. special cause variation

•Monitor a process on an ongoing basis and make required adjustments

These are the results You Can Expect

•An answer to the question “Is this process in control?”

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