Introduction to DMADV and DMAIC
DMAIC is broken into five phases: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.
DMADV stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Verify.
The main activities of a DMAIC project include identifying the critical inputs or causes (the Xs) that are creating the problem (the Y), verifying those causes, brainstorming and selecting solutions, implementing solutions, and creating a control plan to ensure the improved state is maintained.
DMAIC projects can become DMADV projects – usually during the Define, Measure, or Analyze stages – when the team realizes the need for a complete process replacement.
Define phase
Measure phase
During a DMAIC project, the Define phase is concerned with identifying the problem, defining requirements for the project, and setting goals for success.
In a DMADV project, the Define stage is slightly more rigid. Teams also have to identify a problem and begin defining requirements, but requirements must be made within a change-management environment.
The DMAIC Measure phase is when teams use data to validate their assumptions about the process and the problem.
The bulk of the measure phase is occupied with actually gathering data and formatting it in a way that can be analyzed.
If the team leaves Define with a “rough draft” of these things, they should leave Measure with a final draft.
Analyse phase
phase of a DMAIC project, teams develop hypotheses about causal relationships between inputs and outputs and between Xs and Ys, they narrow causation down to the vital few
A team using DMADV might also identify cause and effect relationships, but they are usually more concerned with identifying best practices and benchmarks by which to measure and design the new process.
Improve or Design phase
Six Sigma teams start developing the ideas that began in the Analyze phase during the Improve phase of a project. They use statistics and real-world observation to test hypotheses and solutions.
The fourth phase is where DMADV projects begin to diverge substantially from DMAIC projects
Control or Verify
the control or verify phase is where loose ends are tied and the project is transitioned to a daily work environment. Controls and standards are established so that improvements can be maintained, but the responsibility for those improvements is transitioned to the process owner.
six sigma
Control is the final phase for Six Sigma teams employing the DMAIC process. During the Control phase, teams usually handle four tasks: creating the foundation for process discipline, finalizing documents regarding the improvement, establishing ongoing metrics to evaluate the process, and building a process management plan that lets the team transition the improvement to the process owner.
The charter usually features a list of team members, names of those responsible for outcomes, a problem statement, a goal, and some basic definitions of scope and metrics for success.
teams create what is known as a project charter and a basic plan for work. A charter is a synopsis of the project.
teams create or list measurable customer requirements and create high- level documents about the process
Usually, the transition between phases is marked by a tollgate review wherein the team presents its Define work to a champion or a Six Sigma leadership board.
During the Measure phase, the team is concerned with creating a baseline metric for the process and refining problem statements and other outputs of the Define stage.
One of the biggest challenges, especially for teams and team members who are new to the Six Sigma method, can be deciding what to measure.
Define
Measure
Analyse
It can be hard to determine which solution actually improves a process, however, so it’s usually a best practice to implement one change at a time and verify that change before moving on to something else
Analyze phases are when teams perform detective work on the process.
Tools common in the Analyze phase include Pareto charts, run charts, histograms, cause-and- effect diagrams, scatter diagrams, process maps, and value analysis.
Improve
Control
Closing a DMADV Project
One of the major differences between DMAIC and DMADV is the possible timeline. We previously stated that a problem fits the DMAIC model if it can be solved in less than six months. While some DMADV projects might only take a few months, many process or product designs can take years.