Putting DMAIC of Six Sigma in Practice
Matthew Sanders, Alex Prior

Abstract:
This study concerns a manufacturer that used the Six Sigma process to better control the process of introducing change to its production lines. The company struggled with implementing design and process changes, which led to quality and cost issues and line down-time. A team was created to investigate design changes implemented in the previous year that caused significant issues when they were put into production, such as parts fitting improperly, reworking that was required due to incorrect/incomplete designs, and expediting acquisition of parts because orders to suppliers were delinquent. The team reviewed all of the major design changes implemented in the past year to determine if there were large issues with implementing them. Five projects were identified as having significant problems and the Six Sigma DMAIC process was selected to find the gaps in existing processes and to determine how to best correct them and implement changes for the future.

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